What's Glance? Price/Buy Support About Us Can You Glance? Quick Start Tutorial Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

 
 

Subscriptions and Account Information

 
 

Compatibility

 
 

Firewalls, Proxies and Network Connectivity

 
 

Starting a Session

 
 

Viewing a Session

 
 

Using Glance

 
 

Performance and Features

 
 

Security

 
 

Troubleshooting

 
 

Resolving Connection Problems

 
 

Help Us Improve

 
 
Subscriptions and Account Information
My free trial ended. How can I get more time?

Just send us an email or give us a call (+1-781-646-8505).

I did a trial. How do I convert it into a paid subscription?

Login to your account. Click Become a Subscriber, choose a plan and fill in your billing information. Thanks for choosing Glance!

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel at any time. From glance.net, click My Account in the upper right corner, sign in and choose Cancel Subscription. Choose the subscription(s) to cancel. They will expire on your next scheduled renewal date.

Please note that prepaid amounts are not refundable. There will be no future charges.

Can I subscribe for just a month or two at a time?

Sure. Contact us and we will set your subscription to automatically expire on the date of your choice. To restart it later on, just login and click Reactivate my subscription.

Do subscriptions renew automatically?

Monthly subscriptions renew automatically. Yearly subscriptions do not. We'll check with you about a month before their renewal date to see how you would like to proceed.

You can pause or cancel subscriptions at any time. Just login and choose Cancel subscription.

How do I change my Glance Address?

First, change the address in your online account:

  1. Sign in at My Account at www.glance.net
  2. Click Change Glance Address.
Then update each computer:
  1. Make sure you are not hosting a session.
  2. Single-click the G icon near your clock and choose Settings.
  3. Enter your new Glance Address and password. Click OK. Glance will reply, "Thank you."

How do I change my password?

From our homepage www.glance.net:

  1. Click My Account (in the upper right corner)
  2. Either click the Forgot password? link and follow the instructions OR login to your account and click Update profile.
Then update the password on your computer:
  1. Make sure you are not hosting a session.
  2. Single-click the G icon near your clock and choose Settings.
  3. Enter your Glance Address and new password. Click OK. Glance will reply, "Thank you."

My computer tries to use my old trial account.

To tell it to use your new account:

  1. Make sure you are not hosting a session.
  2. Single-click the G icon near your clock and choose Settings.
  3. Enter your new Glance Address and password. Click OK. Glance will reply, "Thank you."

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Compatibility
Where can I download Glance?

You only need the Glance software to host sessions (show your screen). It includes a high-performance built-in viewer, but guests don't need to have it. They typically just use their favorite browser to join sessions.

You can install Glance on any PC or Mac. Download the latest version from our Support page or http://glance.net/download.

Does Glance support PCs and Macs?

Yes. You can host sessions (show your screen) from any Microsoft Windows™ (Vista/XP/2000/Me/98) computer or Apple Mac™ (Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or newer, Universal Binary). Download either version here.

Guests can view your Glance sessions from nearly any Window, Mac or Linux computer, often without downloading any software. Learn more... They can check their computer's compatibility at http://glance.net/CanYouGlance.

Does Glance work with Parallels? Boot Camp? Fusion? VirtualPC?

Yes, yes, yes and yes.

Under Parallels, Glance works fine with every Windows application we can lay our hands on. This includes modes where Coherence is turned on and running Windows applications within the Mac desktop, with the Windows desktop running full screen, and with the Windows desktop running inside a window on the Mac.

Let us know if you ever find a combination where Glance doesn't work as expected.

Can I install Glance on a Windows PC without Administrator privileges?

Yes.

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Firewalls, Proxies and Network Connectivity
How could I configure my firewall to take full advantage of Glance performance?

Have your IT specialist add a rule that allows outbound TCP/IP connections to destination port 5500 on the Glance servers at 64.95.77.32/27 and 208.48.138.224/27. (These are the IP addresses 64.95.77.32 through 64.95.77.63 and 208.48.138.224 through 208.48.138.255, which are equivalent to 64.95.77.32 and 208.48.138.224 with subnet mask 255.255.255.224.)

Can I use Glance behind a firewall or HTTP proxy server?

