How to remotely connect to my home computer... (1 Viewer)

[Mark Giles]

Simple...What's the best software to use if I wanted to securely connect and takeover my desktop on my home computer from either a laptop or from my work computer?

 

[JamesHl]

The remote desktop in winxp if you have xp pro on both of them is conveniently built in. PCAnywhere is pretty good. VNC is free, and I hear good things about it, though I've never used it myself.

 

[AllanN]

WinVNC is free and it has a JAVA web interface as well, so you don't have to have a client installed to access your PC just a JAVA enabled web browser. VNC is also platform independent, so you can run the client or the server app on Windows, Mac and LINUX. Security is is big lack as it is open source and does not log failed login attempts. PCAnywhere ($99UDS) is more secure and also has file transfer, chat, and other function s that VNC does not. PCA also works at an acceptable refresh on dial-up. VNC does function on dial-up, but not at acceptable performance. I have not tried Remote Desktop yet because I just recently upgraded to XP, im weary as Microsoft products are notoriously unsecure. If you do install VNC or PCA run them on unstandard ports this will decrease the chances of someone scanning your IP and finding known open ports. If your use broadband and are behind a router/firewall (highly recommended) you will have to configure incoming port forwarding to make it work. Also by changing the ports used on VNC or PCA with a router you can connect to multiple PC's on your network. I personally run VNC and keep a tight eye on my incoming firewall logs. Strong passwords are also a must. If your are dialing in PCA is by far the better choice. Will your laptop be dialing in? Are you permitted to/get away with install(ing) your own software on your work computer?

If you have any more questions about features or setup, feel free to email me, or just post back here.

 

[Mark Giles]

Yeah, I'm able to install software on my work computer. I have not bought my laptop yet but will very soon. For now it will just be from my job. In either case, it will be a broadband connection. I have a linksys wireless router at home and I want to access both computers from work. I have Norton Firewall plus the hardware firewall in the linksys, of course. A friend at my other job was mentioning VNC. Is this easy to set up? I have to go to my home computer and allow my jobs ip address in right? The file transfer feature is not real important at this time.

 

[Gordon Moore]

tightvnc is is another version of basically the same thing and is free. It doesn't support the Java Viewer but offers logging options. Take yer pick:

www.tightvnc.org

 

[JamesHl]

If you want to access more than one computer behind a firewall, you'll either have to setup a vpn or be able to change your port forwarding setup from a remote location and do it every time you want to switch systems.

 

[Mike LS]

This is slow, but if you're wanting to control 2 XP systems remotely, you can log into one from work and bring up the other via Remote Desktop.
Again, it's slower going, but it does work if you're not doing anything intensive.

I'll second PC Anywhere. I use that from work to my home computer and it works flawlessly. The only issue is that with residential DLS at home, the modem IP changes, so I have to email my home IP to work every day before work. And there's always the chance that Bellsouth will renew the IP during the day. It's happened to me b4.

 

[AllanN]

The only issue is that with residential DLS at home, the modem IP changes, so I have to email my home IP to work every day before work. And there's always the chance that Bellsouth will renew the IP during the day. It's happened to me b4.

Do a google search for Dynamic DNS, I personally use no-ip, but I have heard DynDns is good as well.

 

[JamesHl]

Well, VNC is just bloody clever, then.

Now that I think about it PCAnywhere has this capability as well but you really have to seriously tinker with it.

So basically, you only have to setup a vpn if you're using exciting windows remote desktop with more than one system.

HOWEVER! A vpn will provide you with a significantly higher level of security, as you won't have to open any ports to the internet at large, and all of your data will be further encrypted.

 

[Max Leung]

I found VNC unbearably slow, but it works I guess.

I like XP's Remote Desktop. You need XP on the remotely controlled PC, but you don't need XP to do the remote controlling.

 

[JustinG]

Max is very correct. I have XP pro at home and use my 98 laptop from work to control it. It's very easy to set up on the XP box. All you need to do on the other machine (if not XP) is download the remote desktop client from MS.com. I even use the RD client to control a 2000 server box from my 98 machine.

If you are behind a router at home, forward port 3389 to your internal IP for the box you want to control.

 

[AllanN]

HOWEVER! A vpn will provide you with a significantly higher level of security, as you won't have to open any ports to the internet at large, and all of your data will be further encrypted.

Very true, although it limits you to connect from a Windows 2k or XP machine. Any other OS you have to download either microsoft's or a 3rd party VPN client.

 

[JamesHl]

You could do it in PCA9 but you had to hack the registry to get it to work PCA10 and above had it buried in advanced menus.

Yes... this is what I was thinking of. In 10 it's really stuck down in there.

What's your analysis of VNC's security features?

 

[Max Leung]

quote:

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I found VNC unbearably slow, but it works I guess.
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Where you using dialup, broadband, leased line?

Broadband and 10Base-T (straight ethernet). Is there a new non-sloth version of VNC?

 

[Dave Gorman]

I have XP pro at home and use my 98 laptop from work to control it. It's very easy to set up on the XP box. All you need to do on the other machine (if not XP) is download the remote desktop client from MS.com.

With an XP Pro host, you can configure it to host a web-based Remote Desktop session. You don't need the client software on the client computer, just a browser.

 

[PhilBoy]

Sorry gang, but I need this in black & white...

Let us assume that:

1) I have a HTPC running XP Pro. It is connected via DVI out to a HD display and by SPDIF out to coax in on a digital receiver.

2) The HTPC's hard drive(s) contains uncompressed copies of my cd's and dvd's {that I have purchased and own).

3) MyHTPC is installed & working on the main HTPC.

Could I control all functions on the HTPC (above) wake on lan, playback of all files etc. from a laptop or pc connected via Cat5 or wi-fi and play all the media through the big display and big sound ? (assuming of course that I have turned on the big display & receiver).

 

[AllanN]

Could I control all functions on the HTPC (above) wake on lan, playback of all files etc. from a laptop or pc connected via Cat5 or wi-fi and play all the media through the big display and big sound ? (assuming of course that I have turned on the big display & receiver).

I’m not up much on wake-on-lan (WOL) as I don’t use it at work and leave my PC's on 24/7. But the second part of your question. You could use remote control software from a laptop to control your HTPC. Any products listed here would be acceptable for internal network use.

 

[JamesHl]

Could I control all functions on the HTPC (above) wake on lan, playback of all files etc. from a laptop or pc connected via Cat5 or wi-fi and play all the media through the big display and big sound ?

Not with remote desktop, because when you log in with remote desktop it logs you out on the system you are logging into, so all you would see is the login screen. I think you could probably do it via pcanywhere, though.

 

[AllanN]

Not with remote desktop, because when you log in with remote desktop it logs you out on the system you are logging into, so all you would see is the login screen. I think you could probably do it via pcanywhere, though.

I know this is how Terminal Services works on Windows Server. I though however that remote desktop was designed so that someone could control your computer to help the user with a problem. I have never run Remote Desktop personally so there is a good chance im wrong. Ill add that to my test list along with TightVNC.

 

[Dave Gorman]

I though however that remote desktop was designed so that someone could control your computer to help the user with a problem.

That's Remote Assistance -- different than Remote Desktop.