ConnectAssist — Self-Hosted Remote Support Platform

🧠 ConnectAssist is a white-labeled, self-hosted remote support solution designed to replace commercial tools like ScreenConnect (ConnectWise), AnyDesk, or TeamViewer. It uses RustDesk's open-source backend hosted on your own VPS with full domain branding, end-to-end encryption, and complete control.

🔷 Overview

ConnectAssist provides a production-ready platform where:

• ✅ Professional Admin Dashboard - Web-based technician interface at /admin
• ✅ Support Code System - 6-digit codes for zero-technical-knowledge customer workflow
• ✅ On-Demand Client Generation - Automatic installer creation when customers enter support codes
• ✅ Persistent Client Installation - Clients install as Windows services surviving reboots
• ✅ Password-Free Technician Access - Direct connection using customer IDs without passwords
• ✅ Real-Time Device Management - Monitor online/offline status and initiate connections
• ✅ Self-hosted under your own domain with no per-user fees or licensing restrictions

🏗️ Architecture

Customer Portal ↔ Admin Dashboard ↔ connectassist.live (VPS)
                                   ├─ Flask API Server [port 5001]
                                   ├─ hbbs (Relay) [port 21115]
                                   ├─ hbbr (Rendezvous) [port 21116]
                                   ├─ nginx (HTTPS: 443, HTTP: 80)
                                   ├─ certbot (auto-renew SSL)
                                   ├─ SQLite Database (device/code management)
                                   └─ On-Demand Client Generation

🔄 Current Workflow (ScreenConnect-Equivalent)

For Technicians:

1. Visit: https://connectassist.live/admin
2. Generate 6-digit support code for customer
3. Provide code to customer via phone/email
4. Monitor customer device status in dashboard
5. Connect to customer device when online

For Customers:

1. Visit: https://connectassist.live
2. Enter 6-digit support code provided by technician
3. Download custom installer automatically generated
4. Run installer - installs as persistent Windows service
5. Technician connects automatically when needed

📦 Repository Structure

connectassist/
├── api/                       # Backend API server
│   └── admin_api.py          # Flask API with all endpoints
├── docker/                    # Docker configurations
│   └── docker-compose.yml     # RustDesk server setup
├── nginx/                     # NGINX configurations
│   └── sites-available/       # Site configs
├── www/                       # Web portal files
│   ├── index.html            # Customer portal (support code entry)
│   ├── admin/                # Admin dashboard
│   │   ├── index.html        # Technician interface
│   │   ├── admin-script.js   # Dashboard functionality
│   │   └── admin-style.css   # Dashboard styling
│   ├── assets/               # CSS, JS, images
│   │   ├── customer-portal.js # Customer portal logic
│   │   └── style.css         # Main styling
│   └── downloads/            # Generated client packages
├── builder/                   # Client builder tools
│   ├── rustdesk-builder.py   # Custom EXE builder
│   ├── persistent-client-creator.py # Service installer creator
│   └── templates/            # Build templates
├── scripts/                   # Maintenance scripts
│   ├── init-server.sh        # Server initialization
│   ├── update-certs.sh       # SSL renewal
│   ├── health-check.sh       # System monitoring
│   └── manage-support.sh     # Support code management
├── data/                      # Database and logs
│   └── connectassist.db      # SQLite database
├── certbot/                   # SSL certificate management
└── docs/                     # Documentation

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 22.04 VPS with Docker installed
• Domain pointed to your VPS IP
• Ports 21115, 21116, 80, 443, 5001 open
• Python 3.8+ with pip installed

Deployment

1. Clone this repository to /opt/connectassist
2. Configure your domain in docker/docker-compose.yml
3. Run ./scripts/init-server.sh to set up base infrastructure
4. Install Python dependencies: pip3 install flask flask-cors requests
5. Start the API server: python3 api/admin_api.py
6. Access your portals:
   • Customer Portal: https://yourdomain.com
   • Admin Dashboard: https://yourdomain.com/admin

📋 Features Status

Feature Category	Feature	Status
🖥️ Client Onboarding	Support code-based customer portal	✅ DEPLOYED
	On-demand client generation	✅ DEPLOYED
	Persistent service installation	✅ DEPLOYED
	Zero-technical-knowledge workflow	✅ DEPLOYED
🔧 Admin Dashboard	Web-based technician interface	✅ DEPLOYED
	Support code generation	✅ DEPLOYED
	Real-time device monitoring	✅ DEPLOYED
	Direct connection initiation	✅ DEPLOYED
🔁 Session Management	Password-free technician access	✅ DEPLOYED
	Persistent unattended access	✅ DEPLOYED
	Multi-device tech access	✅ Native
	Session logging and tracking	✅ DEPLOYED
📊 API Integration	RESTful API endpoints	✅ DEPLOYED
	Customer installer API	✅ DEPLOYED
	Admin management API	✅ DEPLOYED
	Real-time status monitoring	✅ DEPLOYED
🌐 Server Hosting	Self-hosted relay servers	✅ Done
	SSL with auto-renewal	✅ Done
	Production-ready deployment	✅ DEPLOYED

💸 Cost Structure

Item	Provider	Monthly Cost
VPS	Evolution Host (2 vCPU, 2GB RAM)	€10
Domain	Namecheap	~$10/year
RustDesk License	Free (AGPL)	€0
Cloudflare	Free tier	€0

🔧 Development

This project is designed for AI-assisted development with:

• Cursor IDE / AugmentCode compatibility
• Automated build pipelines
• Multi-tenant configuration support
• GitHub Actions deployment

📞 Support

For technical support or questions, contact the development team.

📄 License

This project uses RustDesk under AGPL license. See LICENSE file for details.