FireSight OT · alternatives
A TeamViewer alternative for machine networks
If you're looking for a TeamViewer alternative for OT, the real question is usually not which remote-desktop tool to use, but whether remote-desktop software on plant PCs is the right approach at all. This page compares that approach with brokered, per-machine access, which is how FireSight OT works.
Being fair
When a remote-desktop tool is a good fit
TeamViewer and similar tools are general remote-desktop software. They are quick to set up for a single support call, people already know them, and they work well for office PCs and helpdesk work.
- One-off support for a person at a PC, where someone is there to accept the session.
- Office and IT desktops, where reaching that one PC is the whole job.
- Small set-ups with no separate machine network and no outside vendors to manage.
Side by side
Remote-desktop software vs a TeamViewer alternative built for OT
This compares approaches, not products. The left column applies to any remote-desktop tool installed on a plant PC.
| Point | Remote-desktop software on a plant PC | FireSight OT |
|---|---|---|
| What gets installed at the plant | Software on each PC people need to reach. | One Cloud Connector per machine network. Nothing is installed on plant PCs, PLCs or HMIs. |
| What a remote user can reach | Whatever that PC can reach on the network. | Only the machines granted to them: a web HMI, RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, a serial console or one TCP port. |
| Depends on | That PC being switched on, logged in and running the software. | The Cloud Connector being online. It connects out to your Cloud Hub and reaches the machines for the user. |
| PLCs and devices with no desktop | Reached indirectly, through a PC that has the engineering tools. | Reached directly: the client opens a local port for TIA Portal, Studio 5000, Modbus or OPC UA tools. |
| Limiting a vendor to one machine and working hours | Hard to do, because access follows the PC rather than the machine. | Vendor accounts with two-factor sign-in, access hours and an end date. Sessions close when time is up. |
| Where the access server runs | Depends on the tool. | On your own server, in your data centre or a cloud VM. A hosted option is planned. |
| View of IT and security teams | Often banned in OT networks. | No inbound ports at the plant, mutual TLS per device, and a full audit log. |
FireSight OT
What's different with FireSight OT as a TeamViewer alternative
Per machine, not per PC
Nothing is visible until it's granted. Access is given per machine or per Cloud Connector, to people, divisions or outside vendors. A site can also cap what its own Cloud Connector will ever reach.
Remote desktop and terminal in the browser
New in 0.3.0: RDP and VNC open in a browser window, with clipboard and Ctrl+Alt+Del. SSH, Telnet and serial consoles open in a browser terminal. Web HMIs open in the browser too.
Hours, end dates, two-factor
Machine builders and integrators get vendor accounts that must use two-factor sign-in, can be limited to working hours, and stop on an end date. Their open connections close automatically.
Identical lines, no renumbering
Each site's machine network can be mapped 1:1 to its own range on the Hub, so lines that all use 192.168.1.x work side by side. Machines need no route or gateway changes.
Every session recorded
Every sign-in, session, change and alert goes to the audit log. Browser terminal sessions are kept as text transcripts for 90 days. Video recording of remote desktop sessions is planned for 0.4.0.
No hardware lock-in
Cloud Connectors are Raspberry Pi-based. Buy ready-made ones from us (CC-3, CC-4, CC-5, or the industrial CC-4i and CC-5i), or build your own from parts at a local store.
Running both
Moving off remote-desktop tools one site at a time
You don't have to switch everything at once. Many plants keep a remote-desktop tool for office support and move machine access over site by site.
- Start with one site. The 30-day evaluation covers up to three Cloud Connectors.
- Publish what people use today: the engineering PC over RDP, the HMI in the browser, the PLC port for the client.
- Move vendors first. Give each machine builder a vendor account for their own machines and hours, then remove the remote-desktop software from the plant PC.
Licensing: per Cloud Connector, with a Hub licence per company or a device licence per connector. If a licence lapses, FireSight OT keeps working in a restricted mode and security updates continue.
More on the approaches in choosing remote access for machine networks, on vendor remote access for OT, and on secure PLC remote access. Or see the FireSight OT overview.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Facts checked against public documentation on 25 October 2026; tell us at hello@firesightsystems.com if anything has changed.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is a good TeamViewer alternative for OT networks?
For machine networks, many plants move from remote-desktop software on plant PCs to brokered, per-machine access. FireSight OT puts a Cloud Connector on each machine network that connects out to your own Cloud Hub, and people reach only the machines granted to them.
Do I need to install software on the plant PCs?
No. Nothing is installed on plant PCs, PLCs or HMIs. Web HMIs, remote desktop and terminals open in the browser, and a client for Windows, macOS and Linux is available for engineering tools.
Can I limit a machine builder to their own machines and working hours?
Yes. Vendor accounts must use two-factor sign-in, can have access hours and an end date, and their connections close automatically when time is up.
Does it need inbound firewall ports at the plant?
No. The Cloud Connector only connects out to the Cloud Hub, so the plant firewall needs no inbound rules. The Hub itself needs TCP 443 open.
See it on a test line
Tell us about your sites and who needs to reach them. We'll show you FireSight OT in a live demo Hub, with real machines behind a Cloud Connector.
