Using Remote

[MarkC]

Hello,

I live 130 miles from my parents house. My mother who is 78yrs decided to
get a computer and start learning it. She is having a hard time, and I'm
have a hard time explaining things over the phone to her. So what I like to
do is setup my computer to connect to her computer so I will be able to see
her desktop and move here mouse around while I'm on the phone explaining.

How can I remotely connect to her computer? She is using XP Home, I'm using
XP Pro we both have fast Internet connection. I know firewalls are being
used, but in order to help her understand what I'm trying to explain over
the phone, I need to be connected to her computer. I have a Gateway and in
the past Gateway support was able to connect to my computer remotely when I
had a problem. Even at work, our IS Support can remotely connect to our
work computers. I like to do the same, hopefully it's possible.

Thanks,

MarkC

 

[David Candy]

Type CONF in Start Run

Netmeeting is a multi function app. You want Shared Application and it's the desktop you want to share (then you see what she sees and she can give control to you and you can show her). You can restrict it to a sinfle application as well.

This works with all computers.

 

[Leythos]

Hello,

I live 130 miles from my parents house. My mother who is 78yrs decided to
get a computer and start learning it. She is having a hard time, and I'm
have a hard time explaining things over the phone to her. So what I like to
do is setup my computer to connect to her computer so I will be able to see
her desktop and move here mouse around while I'm on the phone explaining.

How can I remotely connect to her computer? She is using XP Home, I'm using
XP Pro we both have fast Internet connection. I know firewalls are being
used, but in order to help her understand what I'm trying to explain over
the phone, I need to be connected to her computer. I have a Gateway and in
the past Gateway support was able to connect to my computer remotely when I
had a problem. Even at work, our IS Support can remotely connect to our
work computers. I like to do the same, hopefully it's possible.

You could install VNC or TightVNC on her computer, running it on a non-
standard TCP Port, and then have her start it only when you are
providing help. Both are free and allow you full access to the computer
and to see her screen as she does.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello,

I live 130 miles from my parents house. My mother who is 78yrs decided to
get a computer and start learning it. She is having a hard time, and I'm
have a hard time explaining things over the phone to her. So what I like to
do is setup my computer to connect to her computer so I will be able to see
her desktop and move here mouse around while I'm on the phone explaining.

How can I remotely connect to her computer? She is using XP Home, I'm using
XP Pro we both have fast Internet connection. I know firewalls are being
used, but in order to help her understand what I'm trying to explain over
the phone, I need to be connected to her computer. I have a Gateway and in
the past Gateway support was able to connect to my computer remotely when I
had a problem. Even at work, our IS Support can remotely connect to our
work computers. I like to do the same, hopefully it's possible.

Thanks,

MarkC

My mother lives on a different continent. She is now 87 years
old and her introduction to PCs was somewhat traumatic. The
trauma stopped when I gave her a shortcut on her desktop that
connects her PC to mine via the Internet. When she clicks this
shortcut then I can see her screen, and we can both operate her
mouse and keyboard. Privacy or security is not an issue because
she needs to initiate the connection. So, in answer to your question,
it can be done!

One solution is to use WinVNC in "reverse takeover" mode. WinVNC
is a free tool for home use. I can even send you the installation package
that I made for my mother - it turns installation into child's play.

Things are a little more involved on your side because you need to
place your PC into "listening mode". You also need to arrange it
so that your mother's PC knows your current IP address, even
though it might change from one day to the next.

Post again if you're interested.

 

[Vantage]

You'll want to use Remote Assistance. It's pretty easy to setup and use.
Have a look in Help & Support.

Remote Desktops won't work a) your mums got Home not Pro b) You'll take
control of her PC and she won't be able to see what going on.)

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You could install VNC or TightVNC on her computer, running it on a non-
standard TCP Port, and then have her start it only when you are
providing help. Both are free and allow you full access to the computer
and to see her screen as she does.

This will only work if the OP's mother has a fixed external IP address.

 

[Leythos]

This will only work if the OP's mother has a fixed external IP address.

Nope, it will work no matter what her IP address is.

If you don't know the address all you have to do is have her Start, RUN,
CMD, ping sons_IP_address, and watch it on the firewall/router logs to
see where she's at.

