connecting to home PC from remote laptop

[fredethomas]

Those interested in connecting to a home computer while traveling and using a laptop or a handheld might go to http://ultravnc.com    Free software that is top of the line.  We are going to try it when on the road this winter and summer. 

 

[johnandellen]

Thanks Fred.  I need to be able to "read" my brother's desktop because he is a complete computer illiterate and I am trying to get him up and running on email from 300 miles away.  I will see how this works.

Ellen Spiler

 

[Ned]

VNC is available in several different versions, but all do much the same thing.  I use UltraVNC occasionally and it works very well.  However, to connect to the remote server, you need to know the IP address of the remote computer.  If it's on a static IP address, then it's easy enough to do, but if it's on dialup or DSL where the IP address changes from time to time, then it becomes a bit more difficult.  Take a look at dyndns.org one of the similar services that will associate the IP address with a name so you don't have to keep changing the IP address in the client program every time you want to connect.

Also, check out the Windows XP Remote Desktop feature if you have XP Pro.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

VNC is available in several different versions, but all do much the same thing.? I use UltraVNC occasionally and it works very well.? However, to connect to the remote server, you need to know the IP address of the remote computer.? If it's on a static IP address, then it's easy enough to do, but if it's on dialup or DSL where the IP address changes from time to time, then it becomes a bit more difficult.? Take a look at dyndns.org one of the similar services that will associate the IP address with a name so you don't have to keep changing the IP address in the client program every time you want to connect.

Also, check out the Windows XP Remote Desktop feature if you have XP Pro.

We use PCAnywhere, Ned. The full $199.95 version is available for $35 as an OEM CD. Some want to use the freebees, but we try to get clients to pony up the $35. so we are working with just one piece of software from our help desk. For those on dial up or DSL, we call ahead and they give us their latest IP address for us to use when we dial in. I'll have to check and see if we can use a var name there. It works well for us, and the client, in that they come back the next AM and find their SW updated, fixed, or whatever we need to do to it. Unfortunately, on dial up it's pretty slow -- when moving multi meg files back and forth.

We have also gone to storing the latest update copy of their SW on my server (for those with the service contract). That way, they download it themselves so we are not in that part of the equation anymore. BTW, you can download the latest demo from there at any time.

 

[Ned]

I used PCAnywhere in the distant past, but with so many open source solutions available for free, it's not such a good bargain any longer.  VNC in one of it's many flavors does just about anything you want for remote access and file transfer.