NFB - Remote control your home or work PC for free

[Black97]

Haven't tried it yet but sure will when I have some time.

http://www.logmein.com/

[TraceZ]

Or just use the remote desktop feature that is standard for Windows XP. It's a piece of cake, and you dont have to install any extra software.

You'll need to open port 3389 on oyur router, if you have one.

Then, on the Windows XP computer you want to control:

Right click "My Computer"
Click "Properties"
Click the "remote" tab
check the box to "allow users to remotely connect to this computer"

Now to finish the job, go to the Windows XP PC you will be using to do the remoting and open the Remote Desktop Connection.

Click Start --> Programs --> Accessories --> Communications --> Remote Desktop Connection.

Enter the WAN address of your router, if you have one, or the IP of your PC if it direct connects to the net.

You will see a remote desktop screen open, and you just enter your userID and password to get in. Piece of cake.

If the PC you are using to do the remoting is Windows 2000, it may not have the RDP client on it. If that is the case, go to Microsoft's website and download the RDP client for windows XP. It will work fine in 2000.

To give myself some added security, I route around port 3389. I just picked some random port numbers and re-directed them in my router to the PCs on my network. I can remote any of the 4 PCs in my house just by changing the port number I aim the RDP client at. It's pretty slick.

[Black97]

Thanks Tracy, never looked at this mainly because my home PC's run W2k. I used some other software so far and did the same thing with the router as you did.

My software and I think your setup requires you to know the IP address at your home. So I think with this logmein service you don't need that. They actually changed it on me once when I was on the road and I couldn't log in anymore.

For the less experienced PC user it's probably easier to use and less hassle to setup. But like I said I haven't tried it yet.

[TraceZ]

I wonder if Microsoft has the RDP service available as a download for W2K like they have the client available?

You could then use the RDP client to connect to the W2K machine?

I get around the IP address change issue by never rebooting my cablemodem. I've had maybe 3 different IPs in the last 2 years. That is how I host pictures on this forum.

That software would certainly be slick if it was able to locate your home PC without a IP address! How would it to that? DNS is not going to resolve your home PC across the internet.

[beachbum86]

How would it to that? DNS is not going to resolve your home PC across the internet.

MAC address possibly, enter you ISP and that will tell the software what DNS to use then maybe it can find the MAC address from there????

Anything is possible now-a-days ....

[Formulaboy95]

MAC Address sounds right to me. DNS really shouldn't have much to do with it at all, most connections are based on IP and the switching/routing function takes care of that. A simple traceroute of the Layer 2 MAC address, should display the Layer 3 IP address.

[Black97]

I signed up for it.

It downloads some software and twice it ask to choose a firewall setting, basically allowing the software to connect to the internet.

Fairly straight forward. Once you're setup you can access your PC from another PC by just going on the web browser and type www.logmein.com, enter your login and password and you can see your pc('s) and connect to them. Maybe you have to install ActiveX which it will do automatically if you agree, but other than that simple.

It signs you up for the free trial which includes file transfers. Once the trial is over you will have basic remote control access for free.

It uses a server rather than direct connections to your IP.