In most cases, yes. When you start a session, Glance attempts to connect to our servers using TCP/IP to destination port 5500. If it cannot connect to this port, Glance attempts to "tunnel" through the firewall via HTTP to destination port 80.

Glance automatically chooses the best of several web browser technologies to help guests connect to sessions. Guests either connect to destination port 5500 or tunnel HTTP to destination port 80.

We're constantly improving our ability to connect immediately and reliably. If you encounter a problem connecting, please let us know.

Can I use Glance behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) router or firewall?

Yes. Glance works reliably through most NAT routers/firewalls.

Can I use Glance over a dial-up connection?

Sure. But because dial-up data speeds are much slower than broadband, guests may not see a change to your screen for many seconds.

How much bandwidth does Glance use?

Glance uses bandwidth only during a session. Traffic tends to burst up to several hundred kilobits-per-second for several seconds whenever the screen being shown changes. As soon as the updates are sent, traffic returns back to near zero. Most Glance sessions average about 15 to 25 kbit/s, comparable to active web surfing. All traffic flows through the Glance servers.

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Starting a Session
I already registered for an account. Do I need to install anything for Glance to work?

Yes. You will need to install our software on each computer you use to host sessions. Guests typically do not install software. Guests on Windows computers will enjoy the fastest viewing performance by downloading the free Glance viewer.

I started a session and connected to myself on the same computer. My screen's now a bunch of nested windows! Is Glance broken?

Nope, Glance isn't broken. You're just seeing your screen "looking at itself."  Try moving your Glance viewer window to the right side of your screen and you will see what we mean.

Why does my desktop background vanish when I start a session?

Many background designs are detailed, which creates data that Glance has to transmit. To speed performance, Glance usually turns off your computer's background during the session. The background reappears when your Glance session ends. To keep your desktop background visible during sessions, click the Glance "G" icon, select Settings... click on the Advanced tab and uncheck "Hide desktop background".

Why am I asked for my Network Password when I try to sign in to Glance?

Do you have to supply your Network Username and Password just to surf the web? If so, your corporate network will probably require the same password before it lets you start a Glance session.

What does "Waiting for your first guest to join (10 minutes remaining)" mean?

This message appears in the Session Status field of the Session Info dialog box when Glance is ready and waiting for a guest to connect to your session. If no one joins your session within the time period, the session ends and the Session Key expires, for your security.

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Viewing a Session
Do people viewing my desktop need to install any Glance software?

Usually not. Any guest using a PC, Mac or Linux desktop with a Java-enabled web browser should connect moments after clicking "Join Session". One click and that's it. They just sit back and watch.

All Macs and most PCs have Java. Glance is compatible with Java version 1.5 or newer.

If a guest's PC lacks Java, Glance automatically prompts them to do a one-time install of a tiny ActiveX control (if they're using Internet Explorer) or a small executable (if they're using Firefox, Mozilla, etc.). The moment they "Run" or "Open" it, they connect.

For instantaneous connections from a PC and the fastest possible viewing performance, ask guests to use Internet Explorer to download the free Glance (ActiveX) viewer from http://glance.net/viewer (345k) before joining your session. They'll fly!

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Using Glance
How do I schedule sessions in advance?

Every Glance session has a four-digit Session Key. If you want to announce an upcoming Glance session, it should include the key it will use. So first make sure Glance is configured to ask you what key to use each time you start a session. Here's how:

  1. Single-click the G-icon near your computer's clock.
  2. Choose Settings > Advanced > Prompt me to provide a key when starting each session.
This lets you control what key Glance uses for each session you start.

Let's say you will use Glance in your staff meeting next Monday and for a webinar at the end of the month. Make up a session key for each event. For example, you could use key 1167 for your staff meeting and key 3141 for the webinar.

When you compose an email announcing one of these events, include the session key you plan to use for that event, along with your Glance Address, written as a clickable link.
  • If your Glance Address were yourname.glance.net, then make it clickable by writing it this way: http://yourname.glance.net.

  • You can even include the session key in the link, so your guests will not have to type it. For example, the link http://yourname.glance.net?key=1167 takes a guest directly into a session hosted by yourname.glance.net using key 1167.
When you start the session, tell Glance to use the key you announced for the event. Remember that you need to start the session before your guests can join it. Your first guest needs to join the session within 10 minutes. If no one does, start a new session with the same key.

