Benefits of using multiple Gateway keys for accessing remote Clients

If you want to split access to devices, you can assign multiple Gateway keys to the Server and then apply them to the required Clients. For example, all remote laptops could be on one Gateway key and all Servers connecting on another Gateway key. In this scenario, you can then issue your Control users with only the Gateway key for the devices you want them to access.

This can be segmented to suit the organisational needs, from departments to locations to levels of access. This is particularly useful for building a hierarchy into your Gateway and inbuilding layers of access and permissions – Controls would only have access to areas related to their role.

Applying a Gateway key to the Gateway Server
First, on your Gateway Server, you need to apply a new Gateway key for each site location, this only needs to be performed once per location.

1. Right click the Gateway icon in the system tray.
2. Select the Configure Connectivity Server option.
3. When the NetSupport Connectivity Server Configuration utility appears, choose the Keys tab.
4. Click Add.
5. Enter a description for the new key, i.e. the name of the location and click Set to enter the new Gateway key assigned to this location.
6. Click OK and then Apply.

Repeat as required for each location until all keys are on the Server. You now need to set and deploy the configuration to the Clients to recognise the Gateway key settings.

There are two methods that the NetSupport Manager Client can access the Gateway. One is to read this from the Client32u.ini file and the other is to read this from the registry (typically applied from Group Policy). Using either method, you can assign the required location Gateway key to the Clients for each location.

Adding Gateway connection details to the Client Configuration file
You need to apply the Gateway key information to the Client Configuration files. This can be configured on one Client first, following the steps below:

1. Start the NetSupport Client Configurator.
2. Choose the Advanced option.
3. Double click Master Profile.
4. Select the HTTP.
5. Enter the Gateway connection details, including the assigned Gateway key. Once you save this configuration, it will store the changes in the Client32u.ini file. This file can be copied from the following location:
   C:\Program Files(x86)\NetSupport\NetSupport Manager.

The file can then be placed with the installer files used to deploy your NetSupport Manager Clients.

Applying the Gateway connection details to the registry (AD Policy)
The Client can also read the Gateway connection details from the policy registry key; typically, this is applied via Group Policy using the Client Template files.

Using the NetSupport Manager Client Template files, this will write the key to the following location depending on whether the device is 32bit or 64bit:
32bit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\NetSupport\Client\Standard
64bit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Policies\NetSupport\Client\Standard

Please see the following article for how to apply the Template files that are used to write the Gateway values to the registry:

How to apply the NetSupport Manager ADMX files

You can configure the connection details here to confirm the key values written to the above location. You need to change the encrypted Gateway key value for each Client. This encrypted key can either be taken from the Configurator, or an encryption tool can be used to generate this.

Add the Gateway locations to the Control
Only Control users issued with the Gateway connection details, including the new Gateway key will have access to these devices.

Control users can add a new Gateway connection to the Control to locate these devices following the steps below:

1. Start the NetSupport Manager Control.
2. Select the Internet Gateways option from the left-hand Tree view.
3. Double click the Add a Gateway icon and enter the Gateway connection details including the new key. When you browse the Gateway, it will only display the Clients assigned to this key.

You can repeat this process for any additional locations.

Where is the Gateway list stored?
The Control stores its list of Gateways in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NetSupport Ltd\PCICTL\ConfigList\Standard

The Gateway related values all start with HTTP\

If you export all keys from this location of just the String Values that start with HTTP, you can import them to other Control machines.

Applying the Gateway configuration via the AD Template file
Another method to apply the Gateway connection is using Group Policy and the AD Template files. Within the NetSupport Manager Control ADMX Template files (machine or user-based), you can apply the Gateway details to your Control users if you wish to enforce the settings to AD Groups to define which locations they can access.

Please refer to the following article on where to find and how to apply the NetSupport Control ADMX Template files:

How to apply the NetSupport Manager ADMX files

Once the Template file has been imported, you can access the policy below to set the Control Gateway details.

1. First set the policy in the screen shot to configure the number of Gateway connections you will be adding.

2. For each Gateway connection you want to add to the Control, click the Gateway Connection policy and enter the Gateway details including the encrypted key.