Contents
Tracking employee time across multiple locations can be a problem with many on premise time clock programs. However, TimeClick provides several different ways to track time across remote sites. Your specific needs and network setup will determine which is right for you.
Virtual Private Network
A virtual private network or VPN takes several private networks, one from each of your locations and uses a public network, the internet, to connect them all so that they can share data between each location as simply as if they were in the same location. Establishing a VPN between all of your sites allows TimeClick to be connected to the central database on your server. The downside to setting up a VPN is that there will be additional costs from your IT staff for setup and maintenance.
Port Forwarding Connection
Another option is to set up a connection between the TimeClick programs in each location through a process called port forwarding. Your router acts as a gateway to the internet, and for security reasons will not allow outside computers into your network without permission. Port forwarding involves making an exception in the router’s firewall to allow the computers at the remote sites to go across the internet and connect to the router, which then forwards the connection to the TimeClick database. The speed of the TimeClick program in the remote locations is completely dependent on your internet and router speeds, and in some cases can be adversely affected to where it can take up to 30 seconds for an employee to clock in or out. If you decide to pursue this option, follow our port forwarding setup guide. A static IP address is strongly recommended to prevent IP address changes which require updating port forwarding settings. If you are unsure about the status of your IP address, contact your internet service provider.
TimeClick Databases in Multiple Locations
Setting up a TimeClick database for each location is an optimal solution if workers are at the same site each day. This does require purchasing multiple licenses of TimeClick, but we provide steep discounts for companies setting up databases for multiple locations. You can contact our sales staff for more details. An administrator onsite will manage, run, and submit reports to the payroll personnel for processing. If the main administrator wants access to all the TimeClick databases they can use a free remote sharing program such as TeamViewer to view the desktops of the PC’s at each location and run reports themselves.
If you are have additional questions or are unsure about which option would be the best setup for your company you can contact our support team for additional assistance.