Can I use Glance on my desktop at work and my laptop on the road?

Sure! Install Glance on as many Macs and PCs as you wish.

Can I start more than one Glance session at a time with my Glance Address?

Each Glance subscription lets you start one session at a time from any PC or Mac

Can I use Glance on a conference room presentation PC?

Sure.  Assign a Glance Address to each conference room PC. Whenever people are on the speakerphone, have them browse to its Glance Address to see what you're talking about.

I've got a customer who wants to show me his desktop this afternoon. Can he temporarily use Glance?

Sure. Click here and fill in his name and e-mail address. In seconds, he will receive a free Glance Trial with unlimited use for seven days. Or have him visit www.glance.net and sign up online for a free trial.

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Performance and Features
How can I speed up Glance?

  • More Uplink Bandwidth – Glance senses changes to your screen, compresses the information and sends it to a Glance server, which relays the data to each guest. The screen updates are forwarded as fast as you can upload them to Glance and guests can download them. The bigger the pipes, the faster Glance runs.

    Many small business and home office networks enjoy fast download speeds (1.5 to 3.0 mbit/s), but uplink speed is often only 10% as fast. A slow uplink speed can cause slow performance. You can check your network's uplink speed at our http://glance.net/CanYouGlance page.

  • Lower Screen resolution – Glance sends your entire screen, so reducing its resolution should improve performance. A complete 800x600 screen is sent about 2.7 times faster than 1280x1024.

  • A Friendly Firewall – If Glance's Session Status tells you it's tunneling, you may want to ask your network administrator to add a simple, secure rule to your company's firewall policy so Glance can run at peak efficiency.

  • Native Glance viewer – For the fastest performance on a Windows PC, have your guests use Microsoft's Internet Explorer to get the free Glance viewer (350k) from http://glance.net/viewer. It installs in moments. Then have them join your session using Internet Explorer. They will connect instantly and should see updates as fast as you can send them.

Can I download something to view a Glance session faster?

For the fastest performance on a Windows PC, have your guests use Microsoft's Internet Explorer to get the free Glance viewer (350k) from http://glance.net/viewer. It installs in moments. Then have them join your session using Internet Explorer. They will connect instantly and see updates as fast as you can send them.

On Macs, we recommend Apple's Safari browser or Firefox.

How can I integrate Glance into my website?

Guests can connect to sessions directly from your company’s website. Add a free Glance button to any page with just two lines of HTML.

Can Glance show my spiffy spinning 3-dimensional CAD model?

Glance always does the best it can, given the available bandwidth, processing power and the complexity of the screen being sent. If you find that performance is slow, you might try reducing the resolution of your display or having your guest use Glance's native viewer.

Can Glance send video?

Yes. But most home office networks can upload data only about 10% as fast as they can download. This often limits video performance to just a couple of frames of video per second. You can increase performance by making the video window smaller or by using a network with faster upload speed.

Some PC video players write directly into your video card's display memory, an operation that Glance cannot detect. In those cases, Glance leaves the video area blank. Try using a different video player or reduce your video driver's "hardware acceleration." Click Start > Control Panel > Display > Settings. Click the Advanced button and the Troubleshoot tab. Set Hardware Acceleration lower and click Apply.

To let guests hear sound on your video, see the next FAQ.

How can my guests hear my computer's sound?

Use an inexpensive device from RadioShack to play your computer's sound through your phone's handset. Everyone on the phone call will hear it clearly. Just plug the device into your computer's headphones or audio line out jack and flip its switch to PLAY.

How can I record a Glance session?

Many of our customers recommend a software product called Camtasia. It lets you capture what's on your screen along with your voice. After your session is over, use Camtasia to edit the content and publish it on your website in a variety of formats, such as Flash.

To include everyone's voice in the recording, plug an inexpensive device from RadioShack between your phone's handset and your computer's microphone jack and flip its switch to RECORD.

Can Glance send files?

No. We suggest you send files as an e-mail attachment or provide them to your guests on your website. Your Glance web pages (where guests join and finish sessions) can also be customized with your logo and links to files on your website. Call for details.

Why does Glance run slower on my dial-up modem?

