Remote Access to my home pc via internet

[Guest]

Hello!

I could please use some advise/help with being able to access my home
computer via the internet by using my notebook while I travel for work.

Here is what I have in terms of hardware & setup:

- Home PC with Win XP Pro (SP2)
- Notebook with Win XP Home (SP2)
- Both are running great, and have no known issues.

- Both have internet access …
- The PC via Network Cable -> Router -> Modem (ADSL) -> Internet
- The Laptop via Wireless -> Router -> Modem (ADSL) -> Internet
- Both units have no issues with accessing the internet etc, and are working
fine.

I also have them networked using the same Router, and again, both units are
working great and can access each other just fine. I can share my printers
and files etc. without any problems.

I also have the Notebook configured to use “Remote Desktop†to access the
PC, and once again, that works just fine … just as long as I am within range
of my wireless network that is.

This is what I would like to be able to do:

Access my Home PC (via the internet or other available means), with the
Notebook while I travel for business, for example when I stay at a Hotel and
use their internet connection to access the web , or when I am in an area
such as an airport that provides wireless access.

I have read quite a few posts in these forums, but still am unclear on
exactly what is required in terms of software/hardware setup. I have read a
few posts about VPN’s and the like, but am not at all familiar with what is
involved here.

Would someone please be so kind and try to explain (in not so technical
terms) what I have to do to make this work. Ultimately, I would like to be
able to access the home bases PC and use my programs (i.e. Outlook) to check
e-mail etc.

Are there any security concerns when doing this, I don’t have any “top
secret†stuff etc. but I do bank electronically, and would like to be able to
that also without having to worry about it.

Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated – Thank you!

 

[Sooner Al]

You can use Remote Desktop, a VPN is not needed, to access your home XP Pro PC from your remote XP
Home notebook...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/remoteintro.mspx

Forward TCP Port 3389 through the home router to the private static LAN IP of the desktop...

http://www.portforward.com/routers.htm

Call, from the remote site, using the public IP (ie. the IP assigned by your ISP) of the router. If
your ISP assigns a dynamic IP to your router, then another solution is to setup an account with one
of the dynamic naming services that map a fully qualified domain name to the IP. In my case I use a
FREE service from No-IP.com. The No-IP.com software runs on my XP Pro box and on a time schedule
basis contacts the No-IP.com servers. The No-IP.com servers then know what your IP is and maps that
to a fully qualified domain name. That information is then propagated over the public internet. You
could then call the client PC using the fully qualified domain name. It works very well for me when
I call my home network using Remote Desktop.

http://www.no-ip.com

The Remote Desktop data stream is natively encrypted...

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/pree_rem_quaq.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/termserv/termserv/remote_desktop_protocol.asp

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Jack]

Hi

First you have to set your system so you can connect from the outside world
to your home through the Internet

This page will explain well the options: http://www.ezlan.net/myip.html

Once you are capable to connect from the outside you have to try few
options.

Windows Remote Desktop is one very good option. You can start with the link
given in the previous post.

A second option is remote control program: http://www.ezlan.net/vnc.html

Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

[Sooner Al]

Note that if UltraVNC is used then also use the included encryption plug-in or run it through a VPN
or SSH tunnel. VNC (any flavor) is not natively encrypted...

http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/
http://home.comcast.net/~msrc4plugin/

http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking/xp_vpn_server.htm
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking/xp_vpn.htm

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[GTS]

Jack,

Would you know, by any chance, whether VNC and Remote Desktop can run
simultaneously on a host computer? It seems unlikely but....

I have a situation where multiple offices of a certain company need to
access a host elsewhere. They are using Remote Desktop. A new office has a
problem in that they are purchasing Internet access from the landlord and
there is a proxy server in the way. Using VNC for them is a possible
solution, if it could be added to the server. They probably won't want to
change all the offices over to VNC though

Thanks.
--

 

[Guest]

Hello again, and thanks for all the help, I managed to get myself setup - I
think.

I am still trying to get that Dynamic DNS vs. Static DNS stuff figured out
because my IP keeps changing on me ... I hope I can figure that out too. I
signed up with dynDNS.org, but I am not sure if I am doing it right. I can
get in from the client (for now), but I don’t understand how they will know
my ISP will have changed the IP address. I think I have to run some kind of
"update program" on my host computer, so that when I call in with the client,
it automatically has the current IP address or something like that.

Hopefully I'll get it figured out. Thanks again for all the input - I do
appreciate it very much!

 

[Guest]

Eureka! It’s working! Thanks everyone for your help! I managed to log on
yesterday from about 50 miles away using a friend’s internet connection.

One more question please:

Though I am running a (Software – Windows XP Pro SP2) Firewall, and of
course am behind the Router, what security risks are there while I am
remotely accessing my home computer over the public internet. I am a little
paranoid that someone might intercept something, especially when i use free
wireless access points such as @ Starbucks or at an Airport for example.

Any suggestions?

Please and thank you yet again!

 

[Domingo]

Hi Jack,

I definately have a windows 2000 server in our offices
that can accessed simultaneously by more than one
sesssion. It only allows one sesssion of VNC and one
session of remote control at the same time. To be honest
that joint use is also very limted in that we do not try
to run programs simulataneously. We tend to use the
server as a phone "stats" machine that our staff can view
during the day and I can keep tabs on it at the same time
via a VPN from home.
Good luck, Domingo