All that it requires is that the Son know her IP, not that she have a
fixed IP. There are many ways to determine an IP, she could even browse
to http://sonsipaddress:30000 just so that it would stand out in the
logs for him.

 

[David Candy]

The bigger problem is none of this is part of windows. Therefore it won't work at all.

 

[Leythos]

The bigger problem is none of this is part of windows. Therefore it won't work at all.

Why?

VNC can be downloaded for free.

VNC could be sent to his GM on CD and he could easily tell her how to
install it over the phone the first time.

Editing the Windows XP Firewall for the VNC exception is also simple.

As for her IP address, even if SHE doesn't have a NAT router, as the OP
indicated that he has high-speed, he would likely have a NAT router or a
firewall appliance, so he should be able to see the PING/HTTP request
inbound....

I've done this about 80 times for clients that needed help with their
home computers, even made a word document to template it as a step-by-
step installation (and then exported to PDF)....

 

[David Candy]

I'm not installing it so it will never work for me. Perhaps you should learn to use windows to answer windows questions.

There is a constant stream of morons, of all types, that
a/ Suggest installing programs to do what windows does
b/ Complete idiots who can only understand innstalling programs.

Don't pander to idiots.

 

[Leythos]

I'm not installing it so it will never work for me. Perhaps you should learn to use windows to answer windows questions.

There is a constant stream of morons, of all types, that
a/ Suggest installing programs to do what windows does
b/ Complete idiots who can only understand innstalling programs.

Don't pander to idiots.

And there are many programs that provide better options/functions that
Windows included functions.

Are you suggesting that I not pander to people like you?

 

[Plato]

I live 130 miles from my parents house. My mother who is 78yrs decided to
get a computer and start learning it. She is having a hard time, and I'm
have a hard time explaining things over the phone to her. So what I like to
do is setup my computer to connect to her computer so I will be able to see
her desktop and move here mouse around while I'm on the phone explaining.

One might try:
http://www.realvnc.com/

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Nope, it will work no matter what her IP address is.

If you don't know the address all you have to do is have her Start, RUN,
CMD, ping sons_IP_address, and watch it on the firewall/router logs to
see where she's at.

All that it requires is that the Son know her IP, not that she have a
fixed IP. There are many ways to determine an IP, she could even browse
to http://sonsipaddress:30000 just so that it would stand out in the
logs for him.

Consider the steps the OP's mother has to go through, following
your recipe:
1. Start a command processor.
2. Ping her son's IP address. (What is it, anyway?)
3. Watch the firewall response (if she has one).
4. Make a note of the address.
5. Tell her son.
6. Allow for mistakes and misunderstandings.

That's a bit much for a 78 year old lady with limited computer
skills. I prefer the KISS principle: Double-click a single shortcut
on her desktop. That's it, no more. And it can be done!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Interesting point: If it's not part of Windows then it won't work
at all. I did not realise that Microsoft had a monopoly for writing
Windows software that works. I will now discard my Trend
virus scanner and my Firefox browser, together with my Acronis
TrueImage and, of course, WinVNC.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
The bigger problem is none of this is part of windows. Therefore it won't
work at all.

--

 

[David Candy]

Great idea. You learn how to use windows.

Let me see, what is my list of foreign programs.

Perfect Disk (they gave it to me for free)
Regmon
Filemon
Acrobat (I can't stand this macintosh crap on my computer - but I need to read PDFs)

opps, that's it. Apart from Dos games everything else is designed.
--
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Goodbye Web Diary
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Interesting point: If it's not part of Windows then it won't work
at all. I did not realise that Microsoft had a monopoly for writing
Windows software that works. I will now discard my Trend
virus scanner and my Firefox browser, together with my Acronis
TrueImage and, of course, WinVNC.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
The bigger problem is none of this is part of windows. Therefore it won't
work at all.

--

 

[Leythos]

Consider the steps the OP's mother has to go through, following
your recipe:
1. Start a command processor.
2. Ping her son's IP address. (What is it, anyway?)
3. Watch the firewall response (if she has one).
4. Make a note of the address.
5. Tell her son.
6. Allow for mistakes and misunderstandings.

That's a bit much for a 78 year old lady with limited computer
skills. I prefer the KISS principle: Double-click a single shortcut
on her desktop. That's it, no more. And it can be done!