Glance sends brief bursts of data to quickly update screen changes. Dial-up connections are quite slow. We recommend using Glance over T1, cable or DSL connections.

How much memory does Glance use?

When Glance is not in a session, it uses about the same amount of virtual memory as an instant messaging icon sitting idle (under 5MB). During a session, Glance needs as much memory as a multimedia player (15 to 20MB).

Does the Glance icon sitting in my system tray (near the clock) slow down my PC?

Nope. Glance only uses processing power during a session.

Does Glance work with software that supports several monitors?

Glance works with Windows Vista or XP's DualView feature. (Glance sends the "Primary" monitor). Glance currently does not support ATI HydraVision Multi-Monitor Management Software.

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Security
How secure is information sent with Glance?

If you would have sent the information as an ordinary email message or attachment over the public Internet, then use Glance instead.

In many ways, Glance is like using the phone to communicate with people outside your company. Glance servers never store the information used to send your screen. They simply route it along the shortest available path.

Using Glance is often more secure than sending the same information as an email attachment. Your guest can only see the information you choose to show. Your guest never obtains copies of the raw data or the files used to create the view. And Glance never creates an "archive" of a session that might be copied and sent to others.

When should Glance not be used?

If you need to show and discuss sensitive information that should not exit your secure corporate network, then you should use a secure email network and an internal phone system instead of Glance.

When does Glance create connections to the Glance service?

Only during a session.

Does Glance allow inbound connections from the Internet?

No. Glance software only makes outbound connections that you initiate by starting a session.

Can someone see my screen when I'm not using Glance?

No. For someone to see your screen, you must manually start a Glance session by clicking the "G" icon. To view your PC screen, a person has to visit your Glance web page and know the Session Key, which changes with each new session.

Could someone intercept my Glance session?

Glance is like web browsing. A sophisticated hacker could intercept your web session network data and see everything you see. The same is essentially true with Glance, but a bit harder. All Glance data is sent compressed, so the hacker would need to decompress the stream to a format that can be viewed.

How do I disable the remote control feature?

Single-click the G icon, choose Settings. Under the Advanced tab, uncheck Enable remote control option.

If you wish, Glance Customer Care can configure your account to remove the feature from any subscriber.

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Troubleshooting
My session suddenly ended. What happened?

Glance is like a phone call: either party can "hang up." The session ends when you click your Glance icon and choose End Session or when your last remaining guest closes the window showing your desktop.

If a session ends unexpectedly, then either your network or your guest's network dropped its connection to our service. If you experience session drops with guests from various locations, the problem most likely resides inside your network.

We have found that frequent network drops often can be traced to a weak wireless connection (which can fade or drop) or an inexpensive home office router that shipped with buggy software (like Linksys, D-link, Netgear).

  • Make sure you are using the latest Glance software, which continuously monitors your internet connection and immediately attempts to re-establish communication whenever it detects a drop.

  • If you were on a wireless network, please use a wired connection instead.

    Also, disable your wireless network interface when not in use. Some Windows XP laptops have a silly policy of continuously searching for wireless networks and arbitrarily attaching to anything that pops up, dropping the existing connection on its wired interface.

    Click Start > Control Panel > Network Connections. Right-click the Wireless Network Connection and choose Disable.

  • If you connect through a home office router, make sure it has the latest software. Check the manufacturer's support page. If there's a newer version, use it! Call us if you need assistance with this.

I'm having trouble viewing a Glance session. What's wrong?

To narrow down the possible problem, please visit our 'Can You Glance?' page. Contact Glance Customer Care for assistance.

When my guest tried to join my session, his viewer window did not appear.

  • Make sure he spelled your Glance Address correctly.

  • Make sure he entered the correct Session Key.

  • His viewer might be behind other windows. Have him look underneath.

  • His viewer may not have opened. Have him find the window with the message Thank you for using Glance and click the link that says "If you did not automatically join your session, click here".

The "G" icon next to my clock disappeared.

Windows XP and Vista often try to hide icons. To make the Glance icon next to the clock always visible:

  1. Click Start > All Programs > Glance > Glance to make sure Glance is running.
  2. Right-click a blank spot on the Windows Task Bar and choose Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens.
  3. Click Customize... in the lower right corner, which opens another window.
  4. Locate the line with the Glance "G" icon, click its entry in the Behavior column, choose Always show and click OK.

