Client Push InstallsThis software can be installed without any perquisite software or laborious planning. Just install the software setup the database and away you go. The console will allow you to install AVG across a network to a Domain or IP address. The console can manage AVG across different networks, which is a big plus for remotely managing a company with multiple locations. Installation and push installations are pretty smooth.
07/01/2017 - We have found that there are a few strange quirks in remote installations after the initial deployment.
- We needed to sometimes turn the Windows firewall off. This seemed to happen after we had to upgrade our installation after Avast acquired AVG and had to uninstall the AVG Software on the clients because the AVG Console could not get through the AVG software that was already installed to install the new program update.
- We had to sometimes turn the Administrator account on (set active) and then the console would be able to login and install the software, otherwise the console could not logon, on other stations we could leave the Administrator account off. We found the best results would be the Administrator account active but hide it using a registry entry.
- Processing multiple installations was a pain because each time you wanted to install on a different set of computers; you have to start all over again from the beginning. You also have to know the names of the computers you want to install on and will have to type in each computer name. There is an IP range select but that is of little use after the initial install process. It would have been a better idea to allow the user to select a computer from a list or select a computer to add to a list then select to install. Management is supposed to be less steps NOT more...
Client Management
Management is a pleasure to work with. You can push firewall rules to one station or many and the console operates in real time and allows you to see exactly what is happening when you ask for it to be done. This software also allows itself to be used in real world situations that most small business find themselves in, that is operating without a Windows Server and Active Directory. It allows you to input IP Addresses for computers on a different subnet to communicate with the console.
It would be ideal if the software would allow one to use one port for each remote station; different port numbers along with IP Addresses so that the console could communicate with stations at remote locations. This is something that many small businesses actually have; multiple locations. The business may have 20 computers distributed about 5 locations and want to protect all of them and manage them from one location. This is what central management is supposed to be about.
The Admin Server has started to not start at startup even after a re-install. The service has to be started manually.
Installation Troubles and Solutions
If you are having trouble with the Admin Console showing your client computer then loosing the icon, this is a sign that the "Firewall Settings" is not working. The way that we have found to correct this is to delete the client computer from the "Admin Console" then re-install the client over itself. This somehow correct the problem with the icon and "Firewall Setting". AVG has no clue about what causes this issue or even a solution for this.