How about you think a little and try again:

Mom/Grandmother
1) Starts VNC Server Service
2) Open IE or FireFox
3) Browse to http:\\mysonsIP
4) Tell son that she's browsed to his computer

SON
1) Watch firewall/router logs
2) See's Mom/Grandmothers inbound http request
3) VNC connect to IP found in #2 above

Done.....

 

[Leythos]

Great idea. You learn how to use windows.

Let me see, what is my list of foreign programs.

Perfect Disk (they gave it to me for free)
Regmon
Filemon
Acrobat (I can't stand this macintosh crap on my computer - but I need to read PDFs)

opps, that's it. Apart from Dos games everything else is designed.

Nice to see that you don't get a lot of use out of your computer.

I would have to say that more than 70% of the applications on my
computers/workstation were not written by Microsoft and they are all as
stable as Windows XP is.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

How about you think a little and try again:

Mom/Grandmother
1) Starts VNC Server Service
2) Open IE or FireFox
3) Browse to http:\\mysonsIP
4) Tell son that she's browsed to his computer

SON
1) Watch firewall/router logs
2) See's Mom/Grandmothers inbound http request
3) VNC connect to IP found in #2 above

Done.....

That's seven steps. Four of them need a reasonable
PC-awareness by the OP's mother. You can easily
do it with one single step, requiring no PC-awareness
(other than clicking a shortcut). As I said, I'm a great
believer in the KISS principle.

And by the way, you still haven't told us how the
lady should locate http://mysonsIP, unless he has
a fixed IP address.

 

[Leythos]

That's seven steps. Four of them need a reasonable
PC-awareness by the OP's mother. You can easily
do it with one single step, requiring no PC-awareness
(other than clicking a shortcut). As I said, I'm a great
believer in the KISS principle.

And by the way, you still haven't told us how the
lady should locate http://mysonsIP, unless he has
a fixed IP address.

Because the SON has already told her his IP address. The son sounded as
though he was technical enough to determine his own IP address.

And like it or not, it's very simple for complete technical noobs to
perform what I describe, I've done it with many people that have just
started with their first computer and have trouble knowing what the
"Monitor" is. You can try and assume it's going to be hard, but as long
as they know enough to open IE they know enough to follow simple
directions.

One other thing - my solution works on Win 98 and above Windows machines
and works with the support person using Windows or Linux on their side.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

[snip]

Consider the steps the OP's mother has to go through, following
your recipe:
1. Start a command processor.
2. Ping her son's IP address. (What is it, anyway?)
3. Watch the firewall response (if she has one).
4. Make a note of the address.
5. Tell her son.
6. Allow for mistakes and misunderstandings.

That's a bit much for a 78 year old lady with limited computer
skills. I prefer the KISS principle: Double-click a single shortcut
on her desktop. That's it, no more. And it can be done!

How about you think a little and try again:

Mom/Grandmother
1) Starts VNC Server Service
2) Open IE or FireFox
3) Browse to http:\\mysonsIP
4) Tell son that she's browsed to his computer

SON
1) Watch firewall/router logs
2) See's Mom/Grandmothers inbound http request
3) VNC connect to IP found in #2 above

Done.....

That's seven steps. Four of them need a reasonable
PC-awareness by the OP's mother. You can easily
do it with one single step, requiring no PC-awareness
(other than clicking a shortcut). As I said, I'm a great
believer in the KISS principle.

And by the way, you still haven't told us how the
lady should locate http://mysonsIP, unless he has
a fixed IP address.

Because the SON has already told her his IP address. The son sounded as
though he was technical enough to determine his own IP address.

And like it or not, it's very simple for complete technical noobs to
perform what I describe, I've done it with many people that have just
started with their first computer and have trouble knowing what the
"Monitor" is. You can try and assume it's going to be hard, but as long
as they know enough to open IE they know enough to follow simple
directions.

One other thing - my solution works on Win 98 and above Windows machines
and works with the support person using Windows or Linux on their side.

The reverse WinVNC takeover works on all Windows
platforms too. As I said, it requires no voice dialogue,
just one double keyclick by the OP's mother. No phone
calls, no IP address pick up via IE, just a double click.
I recommend you try it - it might change your view on
the technique!