A guest on Linux cannot join the session.

Your guest's Linux computer probably has the "IcedTea" (GCJ) version of Java, which is not compatible with Glance. Have your guest use the packaging system for their Linux distribution to install Sun's version of Java instead. (java.com)

Your guest can use Firefox to see which Java version the computer is running by typing about:plugins into the browser's address field.

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Resolving Connection Problems
Why would my session end suddenly?

Glance is like a phone call: either party can "hang up." A session normally ends when you click your Glance icon and choose End Session or when your last remaining guest closes the window showing your desktop.

If a session ends unexpectedly, then either your network or your guest's network could not maintain a connection to our service. If you experience session drops with guests from various locations, the problem most likely resides inside your network.

We find that frequent network drops often can be traced to a weak wireless connection (which fades or drops) or an inexpensive home office router that shipped with buggy software (like Linksys, D-link, Netgear).

See the next few FAQs for ways to resolve these and related problems.

Use the latest Glance software

We continuously improve the Glance service. Recent releases include methods that try to automatically reconnect you to the service when a drop is detected.

Glance alerts you when a new software version is available. If you have been ignoring those alerts, please upgrade now. It takes just a few moments.

Using Glance on a wireless network

Glance works fine over a healthy wireless network.

However, your wireless network can become unreliable if its signal is weak or if there is interference from other 2.4 GHz devices nearby, like a cordless telephone or a microwave oven. This can cause Glance sessions to hesitate or drop unexpectedly. Use a wired connection whenever possible.

Also, disable your computer's wireless network interface when it's not in use. Some Windows laptops have a silly policy of latching onto any wireless network that pops up, dropping existing connections on your wired interface. To do this, click Start > Control Panel > Network Connections. Right-click the Wireless Network Connection and choose Disable.

Buggy home office router software (we can help!)

We have found that a surprising number of inexpensive home office routers shipped in recent years with buggy software. They often work fine for typical web browsing (which mostly downloads data), but can fail when hosting a Glance session (which uploads heavy bursts of data).

If you host sessions that repeatedly drop (sometimes many minutes into a session) and you connect through a home office router, make sure it has the latest software. Check the manufacturer's support page: Linksys, Netgear, D-Link. If there's a newer version, use it! Contact us if you need assistance.

Connecting through a corporate firewall or other network security device

Glance works through most network security devices. But some may have a policy that disrupts Glance sessions.

Your session may not connect, it may pause or drop unexpectedly after sending the first screenful of data, or a few seconds or a minutes into the session. Sometimes you can restart the session (or the guest can reconnect), only to see it fail again in the same manner.

If you or your guest connects through a corporate network and experiences these symptoms, we can work with your respective IT department to resolve the issue.

For best performance, have the IT specialist add a rule that allows outbound TCP/IP connections to destination port 5500 on the Glance servers at 64.95.77.32/27 and 208.48.138.224/27. (These are the IP addresses 64.95.77.32 through 64.95.77.63 and 208.48.138.224 through 208.48.138.255, which are equivalent to 64.95.77.32 and 208.48.138.224 with subnet mask 255.255.255.224.)

Personal firewall, anti-virus or web accelerator issues

Most third-party Internet security programs are designed to prevent new applications on your computer from talking to the Internet. They will usually prompt you when you start your first Glance session. Tell them to Always Allow Glance access to the Internet.

If you cannot start a session, make sure Glance (or Glance.exe) appears in your security software's list of allowed programs. You might try temporarily disabling the product to see if the problem goes away. Contact your IT specialist or call us if you need assistance configuring it.

Common products that can interfere with Glance sessions include:

  • NortonTM Internet Security
  • NortonTM Antivirus
  • ZoneAlarm® Internet Security Suite
  • Kasperski® Antivirus
  • GoogleTM Web Accelerator

Computer starts sleeping or hibernating

Many computers automatically sleep or hibernate if left idle. Hibernating for more than a few moments will drop the connection to your Glance session. Call us if you would like help disabling automatic hibernation.

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Help Us Improve
Didn't find the answer to your question?

Our apologies! Please send us an email. We'll get right back to you.

Have an idea for improving our service?

Please send us your thoughts!

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