A FREE, EASIER alternative to Remote Desktop....

[ljh]

Some people have issues with Remote Desktop that are difficult to resolve.
Most of those problems can be resolved by posting questions here. But,
occasionally there are issues that cannot be resolved easily because an
admin may need to be involved at work or because of the difficulty in
troubleshooting the hundreds of different versions of router firewalls via
the newsgroups.

Sometimes people just want a simple way to control their home or work PC
without all of the hassle of firewall reconfiguration or they may want to
control an XP Home edition that does not have Remote Desktop installed by
default.

To those people, I say give Logmein Free a try (www.logmein.com). It
handles different desktop sizes flawlessly. There are NO firewall settings
to tinker with (therefore no need to try and get the company's network admin
to open a port for you as with RDP). It has an encrypted connection and
more security via 2 logins and the ability to disable the remote PC's
keyboard & mouse and blank the monitor while you are online, if you so
desire.

The free version of Logmein does NOT do file transfer (BTW, have you tried
RDP file transfer? Snail mail is faster.). Logmein free does NOT do remote
printing. Otherwise, it is an excellent replacement for RDP. Easier to
setup and easier to use than RDP. (Did I mention that it is FREE?)

With Logmein, your PC is accessible from any internet-enabled PC (Win98,
WinMe, Win XP Home or even a MAC). Try that with RDP.

Anyway.......thought you'd like to know and maybe even give the free version
of Logmein a try for yourself. If easy is what you're after, Logmein Free
has it in spades.

(Nope, I don't work for Logmein and they do not have an affiliate program.
I use it extensively and try and help out in the newsgroups when I can.)

ljh

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Some people have issues with Remote Desktop that are difficult to
resolve. Most of those problems can be resolved by posting
questions here. But, occasionally there are issues that cannot be
resolved easily because an admin may need to be involved at work or
because of the difficulty in troubleshooting the hundreds of
different versions of router firewalls via the newsgroups.

Sometimes people just want a simple way to control their home or
work PC without all of the hassle of firewall reconfiguration or
they may want to control an XP Home edition that does not have
Remote Desktop installed by default.

To those people, I say give Logmein Free a try (www.logmein.com). It
handles different desktop sizes flawlessly. There are NO
firewall settings to tinker with (therefore no need to try and get
the company's network admin to open a port for you as with RDP). It has an
encrypted connection and more security via 2 logins and
the ability to disable the remote PC's keyboard & mouse and blank
the monitor while you are online, if you so desire.

The free version of Logmein does NOT do file transfer (BTW, have
you tried RDP file transfer? Snail mail is faster.). Logmein free
does NOT do remote printing. Otherwise, it is an excellent
replacement for RDP. Easier to setup and easier to use than RDP. (Did I
mention that it is FREE?)
With Logmein, your PC is accessible from any internet-enabled PC
(Win98, WinMe, Win XP Home or even a MAC). Try that with RDP.

Anyway.......thought you'd like to know and maybe even give the
free version of Logmein a try for yourself. If easy is what you're
after, Logmein Free has it in spades.

(Nope, I don't work for Logmein and they do not have an affiliate
program. I use it extensively and try and help out in the
newsgroups when I can.)

You may not have to tinker with the firewall settings - but it may ask you
for permission to get through your firewall during installation or at the
first use.

So yeah - it may be "easier", but it does mess with your firewall.

https://secure.logmein.com/go.asp?page=support_faq#security-02

LogMeIn is compatible with all known firewalls and broadband routers. It's
simple to use and requires no configuration. When you install LogMeIn, some
personal firewalls will display a message asking your permission for the
LogMeIn.exe and LogMeInsystray.exe program files to communicate over the
Internet. This is a secure part of LogMeIn and must be allowed to function
in order for the service to work.

Notice:
"When you install LogMeIn, some personal firewalls will display a message
asking your permission for the LogMeIn.exe and LogMeInsystray.exe program
files to communicate over the Internet."

As for other free products.. UltraVNC and TightVNC come to mind.

UltraVNC has many more plugins and can transfer files.

Yeah - you have to "tinker" with firewall settings - but no more things are
done (although logmein does it for you - blindly) than when LogMeIn adds
itself to the allowed exceptions list. =)

 

[ljh]

You may not have to tinker with the firewall settings - but it may ask you
for permission to get through your firewall during installation or at the
first use.

So yeah - it may be "easier", but it does mess with your firewall.

https://secure.logmein.com/go.asp?page=support_faq#security-02

LogMeIn is compatible with all known firewalls and broadband routers. It's
simple to use and requires no configuration. When you install LogMeIn,
some
personal firewalls will display a message asking your permission for the
LogMeIn.exe and LogMeInsystray.exe program files to communicate over the
Internet. This is a secure part of LogMeIn and must be allowed to function
in order for the service to work.

Notice:
"When you install LogMeIn, some personal firewalls will display a message
asking your permission for the LogMeIn.exe and LogMeInsystray.exe program
files to communicate over the Internet."

Right. For products that block ALL internet communications (like Zone
Alarm) this is true. But, you also have to accept Internet Explorer via
Zone Alarm (and every other internet communicating application) before you
can surf the web without those nasty little popup warnings.

