Lavawall Viewer

Install the Lavawall Viewer on your Windows computer, pair it once, then start remote support sessions straight from the console.

Open Lavawall Viewer in your console

Where to find it
Remote support › Lavawall Viewer
Who can use it
People whose account includes remote support and the viewer. Others see "The Lavawall Viewer is not available for your account."
For
Technicians
Works on
Windows computers (64-bit)
Feature
Lavawall Viewer, remote support built for strict cryptography requirements

What the page is for

The Lavawall Viewer is a Windows program for remote support. The Lavawall Viewer page in the console is where you download it, see which of your viewers are paired, remove a pairing you no longer want, and start a session on a device you choose. You do not need the Lavawall browser extension.

Organizations that must use FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography choose the viewer because its cryptography runs in a validated module. Read about the viewer.

What you see

  1. Download: the button that downloads the current viewer, with its version number.
  2. Paired viewers: each viewer you have paired, when it was paired and last used, and a Revoke button.
  3. Launch: choose a device and start a session in the viewer.
  4. Version: the newest version available and, once a viewer has connected, the version it is running.

How to install the viewer

  1. Open Remote support › Lavawall Viewer.
  2. Click Download and save the file.
  3. Run the file you downloaded. You do not need administrator rights.
  4. Start Lavawall Viewer from the Start menu, or from the downloaded program if you chose the portable option.

How to pair the viewer (first launch)

  1. Start the viewer. The first time, it opens your browser at the Lavawall console and shows an 8-character code in the viewer.
  2. Sign in to the console if asked. Your organization's sign-in rules apply, including your passkey.
  3. The browser shows Pair Lavawall Viewer on your computer's name, with an 8-character code. Check that it is the same code the viewer is showing.
  4. If the two codes match, click Pair. If they do not, click Cancel and start again.
  5. Go back to the viewer. It signs in by itself and is ready to use. The viewer now appears under Paired viewers in the console.

Only click Pair when you have just started the viewer yourself and the codes match.

How to start a session on a device

  1. On the Lavawall Viewer page, choose the device in the picker and click Launch. You can also click Open in Lavawall Viewer on the Remote Support page.
  2. Your browser may ask to open Lavawall Viewer. Click Open, and tick the box to always allow it.
  3. The viewer connects to the device. If the device asks the user for consent, the user clicks Accept first, as in any remote session.

Session notes, tickets and the other remote support tools work the way they do on the Remote Support page.

Passkey sign-in, locking and unlocking

  • Sign-in. The viewer uses your console sign-in. Where your organization uses passkeys, you confirm with your passkey or security key when you pair and when you unlock.
  • Locking. If the viewer is left alone for the time your administrator has set, it locks and shows Unlock Lavawall Viewer. Sessions you are not using are not kept open for anyone who walks up to your computer.
  • Unlocking. Click Unlock. Your browser opens the console, you confirm it is you, and the viewer carries on. Your organization may ask for your passkey every time.

Updates and versions

  • The viewer checks for updates by itself and installs them for you. You do not need to download it again.
  • The Lavawall Viewer page shows the newest version. Compare it with the version in the viewer's About window if you are not sure you are up to date.
  • The viewer only installs updates that Lavawall has published. If something does not look right, it does not install the update.

How to remove a paired viewer

  1. On the Lavawall Viewer page, find the viewer in Paired viewers. Look at the name and the last used date to be sure.
  2. Click Revoke and confirm.
  3. That viewer is signed out straight away. To use it again, pair it again.

Revoke a viewer when a computer is lost, replaced or handed to someone else.

Tips

  • Pair each of your Windows computers once. Pairing is tied to you and to that computer, not to the browser you used.
  • Keep your browser's "always allow" choice for lavawall.com so Launch starts the viewer without asking.

Troubleshooting

"The Lavawall Viewer is not available for your account."
Your plan or role does not include the viewer. Ask your administrator.
Launch does nothing, or the link does not open the viewer.
Check that the viewer is installed on this computer and has been started once. Then click Launch again and, if your browser asks, allow it to open Lavawall Viewer. A link only works on the computer where the viewer is installed.
"This link has expired. Start again from the console."
Launch links are short-lived. Click Launch again.
The code in the browser is not the code in the viewer.
Click Cancel, close the viewer and start pairing again. Never pair when the codes differ.
"Your organization requires you to confirm it is you before pairing" (or unlocking).
Confirm in the console with your passkey or the sign-in method your organization requires, then try again.
The viewer says it is no longer paired.
The pairing was removed or has run out. Start the viewer and pair it again.
An update is blocked.
Close the viewer, download the latest one from the Lavawall Viewer page and install it over the old one. If it is still blocked, contact us and tell us the version number.
"This copy of Lavawall Viewer cannot be used for your organization's protected sessions."
Your organization requires the validated-cryptography viewer. Update to the latest viewer and try again. If the message stays, contact us.

Questions

Do I need the browser extension?
No. The viewer is a separate Windows program.
Does the viewer need administrator rights?
No. You can install and run it as a normal user.
Can I pair more than one computer?
Yes. Each shows up under Paired viewers and each can be revoked on its own.
Does the user at the device see that I am connected?
Yes. The same notice, consent rules and logging as the browser remote desktop apply.
Can I use it on a Mac?
Not yet. The viewer is for Windows. Use the browser remote desktop on a Mac.
Is the viewer FIPS 140-3 validated?
The viewer's cryptography runs in the Go Cryptographic Module v1.0.0, which holds FIPS 140-3 certificate #5247 from NIST's Cryptographic Module Validation Program. The certificate covers that module. It does not cover the whole product, Windows or your browser. This helps your organization meet requirements for validated cryptography. It is not a certification of your organization.

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