Remote Access

[b1chmonkey]

Is there a way to connect to my mother's desktop remotely from my desktop?

I would like to remote log in as her, see her desktop and be able to work on
it as if I was sitting at her desk. Updating her computer from home would be
so much easier...

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Is there a way to connect to my mother's desktop remotely from my desktop?

I would like to remote log in as her, see her desktop and be able to work
on
it as if I was sitting at her desk. Updating her computer from home would
be
so much easier...

It's what I do with my mother's PC all the time. Here are a couple of
options:

a) If she uses WinXP Professional: Remote Desktop.
b) If she uses WinXP Home: WinVNC.

Option b) has the advantage that she can see at all times
what you're doing. Configuring either of these products is
not trivial in most cases - post again if you need to know more.

 

[smlunatick]

Is there a way to connect to my mother's desktop remotely from my desktop?

I would like to remote log in as her, see her desktop and be able to work on
it as if I was sitting at her desk.  Updating her computer from home would be
so much easier...

Look at UltraVNC. This is a remote control style software that is
"free" and easy to use. Allows both the remote PC's console (you
mother's) and yor "remote screen" to display the same info.

Remote Desktop "host" is only really available on XP Pro. It logs out
any active user account on the "host" console and all user accounts
need to have a working password (there is a policy setting to let
"blank" passwords.)

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Is there a way to connect to my mother's desktop remotely from my desktop?

I would like to remote log in as her, see her desktop and be able to work
on
it as if I was sitting at her desk. Updating her computer from home would
be
so much easier...

Look at UltraVNC. This is a remote control style software that is
"free" and easy to use. Allows both the remote PC's console (you
mother's) and yor "remote screen" to display the same info.

Remote Desktop "host" is only really available on XP Pro. It logs out
any active user account on the "host" console and all user accounts
need to have a working password (there is a policy setting to let
"blank" passwords.)

============

Slight correction: Remote Desktop won't log out the current user
if you use the same account name - it only blanks his screen.

 

[Elmo]

Is there a way to connect to my mother's desktop remotely from my desktop?

I would like to remote log in as her, see her desktop and be able to work on
it as if I was sitting at her desk. Updating her computer from home would be
so much easier...

You can talk them through a Netmeeting connection, which will work with
all Windows versions except Vista. With this, they can see their
pointer moving as you control their system. Here's what you do the
first time:

- Click Start, Run, type CONF, click OK.

- Go through the one-time Setup Wizard, filling in first and last names,
email address, and deselect "Log on to a directory server when
Netmeeting starts".
Just click your way through the audio tuning wizard, unless you want to
use them too.

- Then Netmeeting will start. One of you will have to email the other
your ip address. Here's a few ways to get that:

1. In NM, click Help, About Windows Netmeeting. The IP address is
there, but if it starts off 192.168. that's the wrong one, and you have
a router.

2. Go to whatismyip.com and copy/paste your ip address.

3. Click Start, Run, type CMD, click OK. Type IPCONFIG, and press
Enter and you'll see the IP address.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Now starts the common, everyday desk-sharing routine:

- Send the IP address.

- Recipient types it into the top pane, clicks the phone icon.

- After the connection is made, "host" clicks the low left icon, which
looks like a hand holding a window.

- Click Desktop, click Share. Click "Allow Control" button.

- You request control (an option at the top of the window with their
desktop display), they accept in the prompt that pops up, and you have
control. You can then click View, Full Screen and you'll see nothing
but their desktop on your screen.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Pegasus (MVP):

Look at UltraVNC. This is a remote control style software that is
"free" and easy to use. Allows both the remote PC's console (you
mother's) and yor "remote screen" to display the same info.

Does UltrVNC handle the tunnel too? That's where I struck out
when trying several different products - including Remote Desktop
and plain old VNC - both of which worked easily and quickly on my
home LAN, but seemed hopeless to set up for really remote use.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Per Pegasus (MVP):

Does UltrVNC handle the tunnel too? That's where I struck out
when trying several different products - including Remote Desktop
and plain old VNC - both of which worked easily and quickly on my
home LAN, but seemed hopeless to set up for really remote use.

I haven't used UltraVNC. What's hopeless about WinVNC?

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Pegasus (MVP):

I haven't used UltraVNC. What's hopeless about WinVNC?

Nothing per-se. It's a snap to use and I prefer the
functionality to Remote Desktop.

But that's within the confines of my home LAN.


As I understand it, to connect across the internet to another PC
using either of those products, one needs to establish something
called a "Tunnel" between the two machines - so that each machine
looks to the other as if it were on a local LAN.

Maybe "hopeless" was too strong a word... but the tunnel part has
eluded me so far. I just can't seem to get through the setups
instructions.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Per Pegasus (MVP):

Nothing per-se. It's a snap to use and I prefer the
functionality to Remote Desktop.

But that's within the confines of my home LAN.


As I understand it, to connect across the internet to another PC
using either of those products, one needs to establish something
called a "Tunnel" between the two machines - so that each machine
looks to the other as if it were on a local LAN.

Maybe "hopeless" was too strong a word... but the tunnel part has
eluded me so far. I just can't seem to get through the setups
instructions.

Yes, you need to establish a tunnel but only in one direction.
The same applies when setting up a VPN.