It is the personal firewall asking to change your settings, not Logmein.
Did you mis the "some personal firewalls will display a message asking your
permission" part?

If you use XP's SP2 firewall, there is no change whatsoever.

As for other free products.. UltraVNC and TightVNC come to mind.

UltraVNC has many more plugins and can transfer files.

Yeah - you have to "tinker" with firewall settings - but no more things
are done (although logmein does it for you - blindly) than when LogMeIn
adds itself to the allowed exceptions list. =)

Are being intentionally dishonest?

Had you actually run Logmein on an XP PC with the XP firewall on, you'd see
that it does NOT alter the firewall, nor does it add itself to the exception
list.

Mr. Stanley, you are making yourself out to be a Microsoft zealot. (But, we
probably should have known that by the MS-MVP you so proudly attach to your
sig, shouldn't we?)

How about trying Logmein before you bash it? (Or is there some Microsoft
MVP clause that prevents that type of objective behavior?)

ljh

 

[ljh]

If you try Logmein free, would you please post your personal experience with
it right here?

This would be infinitely more helpful than the rantings of a Microsoft
zealot who wishes to comment on something he has not tried.

Thanks!

ljh

 

[Shenan Stanley]

ljh wrote:
<Snipped because it does not matter>


It's great that you use this and trust it.. Fantastic.
Be honest when you say that it doesn't require firewall settings and phrase
it properly..

"May request a change in your firewall settings - depending on what you run
as a software firewall."

Saying it requires "no firewall settings" is a farce and you know it.
A system configured with a proper firewall will ask and change the settings
for you - but those settings are STILL changed.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

If you try Logmein free, would you please post your personal
experience with it right here?

This would be infinitely more helpful than the rantings of a
Microsoft zealot who wishes to comment on something he has not
tried.

I have tried it.
I do have some customers who use it.
You seem to have some sort of mission in your head. Keep running at the
windmill.

All I said was that it can and will change firewall settings if needed.
For some reason - you went on a tirade.
I don't care if you push it - but denying that their FAQ even say that some
firewalls will ask when you install for permission for the two main apps
(thus changing the firewall settings) - is ludicrous.

This is all I questioned you on.
The rest of your rampage was you going off on nothing.

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...tvc=1&q=shenan+logmein&hl=en#08f56f12ccf345bd

Congrats!

 

[ljh]

ljh wrote:
<Snipped because it does not matter>


It's great that you use this and trust it.. Fantastic.
Be honest when you say that it doesn't require firewall settings and
phrase it properly..

"May request a change in your firewall settings - depending on what you
run as a software firewall."

That is a lie. Logmein does not "request a change in your firewall
settings". Not once. Not ever.

If your firewall software blocks Logmein and asks you for permissions, how
you handle that is up to you. It is not a function of, nor changed in ANY
way by Logmein.

Well over 1,000,000 users.....but you know better than them all, eh?

Saying it requires "no firewall settings" is a farce and you know it.
A system configured with a proper firewall will ask and change the
settings for you - but those settings are STILL changed.

So, XP SP2's firewall is not "a proper firewall"?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

That is a lie. Logmein does not "request a change in your firewall
settings". Not once. Not ever.

If your firewall software blocks Logmein and asks you for
permissions, how you handle that is up to you. It is not a
function of, nor changed in ANY way by Logmein.

Well over 1,000,000 users.....but you know better than them all, eh?


So, XP SP2's firewall is not "a proper firewall"?

No - XP's firewall sucks bilgewater.

And yes - in the end - it is LogMeIn that cause the request for the change
in the proper two-way firewall.

It *is because* logmein needs that access that the firewall is requesting
it. If logmein didn't need it - it wouldn't be requested and if you don't
make that change - logmein is worthless. So you still don't get the simple
concept.

If you have a proper firewall - it may ask you to grant permission to
logmein.. They make no bones about it in their faqs.. only you seem to have
the issue.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Shenan Stanley wrote:

No - XP's firewall sucks bilgewater.

<snip>

I will rephrase that - for clarity..
(I may have cut it short for emphasis. hah)

XP's firewall would not hold water in comparison to other full featured
firewalls.
My biggest complaint - one-way protection.

For the home user - it provides adequate protection, especially if used in
conjunction with a NAT device.
Also - for the home user - it is already configured and easy to manage.
Many a home user has tried other full-featured firewalls and been
overwhelmed.
If all you want is general firewall protection - the Windows XP Firewall is
"fine".
If you want more protection (or need more protection) - you should look into
the other products.

In a layered environment - where the Windows Firewall is the "last line of
defense after other better products" - it also does its job nicely.

 

[Maincat]

Shenan has helped countless people here, including me, to get RDP et al
working well. You are an idiot if you think that Shenan is a zealot.
You're just jealous that you don't have Shenan's talent and experience,
which I'm grateful for.

If it works for you then fine. I'll keep listening to Shenan!!

Regards,
Steve

 

[ljh]

Perhaps Shehan is not a zealot.

However, when Mr. Stanley tells you that "The difference is not that there
is no firewall settings - it just does it for you during the install or it
may ask you during the first use." he is either lying or ignorant of the
product.

