Net Control 2 for macOS

Net Control 2 Classroom and PRO for macOS are already available for download. This upgrade is released as a part of the version 20 line and introduces support of macOS Catalina (OS X 10.15). The minimum supported OS now is OS X Mountain Lion (10.8).

The teacher module for Apple macOS is available as a DMG package, and provides access to the same features as Net Control 2 for Windows with several exceptions (Speech Manager and voice & audio features in other tools, web browser, file manager and Windows-platform specific features).

The student module for OS X is available as a .PKG installation package. It supports the following features:

  • Student computer screenshots in thumbnails on the teacher computer
  • Student computer information (OS version, computer name)
  • “Control” (Remote Desktop). Control the student computer from the teacher computer, using the keyboard and mouse. The following features are not supported: screen annotations, computer lock up during the remote session, Ctrl+Alt+Del simulation, “Move an active window to the top-left screen corner”.
  • Broadcast Desktop tool
  • Broadcast Student’s screen
  • Screenshot View
  • Internet restrictions. Safari and Google Chrome browsers are supported only.
  • Program restrictions.
  • Sound muting.
  • Program Manager: terminate programs, run programs, documents, URLs etc. from Desktop or /Applications folder; run programs/URLs from a command line.
  • Shutdown manager: shutdown, reboot, logoff, hibernate and sleep the computer (should be allowed by the OS settings).
  • Send/Collect Files – file operations are currently available only on Net Control 2 Common Files folder, on OS X systems it is mapped to /Users/UserLogin/Documents/Net Control 2 folder (where /Users/UserLogin is a home folder of a currently logged in user).
  • Lock – locks the student computer temporarily. “Keep the locked state after reboot” option is not supported.
  • Quick Run
  • Messages – full screen or windowed messages; setting up the system sound volume remotely. Text-to-speech using built-in Apple’s TTS engine.
  • Chats and Help requests. The chat subsystem is compatible with the version 20 clients only.
  • Student registration.
  • Whiteboard.
  • Rewards.
  • Grades.
  • Journal-related features.
  • Quizzes.
  • Polls.
  • Desktop Records Player. Without audio features.
  • Changing the student module settings remotely from the teacher module.
  • Connecting a teacher computer from the student computer by IP address or a DNS name (if allowed by the student module settings).
  • Students can initiate connections by a Teacher Session ID code.
  • The student computer may be found and added to the teacher console, using Scan button of the teacher console, if Connection Password is set up in the student module settings.
  • Raise Hand tool.
  • Quick Statuses

In macOS Catalina, several permissions (such as the screen capture permission, access to Documents folder, access to accessibility features) should be enabled in macOS settings. Usually the operating system prompts for such permissions during the first start of the student module.

If you already have the version 20 license of Net Control 2 Classroom or PRO, the new macOS packages should appear automatically in Downloads section of your customer area on our website.

Net Control 2 version 20 is already available!

We are pleased to announce that the new Net Control 2 version 20 classroom management software is already available for download and installation!

The list of improvements and new features was published on this blog slightly earlier, and is available for review here.

This major update is currently available only for Windows versions of Net Control 2 Classroom, SmallClass, and PRO editions. Net Control 2 Mobile Clients version 12 are compatible and can be used together with the version 20. An update for OS X (including OS X 10.15 Catalina) will be available soon (planned for the end of May).

Users of previous versions of Net Control 2 products that would like to upgrade the software to the version 20, if their license is eligible for the free upgrade, should contact us for a new, upgraded registration key. The registration name and key of previous versions will not work with the version 20. Please contact our support team, in your request please specify your registration name and key of the latest license. The new key will be sent within two work days.

Our customers who are not eligible for the free upgrade, but purchased the license not earlier than 5 years ago, are still eligible for up to 50% upgrade discounts. More information about upgrade is available here.

Enjoy your use! We are always waiting for your feedback and impressions, which you can send us through the support panel.

Net Control 2 version 20. What’s New.

The specified features concern Windows version of the software only. Availability of features may depend on the software edition.

The new release includes improvements of core features (like file transfer speed), support of high resolution displays (including 4k displays), new features for 1:1 environment support, redesigned user interface, new chat tool, redesigned file manager, new bad language restrictions, support of kiosk applications and many other improvements.

General

Improved User Interface. New color scheme.

Support of high resolution monitors including 4K displays and screen scales above 125%.

Direct connections of Net Control 2 Classroom edition are reintroduced with a new, more safe realization. Both direct and inverse connections are available at the same time without enabling the compatibility mode. The new direct connections model is not compatible with older versions. If you use this model, please read documentation before upgrading.

Classroom Edition: a new self registration engine for 1:1 environment. Students can send requests to all teachers in the network, teachers then can select students they need to connect. Students can connect a teacher by selecting him in the list. Enhanced features include protection of incoming connections with a PIN, automatic acceptance of connections when a PIN code is provided, prompts to select a teacher on logon or on each disconnection from a teacher.

The file transfer subsystem is completely redesigned. Now the file transfer speed is 50-100% faster on large files and is up to 25x faster for small files.

