remote desktop and vpn

[Bryce]

What is the difference between connection to a computer at work through
remote desktop and VPN?

People at home now connect to computers at work by remote desktop, logging
onto their computer through the server at work. Someone said that VPN is
more secure.

And, why isn't remote desktop secure? (or is it?)

 

[Darrell]

Remote Desktop is an application that is part of Win XP that allows users to
access their PC's from the road or home however one draw back too it is that
it lock the computer and other users from using that PC's while another user
connects to it.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a special network using the internet to
access a private network. The VPN use encryption and other security
mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and
that the data cannot be intercepted


..It can also be downloaded and used with other versions of Windows "Bryce"

 

[Karl Diethrick]

It is likely that you must first VPN into your work location before you
use an use remote desktop.

For example, say my computer at work is called Karl, and has an ip
address of 10.32.x.x.

I cannot access Karl or 10.32.x.x from home on the Internet. I must
first connect to my work network using VPN. Once the VPN connection is
established, I can use RemoteDesktop to access my work computer.

VPN alone only establishes a connection to the work site. You can think
of it as a tunnel, through the Internet, to your work site. Once you
are through the tunnel, you can do all the things you could do from
work, including work on you PC using Remote Desktop.

Some people confuse VPN with VNC which is another remote control
software that works something like the RemoteDesktopConnection in XP.

 

[Bryce]

It is likely that you must first VPN into your work location before you
use an use remote desktop.

For example, say my computer at work is called Karl, and has an ip
address of 10.32.x.x.

I cannot access Karl or 10.32.x.x from home on the Internet. I must
first connect to my work network using VPN. Once the VPN connection is
established, I can use RemoteDesktop to access my work computer.

VPN alone only establishes a connection to the work site. You can think
of it as a tunnel, through the Internet, to your work site. Once you
are through the tunnel, you can do all the things you could do from
work, including work on you PC using Remote Desktop.

Some people confuse VPN with VNC which is another remote control
software that works something like the RemoteDesktopConnection in XP.

So, when I am remoting into SBS here at work to access my desktop... I am
vpn'ing into the server and then connecting to my desktop through remote
desktop connection?

Bryce