Ok I need to access my home pc from work, and its been a while since i've had to use remote access software.. whats the go these days? Is VNC still the shiz.. or how about website based stuff like LogMeIn?

Remote Desktop

If you've got Windows XP pro use remote desktop, otherwise, TightVNC.

Also this is how to setup remote access using Windows XP vpn etc.

I got a setup at home with VPN into the Windows XP pro home machine then remote desktop. Once you're VPNed into your box you shouldn't need to open remote desktop port at your router, you simply Remote Desktop into it via an IP address.

Combined that with router that supports DynDns it's a breez to remote access your home pc :)

#1 Microsoft RDP (client: start - run - mstsc - enter)
To enable, right click on my computer and go 'Remote', click 'enable remote connections'

#2 TightVNC

#3 PC Anywhere (never used it but its popular)

If you got a Citrix environment GoToAssist is pretty cool.

+1 for XP's built-in in RDP, it's way smoother than VNC as it caches background windows etc rather than redrawing the whole screen all the time.

Only downside is that it locks out local use when you're remoting in so requires you to set a password (something I don't usually do on my home PC)

I use VNC with a ssh tunnel. Only because it works on our platforms (Linux, Windows and Netware).

I use VNC or RDP over Openvpn, depends what I'm connecting to. Been working pretty well so far.

remote desktop +1

built in remote desktop +1

Only downside is that it locks out local use when you're remoting in so requires you to set a password (something I don't usually do on my home PC)

What happens if you have 2 user accounts on the PC you're connecting to and someone is using the PC with one account and you log into it using the other? Does it still lock the PC? I would assume so since you can't really have 2 users logged into windows at the same time?

last edited by whoop at 19:19:21 17/Oct/07

If you got a Citrix environment GoToAssist is pretty cool.

Too slow.

RDP or VNC. If you want to use something web based, GoToAssist is good, but I pretty much find it a bit too slow.

Whats the go with anti-viruses flagging VNC?

Obes talk to me about VNC through a SSH tunnel, I need to set this up

Some virus checkers do, however, wrongly report that VNC is a virus. In most cases this is caused by "heuristic" virus detection methods, while in others the virus checker's database is simply wrong!

Some virus checkers detect VNC correctly and classify it as a "Remote Access Tool" or similar, but present the information in such a way as to suggest that it is viral. This is not the case. If you were already aware of the presence of VNC on your system, you can usually ignore recommendations to remove it.

Taken directly from the VNC F.A.Q. google much?

Taken directly from the VNC F.A.Q. google much?

I dont use it anymore, so cbf googling :P

then why even ask?

What happens if you have 2 user accounts on the PC you're connecting to and someone is using the PC with one account and you log into it using the other? Does it still lock the PC? I would assume so since you can't really have 2 users logged into windows at the same time?

That's right it still only allow one user to access the _root_ (heh Linux term) window. If another user is on the PC you'll be asked if you want to log them out first.

Basically for Windows XP pro the RDP "server" only runs in a single user mode. If you have Windows Server that runs Terminal service you can run this in application server mode where it will allow x number of users (depends on your license) to be logged on at the same time.

then why even ask?

So you would google for me and i can just hit refresh heh

Obes talk to me about VNC through a SSH tunnel, I need to set this up

Get some Bitvise Tunneler into ya.

What happens if you have 2 user accounts on the PC you're connecting to and someone is using the PC with one account and you log into it using the other? Does it still lock the PC? I would assume so since you can't really have 2 users logged into windows at the same time?

yeh even if you have 2 accounts setup - xp is limited to 1 session at a time - be that sitting in front of it, or via remote desktop.

that being said there is of course a way around that if you don't mind breaking your eula - http://sig9.com/articles/concurrent-remote-desktop

edit: also, strex for some reason i thought you worked from home for a U.S company or was that someone else..

last edited by épic™ at 11:40:39 18/Oct/07

Remote Desktop!

vnc sucks balls! i got WAAYYYYY better respone from RD accross the net to my home pc vs vnc on a 1gigbit work lan.

also, rd always cut and paste to the remote comp. rd on 2008 takes it to the next level, kinda like a thin client. can run apps on server appearing as they are running on your desktop. make sense?

last edited by mooby at 21:10:33 18/Oct/07

even this newb uses remote desktop!

also, rd always cut and paste to the remote comp. rd on 2008 takes it to the next level, kinda like a thin client. can run apps on server appearing as they are running on your desktop. make sense?

kinda like citrix published apps then?

cool yeah remote desktop works dandy thanks.

epic i still do web work for some US companies, but i also do IT for dept of defence now. these 2 jobs take up valuable TF2 time :(

RD is nice and all ...
1. I don't trust it. I'd rather setup vnc to only trust certainly IPs and setup SSH with puTTY and some tunnels. Safe as houses.
2. It only works on certain OSes. VNC runs on everything, and I have to manage a multitude of platforms.


I give my Co_workers a reg file, putty.exe, vncviewer.exe and a bunch of .vnc files. All in one directory and its tiny. They double click putty put in their info then double click their .vnc files ... All done. They can even access machines on the intranet.

Microsoft Remote Desktop and Apple Remote Desktop here. Try to avoid VNC as much as possible since it's session based and the security is, well... poor at best.

epic i still do web work for some US companies, but i also do IT for dept of defence now. these 2 jobs take up valuable TF2 time :(

ah cool as (:

obes: couldn't you set up an ssh tunnel and route RDP through that?

VNC is good(ultravnc is my fav. version, heaps of features) and works on all OSes.

I think there is also an RDP web client too.

VNC runs on everything

i love it when people say that. rd works on 2000, 2003, xp and vista and pocket pc. what else is there?

VNC is good but s*** slow, RD is the bomb diggity. But yeah SSH + Putty = win ;)

hey when using remote desktop, whats the easiest way to get around constantly having to find and re-input my new dynamic IP every couple of days?

edit: dun worry.. dyndns is the goods.

last edited by StreX at 16:34:22 06/Nov/07

Can I just give a massive ups to logmein.com

i love it when people say that. rd works on 2000, 2003, xp and vista and pocket pc. what else is there?

Well ... see the server is the important bit
Netware ? Linux ? Sco ? BSD ?

Obes, he has the MS blinkers on.

RD > vnc anyday

1. I don't trust it. I'd rather setup vnc to only trust certainly IPs and setup SSH with puTTY and some tunnels. Safe as houses.

Off top of head, RD is encrypted (I remember looking into this a while back). I can't recall for sure; I seem to remember some options to increase/decrease encryption that require reg hacks (dunno why its not in the GUI). Anyone got any more detail?

RD while encrypted
1. has support for unecrypted
2. is highly integrated into windows and uses registry to store all is security (and as such is only as secure as that)
3. does not use certificates and therefor is still open to man in the middle attacks.. well actually it does but from memory one of the private keys is hardcoded in a dll so it's still possible to MITM

It does work well, no question about that. All I know is our firewall log is a list of attack on well known Microsoft ports.