CrossLoop: Easiest Screen Sharing Ever

By Brandon West    July 10th, 2007

crossloopWouldn’t it be really handy if you could see the desktop of that relative who’s having computer problems but has no idea what RealVNC is? I have tried numerous services that offer to simplify the screen sharing process, and I’ve not really been impressed with any of them. That is, until I came across CrossLoop.

CrossLoop is a free screen sharing utility requiring only a small download and no registration. Any computer user who can install a program can get this software up and running. The greatest thing about CrossLoop is that the service bypasses routers and firewalls. This is an amazing step forward for screen sharing technology, and it should make computer repair and diagnosis more efficient.

crossloopCrossLoop is secure, encrypting all data using 128 bit encryption and a random 12 digit access code. CrossLoop is made possible through the use of proprietary VIP Tunnel technology and the open-source VNC viewer from TightVNC.

One user acts as a host and the other user joins the session with the access code displayed on the host’s screen. Simple solutions like this help us solve some of the most frustrating problems. Never again will I sit with a family member on the phone trying to explain how to download software.

Most Commented

  • Coldplay
    I use TeamViewer for sharing my desktop with friends and family as it is the best tool so far. It´s not one of those many solutions popping up every day, where you have to be afraid your data might be highjacked by a third party. TeamViewer is one of the "settled" software tools and offers a great and easy solution for connecting to one or more PCs at a time.
    Its also for free and has some nice features but remains very easy to use!
    Give it a try at www.teamviewer.com
  • In the past, screen sharing's never been easy. It's either been "pay $100 to GoToMyPC" or figure out VNC and get the opposition to do things (Firewalls, settings, etc.) that are tougher than the problem itself! CrossLoop challenges that and what I loved about it is that it just worked -- no strings attached.

    Of course, there are a lot of reasons for using a service like this other than customer support. You could be use it to demo a product to a potential client or give a Photoshop tutorial. Or, for those fun times, just test it to see each others' desktops and play around with it.
  • Overly complicated? I thought just the opposite. That is the easiest setup ever. It bypasses routers and firewalls. No other screen sharing I have ever tried does that. Other than computer support, some people use service like this for collaboration of some types (businesses when they only have one copy of software etc.). We have used it in the past (me and other writers) when we were having trouble getting some software working like we wanted but couldn't explain what was happening.

    Brandon
  • Josh Miller
    Seems like an overly complicated way to offer a peer-to-peer computer help session. I tried it and it worked very easily. Unfortunately, the dial up connection on my friend's computer could not handle the stream (not surprising).

    In other news, it seems this service was originally offered as "HelpOnMyPC" http://www.helponmypc.com/

    Are there web 2.0 reasons for screen sharing other than computer support?
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