remote pc access

[Sledge]

i would like to be able to access my home pc from my laptop whilst away on trips,any suggestions for software or techniques?

[Front_Seat_Dreamer]

Sledge

If you have windows xp pro you could simply use the built in remote desktop connection software that is in the OS, I use it all the time for work and fixing my wife and my mothers computers.

The problem with the remote desktop is that you require good security set up and also you will need a permanent internet connection.

There are loads of other bits of software out there but a good one that gets round the need for opening firewall ports etc. is a product called gotomypc (https://www.gotomypc.com/?Portal=gotomypc) which is web based. You can test it free on the site. It's probably not the cheapest solution but it works fantastically and you can get a free trial (I think)

Let us know what you end up trying.

FSD

[Hamrah]

I use GOTOMYPC a lot. Very effective.

H

[Foodbomber]

We use real VNC on several systems and a secure shell alternative called Zebedee for our people who desire a more secure system.

VNC is easy to set up and use, and is mostly used by our female office staff who work partly at home, and they have no problems with it at all. Currently it is used on win98 and win2k systems, and best of all, its free as well.

It is easier to use when dialing to an office setup though, where the network is always on, but some people have logged into home machines from work, without problems as well.

cheers

[Memetic]

RealVNC gets my vote. It's a bit more work than gotomyPC as you need to open up the port on your firewall to allow access and remember what IP address your target PC sits on.

As gotomyPC initiates a connection to the internet when it starts you generally do not need to tinker with the firewall and it keeps track of the IP adress for you. However they charge for the service.

To manage your IP address tracking for free there are various services that you can run on your PC that automatically update a DNS server with the current IP address allocated by your internet service provider.

regards

Memetic.

[Sledge]

Thanks for the input guys,I went with GoToMyPc, works very well,just a bit expensive but what price peace of mind.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Sledge,

Another program that is not too hard on the wallet is:

Symantec pcAnywhere™ 11.0 (http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/Consumer/)

It sells for under $30.00 in the U.S. (For under $10.00 if you get Version 10.5) ;)

Take Care,

Richard