Help › Add devices › C2

Add a device to your own access

By signing in, with a one-time code or right at installation — afterwards the device can be reached from your access and takes one place.

Preview this guide has not yet been clicked through on a real device. Button names and steps come from the program but may differ in details.

For: Private helper · Account administrator · Employee working from home
Applies to: Free · Cloud · Own relay
Right in the console: Administrator of the access (only for one-time codes and deployment keys in the console)
Controlled device: Windows · macOS · Linux
Control from: Program (Windows, macOS, Linux)
from version: 20260930.3

What it is for

Via browserdesk.de you can only control devices that belong to an access — your Free access, your Cloud access or an access on your own relay. A device you add takes one place there, can then be reached from the access and appears in its address book. There are three ways: sign in in the program, enter a one-time code, or pass a deployment key at installation.

What you need

BrowserDesk on the device to be added — Windows, Mac or Linux (C1).
The name of your access (e.g. fuchs-48213) and one of these: - a user account of the access (user and password), or the access password if your access has one, - a one-time code, - a deployment key (Cloud and own relay only, not Free).
A free place. Free has three places; Cloud has as many as were bought.
Own relay: the device must already know your relay before it joins — otherwise the join goes to browserdesk.de and is refused. Set the relay address: C6.

How to do it

Way 1: Sign in in the program

On the device open BrowserDesk and choose EinstellungenFernzugriff (Settings > Remote access). The card Zugang (Access) is at the top.
In the field "ZUGANG" (access) enter the name — or the address such as fuchs-48213.browserdesk.de.
Enter your account under "BENUTZER" (user) and "PASSWORT" (password). If your access has an access password: leave the user empty and enter the access password.
Click Beitreten (Join). If your account has a second factor, BrowserDesk asks for the code from your authenticator app (Zweiter Faktor (Second factor) → enter code → Anmelden (Sign in)).
The question Dieses Gerät hinzufügen? (Add this device?) appears: - Dieses Gerät hinzufügen (Add this device) — takes a place; the device can be reached from the access. - Nur von hier aus steuern (Only control from here) — takes no place; you only see the address book and control the access's devices from here.

You can change this later: the card Zugang has the switch Dieses Gerät hinzufügen.

Way 2: With a one-time code — no password on the device

For Free this is the main way, because a Free access has no access password.

Create the code

In the program of a device that is already signed in: EinstellungenFernzugriff → card Zugang → Einmalcode für ein weiteres Gerät (One-time code for another device). The code is shown with "Gilt bis … Uhr, einmal." (valid until …, once) — Kopieren (Copy) copies it.

Or in the console: Tenants → double-click the access (Edit tenant) → tab Add devices → Create one-time code → Copy one-time code.

Enter the code (new device)

EinstellungenFernzugriff → card Zugang.
Enter the code (e.g. ABCD-EFGH) in the field below "ODER MIT EINMALCODE" (or with a one-time code). The field "ZUGANG" may stay empty.
Click Mit Code hinzufügen (Add with code).

A one-time code is valid for 30 minutes and for exactly one device.

Way 3: Right at installation — deployment key

For many devices (Cloud or own relay, not Free). The device joins the access while it is installed — no password, no click.

Console: Tenants → Edit tenant → tab Add devices → section Deployment key.
Fill in "Valid (days)" (1 to 30), "Maximum devices" and a "Note", then Create key.
The key and the commands under How to install are visible only now — Copy key or Copy commands.
Pass them at installation, for example: - Windows MSI: msiexec /i BrowserDesk.msi BDZUGANG=<access> BDSCHLUESSEL=<key> /qn - Windows single file: BrowserDesk.exe --join <access> --key <key> - Linux: sudo BDZUGANG=<access> BDSCHLUESSEL=<key> apt install ./<file name>.deb

How you know it worked

The card Zugang shows "Beigetreten: <name>" (joined) and, at the switch Dieses Gerät hinzufügen, "Hinzugefügt — Platz 2 von 3 belegt. …" (added — place 2 of 3 taken; with your numbers).
On the start page the card Ihr Desktop (Your desktop) shows "Zugang: <name>" below the ID.
In Erste Schritte (First steps), "Zugang beitreten" (join access) is ticked.
A device added at installation says in the card Zugang: "Dieses Gerät gehört zum Zugang „…“ (bei der Installation oder von einem anderen Benutzer hinzugefügt)." (this device belongs to access … — added at installation or by another user). You only see the address book there after signing in.
In the console the device is listed under Devices.

Good to know

Joined is not added. If you only sign in and choose Nur von hier aus steuern, you see the address book. The device can only be reached once you choose Dieses Gerät hinzufügen.
Only join your own access. Whoever calls you and asks you to join or for a code may want to take over your computer.
Free devices can only be controlled from their own access.
Free up a place (browserdesk.de only): console → Devices → the device's menu → Free up place. The device is then out and only comes back when it is added again in the program. With Free, at most three releases are possible in 30 days.
Deleting the device (Delete in the same menu) ends the place without that limit — the device may come back.
Leave: card Zugang → Verlassen (Leave). If the device was added, it signs off and can no longer be reached via the access; the administration frees the place.
Deployment keys can be revoked in the console at any time (row menu → Revoke); devices already added stay. Treat the key like a password.
If an access is full, a device with a deployment key waits and asks again every 10 minutes — a place that becomes free is used without you doing anything.

If it does not work

You see	Meaning and fix
"Unbekannter Zugang — bitte den Namen prüfen." (unknown access)	Name mistyped, or the device asks the wrong relay. Own relay: check the address (C6).
"Benutzer oder Passwort falsch." (user or password wrong)	Account or password incorrect.
"Dieser Zugang hat kein Zugangs-Passwort. …" (this access has no access password)	Typical for Free. Use way 2.
"Dieser Zugang hat keine Benutzerkonten. …" (this access has no user accounts)	Empty the field "BENUTZER" and enter the access password.
On the device: "Für diesen Zugang auf browserdesk.de sind alle Plätze belegt …" (all places taken)	No free place. Free up a place in the console or buy more devices (prices).
Console: "In den letzten 30 Tagen wurden schon 3 Plätze freigegeben. …" (3 places already freed in the last 30 days)	Free limit on releases. Wait until the time named in the message.
"Dieser Relay kennt Einmalcodes noch nicht — …" (this relay does not know one-time codes yet)	Own relay on an older version. Use way 1 or update the relay.
On the device: "Die Anmeldung am Zugang wurde abgelehnt — der Beitritt ist abgelaufen oder wurde widerrufen. …" (join expired or revoked)	Join again (way 1 or 2).
On the device: "Dieses Gerät wurde aus seinem Zugang entfernt (Platz freigegeben). …" (removed from its access)	The place was freed in the console. Add the device again.
On the device: "Dieses Gerät gehört zu keinem Zugang. …" with Zugang beitreten (Join access) and Kostenlosen Zugang anlegen (Create free access)	The device is in no access. Zugang beitreten leads to the card Zugang; if you have no access yet, the second button creates a Free access.
MSI aborts: "BDZUGANG und BDSCHLUESSEL gehören zusammen - bitte beide angeben oder keinen."	With the MSI always pass both values.

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