User Interface improvements

Group icons may be customized with a custom text description, background color or image.

Redesigned, simplified the teacher options window.

Smooth scaling of thumbnails in the computers list.

Maximum thumbnail size is increased to 1020px (width)

More precise thumbnail position in the free layout view after scaling. Fixes the issue with the incorrect thumbnails order after scaling the layout to a very low scale value and switching back to normal.

The file transfer progress is displayed in the status bar only, file copying is performed entirely in background. Allows performing other tasks during the file transfer.

A default action of Broadcast Desktop or Control button on the top toolbar depends on the last used mode: control/view/control in separate windows.

The popup connection information window: significantly higher (almost realtime) update rate for the displayed user screen.

Remote Desktop tool

Significantly faster mouse response on the controlled computer.

Entirely redesigned Remote Desktop Viewer.

Several controlled computers may be displayed either all-in-one window (with ability to switch between them), or each controlled computer is displayed in its own window.

Joining/excluding controlled clients when multiple computers are controlled in one window. Now it is possible to exclude a computer from the controlled computers set to a separate window, or join a computer in a separate window to the common session.

Three stretch modes: normal (1:1), stretched proportional; stretched unproportional.

Fast zooming the displayed screen in the viewer.

Broadcast Desktop

Instructor can switch the broadcast desktop viewer on user computers between the full screen and windowed mode in a click, using a button on the Broadcast Desktop toolbar.

During a broadcast session, Instructor can enable the controlling mode on the user computers, so users can interact with the Instructor computer directly from the broadcast session. This applies also to user broadcast desktop sessions when a student is sharing his/her screen to others.

Program Management

Applications may be run in a special Kiosk mode. In this mode, students cannot switch to other applications, only the selected application is available.

Restrictions

Bad Language restrictions. The new tool allows preparing a list of “forbidden” words. When a user types some text that includes such words in any application on his computer, the teacher will be immediately notified about the event.

New redesigned restrictions window.

Internet restrictions: improved Internet restrictions profile editor.

Internet restrictions: ability to import a list of websites from an external file. New “Verify” tool provides an easy way to validate the profile before sending or saving.

Redesigned, improved program restrictions manager.

Chat

Absolutely new chat tool.

Enhanced text formatting capabilities include custom alignment, font styles, colors; for the whole entered text or a fragment.

Ability to insert graphic images from a file or paste them from Clipboard.

Support of emoticons.

Ability to insert to the chat a screenshot of entire Instructor screen’s or cut its part.

Ability to make and send small drawings instead of entering a text.

Ability to attach any file that becomes available for all participants of the chat. In this way you can easily share your work with students or get files from them.

Ability to scale the chat content (text size).

The chat window may be displayed within the main teacher console window or displayed as a separate window.

File Manager

File Manager was redesigned from scratch. More stable and easy to use.

File operations are more predictable due to they are always apply to the currently selected computers (in previous versions File Manager had its own list).

Standard classic NC-style file management: files are displayed in side-by-side panels, in resizable columns, may be selected and managed with standard keyboard shortcuts (like Insert, F2..F10)

Messages

Messages tool. Messages can include special macros in the text to display some computer specific information, like a computer name, connection name, user name, random numbers, split a class to pairs, triples etc.

Polls

Improved user interface for the tool.

Instructor can customize polls using built-in scenarios. Currently included scenarios allow determining users that give the fastest correct replies on a poll.

Whiteboard

Realtime update for the pen tool. Faster response on user computers for other tools.

Other

Help requests: for received help requests, Instructor can initiate a remote desktop session in a click, directly from the help request dialog.

A special button on group icons in the groups list makes possible to wake up student computers of the group in a click.

New numbering of versions. The software versions represent now a year and month of the release, as year.month, e.g. 20.3 is a version released in March 2020.

Redesigned Quick Run editor.

Redesigned Student Registration window in the teacher console.

Student Module

Redesigned Student Console. Provides better usability, supports high resolution monitors (4K) and scales above 125%.

Adaptive User Interface depends on the enabled features and current state of the student module (e.g. connected/unconnected).

Ability to repeat the last message sent from a teacher computer.

Redesigned Connect Instructor tool that reflects new connection features.

Student settings are adjusted to reflect new 1:1 features

Version 20 is coming soon!

We expect that a couple of next beta testing cycles in the coming weeks will complete the three-year development period of the new version. The new release introduces numerous improvements in the user interface, new features and multiple upgrades for the existing tools.

For better convenience of handling the software updates, more clear release version numbering, more predictable cycles of free updates, starting with this update, we decided to change the version numbering order.

Version numbers now include a year and month of the release, as also a unique build number. Thus, the next software version is 20.3!

A detailed list of changes will be published shortly.

In conclusion, we would like to remind you that all Net Control 2 SmallClass licenses includes one year, and Net Control 2 Classroom and PRO include two years of free updates to any future versions from the date of purchase. Within this period, all users of versions 11 and 12 will be able to upgrade their software to the version 20.3 at no additional cost.