Alternative to GoToMyPC?

[Nickolas]

I can use gotomypc when I am at work to access my home PC, are there
any other cheaper alternatives to this? I have tried VNC, however I
cannot connect (I'm behind a firewall at work)....How can I connect
using GoToMyPC but not with a desktop client like TightVNC?

Is there anything I can do to make this work without paying GoToMyPCs
prices?

Thanks,
Nickolas

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I can use gotomypc when I am at work to access my home PC, are there
any other cheaper alternatives to this? I have tried VNC, however I
cannot connect (I'm behind a firewall at work)....How can I connect
using GoToMyPC but not with a desktop client like TightVNC?

Is there anything I can do to make this work without paying GoToMyPCs
prices?

If you can connect to your home PC remotely from work with one method, you
should be able to configure any other method (UltraVNC, Remote Desktop,
PCAnywhere, etc..) to work as well. UltraVNC and Remote Desktop (if you
have XP Professional at home) would be your free options. They should be
able to be configured on your home PC to use whatever ports are opened for
outgoing/incoming connections at your workplace, getting around the firewall
quite nicely.

 

[Nickolas]

If you can connect to your home PC remotely from work with one method, you
should be able to configure any other method (UltraVNC, Remote Desktop,
PCAnywhere, etc..) to work as well. UltraVNC and Remote Desktop (if you
have XP Professional at home) would be your free options. They should be
able to be configured on your home PC to use whatever ports are opened for
outgoing/incoming connections at your workplace, getting around the firewall
quite nicely.

'

Is there any way to tell what port GoToMyPC was using?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

If you can connect to your home PC remotely from work with one
method, you should be able to configure any other method (UltraVNC,
Remote Desktop, PCAnywhere, etc..) to work as well. UltraVNC and
Remote Desktop (if you have XP Professional at home) would be your
free options. They should be able to be configured on your home PC
to use whatever ports are opened for outgoing/incoming connections
at your workplace, getting around the firewall quite nicely.

Is there any way to tell what port GoToMyPC was using?

It was using 80, 443 and or 8200 - which are open through most firewalls,
thus why it worked.

 

[stillboy]

It was using 80, 443 and or 8200 - which are open through most firewalls,
thus why it worked.

I am not sure but I think most firewalls, especially ones that use NAT
do not have "port" unless they are specifically configured... I am not
sure how exactly all firewalls work. There is also the other issue of
ip addresses, if the ip is assigned via dhcp then who knows what the
ip is from the other end. I believe what Gotomypc does is use a
constant connection to a central server (gotomypc.com) to report ip
address and to create a path through the firewall to the pc...

 

[Shenan Stanley]

If you can connect to your home PC remotely from work with one
method, you should be able to configure any other method (UltraVNC,
Remote Desktop, PCAnywhere, etc..) to work as well. UltraVNC and
Remote Desktop (if you have XP Professional at home) would be your
free options. They should be able to be configured on your home PC
to use whatever ports are opened for outgoing/incoming connections
at your workplace, getting around the firewall quite nicely.

Is there any way to tell what port GoToMyPC was using?

It was using 80, 443 and or 8200 - which are open through most
firewalls, thus why it worked.

I am not sure but I think most firewalls, especially ones that use NAT
do not have "port" unless they are specifically configured... I am not
sure how exactly all firewalls work. There is also the other issue of
ip addresses, if the ip is assigned via dhcp then who knows what the
ip is from the other end. I believe what Gotomypc does is use a
constant connection to a central server (gotomypc.com) to report ip
address and to create a path through the firewall to the pc...

All firewalls (that I know of) allow you to Open Ports, or allow traffic to
flow through a given port. A non-configurable firewall would pretty much,
in my opinion, be one out of your control completely... Lke your corporate
one.

Most of the DSL/Cable routers these days also allow for port forwarding and
the likes, too many problems with even common issues like games and remote
desktop and the likes, so they wouldn't sell any products if they weren't
configurable like the software NAT products.

The DHCP issue is worked around boy other free services like DynDNS.org -
which can assign a name to your IP and when your IP changes, the name
follows it. Not all Cable/DSL routers will do this, but the better ones
will allow for entry of this information and even have suggestions (like
DynDNS.org) of whom to use.

With Port Forwarding or Configuring a Firewall with open ports, NAT boxes
(like DSL/Cable routers or free software software) and services like
DynDNS.org - there is very little reason to pay for a service that is built
into your Windows XP system or that you can get a substitute for (like
UltraVNC) as a free thing!

 

[Guest]

If you dont already have remote desktop installed...it comes with xp and it works great....you can download it at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx

 

[Jeffrey Randow (MVP)]

Clarification - Remote Desktop is included and already installed in XP
Pro.. The download mentioned is client software for other versions of
Windows...

Jeffrey Randow (Windows Networking & Smart Display MVP)
(e-mail address removed)

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