I may have seen his ignorance as the act of a zealot. If I have, I
apologize for that.

ljh

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Perhaps Shehan is not a zealot.

However, when Mr. Stanley tells you that "The difference is not
that there is no firewall settings - it just does it for you during
the install or it may ask you during the first use." he is either
lying or ignorant of the product.

I may have seen his ignorance as the act of a zealot. If I have, I
apologize for that.

If you do not all the change in the firewall (if it asks) to allow for the
exceptions mentioned in the FAQ then logmein is rendered worthless..
correct?

Therefore - while my wording may have been bad - the LogMeIn application is
responsible for the ultimate reaction of the firewall. If it was not
installed, was not ran - there would be no changes in the firewall.

You stated the product required "no firewall settings". You did not say
"Windows XP Firewall". You said "Firewall". You install it on a system
with a proper two-way firewall, and you watch it request the change and make
the change you tell it to.. That is a "firewall setting" - so your
statement of "no firewall setting" is still incorrect.

That was the point in the beginning - that is the point now.

 

[ljh]

If you do not all the change in the firewall (if it asks) to allow for the
exceptions mentioned in the FAQ then logmein is rendered worthless..
correct?

In a scenario where you have installed a 3rd party app to intentionally
block all access to the internet from all applications, you may be
challenged by that application to allow Logmein through - but this change is
not controlled by or changed by Logmein as you stated in your first post.

Your assertion was that Logmein changed your firewall settings. You said
"it just does it for you during the install or it may ask you during the
first use" . That is the vain in which I read all of your subsequent
correspondence on the matter of firewalls and Logmein.

As your first statement "...it just does it for you during the install or it
may ask you during the first use" was false (Logmein does NOT change your
firewall settings - no matter what firewall you are using), your subsequent
statements were simply an attempt to prop up the original false assumption
on your part.

Your staement meant that Logmein changed a users firewall settings
(Something that, if even possible, would be a very, very bad thing for any
software to do.) could make it seem that Logmein is taking liberties with
your system that it should not and that it is insecure. It does not. It is
not. It is more secure than RDP.

LOGMEIN DOES NOT MAKE FIREWALL CHANGES - PERIOD! And, as the VAST majority
of users have NOT taken steps to lcok down thier machines with Zone Alarm or
other anal firewall technologies, no firewall changes are needed. Logmein
certainly does not require any special setup to work PC to PC across the
internet.

Therefore - while my wording may have been bad - the LogMeIn application
is responsible for the ultimate reaction of the firewall. If it was not
installed, was not ran - there would be no changes in the firewall.

You stated the product required "no firewall settings". You did not say
"Windows XP Firewall". You said "Firewall". You install it on a system
with a proper two-way firewall, and you watch it request the change and
make the change you tell it to.. That is a "firewall setting" - so your
statement of "no firewall setting" is still incorrect.

That was the point in the beginning - that is the point now.

That is not the point. That is not what you said in your original post.
You said that Logmein changed the firewall settings. That is what I took
exception to - and I still do.

Logmein does NOT change your firewall settings. Now you are trying to
change the meaning of your perfectly understandable statement "it just does
it for you during the install or it may ask you during the first use."

Evidentially, it is of some supreme importance to you to be right -
regardless of what you actually said. (This is not uncommon among
MS-"MVP"s, although it is very sad.)

I don't really care. Paper tigers are a dime a dozen out here and I have
actual work to accomplish.

The people that can think will try Logmein Free (and perhaps VNC and others)
and decide if it works for themselves. Those who value the letters "MVP"
will let someone else think for them - and that's fine too (they'll learn
better as they go along).

I don't ask anyone to believe me.....rather that they test me by trying it
for themselves. It is used by over 1,000,000 people daily and it is free to
try at www.logmein.com.

I have tried it. I love it. I use it daily. I recommend it
wholeheartedly.

I have tried to reason with you. It is futile. I am finished with you Mr.
Stanley.

ljh

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Too bad you just cannot admit you said "no firewall settings" and you were
wrong.

Enjoy your life.

 

[Guest]

Oh, boy.

Do some of these guys' eyes glow when they get incensed, I wonder? <g>

 

[Steve Horrillo]

If you try Logmein free, would you please post your personal experience
with
it right here?

This would be infinitely more helpful than the rantings of a Microsoft
zealot who wishes to comment on something he has not tried.

So far it works fine within my home network. I connected a win2000 machine
with an XP SP2 machine. I'll try next at my friend's office where he has a
proper firewall. I like the simplicity of this. I train people sometimes who
don't even know how to install a program, never mind resolve firewall and
modem blockades. With this program I can easily and quickly have them
install it by walking them through by phone.

Anyone know of a free one that's this simple AND allows printing and
transfer of files? That's the only catch I see with logmin. If you want to
print or transfer files it costs.

--
Warmest regards,

Steve Horrillo, Realtor / C.Ht.

MLS Training http://BrokerAgentTraining.com
Join EXIT Realty http://over100percent.com

 

[Jim Hubbard]

Thanks for an unbiased opinion!

It's not the perfect freeware solution, but its a great start.