What is the best way to Remote Desktop a machine?

amarsinghy

I know you can remote desktop within your own wireless network any way of doing this outside your home network?

The_Grandmaster

Yes, many. If I'm right I think even possible to do with msn messenger.

kwikbreaks

There are a number of freeware VNC variants which will do the job but assuming this is for a Mac or Windows machine my favourite is the free option of a commercial service - https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/free/

Browntoa

logmein or croosloop

logmein alllows remote access without anyone being present at one end as long as its switched on

https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/

croosloop free is more idiot proof for a non techie but needs someone at both ends

http://www.crossloop.com/download.htm?affid=xl&src=global_header_download_link

weegie.geek

Remote desktop is fine too. If it works inside your lan it'll work from outside it too. Forward ports in your router (ideally run it on a non-standard port), use a longer password, lock it down to certain IP ranges if possible. Even more secure, ssh tunnel it. VNC etc are options too, but I've yet to come across something as responsive as RDP, or something that works as well on low bandwidth connections.

kwikbreaks

weegie.geek wrote: »

Remote desktop is fine too. If it works inside your lan it'll work from outside it too. Forward ports in your router (ideally run it on a non-standard port), use a longer password, lock it down to certain IP ranges if possible. Even more secure, ssh tunnel it. VNC etc are options too, but I've yet to come across something as responsive as RDP, or something that works as well on low bandwidth connections.

The problem with all these "direct access" methods is if you are at work behind a corporate firewall and want to access your box at home the odds are you won't be able to. Using LogMeIn is no different from accessing any other website although you would need to be able to either install a browser plugin or run a java apllication (no different from the VNC there though).

tronator

kwikbreaks wrote: »

The problem with all these "direct access" methods is if you are at work behind a corporate firewall and want to access your box at home the odds are you won't be able to. Using LogMeIn is no different from accessing any other website although you would need to be able to either install a browser plugin or run a java apllication (no different from the VNC there though).

I certainly wouldn't forward port 3389 to a Windows machine. I'd rather do it with a tunnel over ssh. Regarding the "corporate" firewall, who keeps you from running ssh on port 80 or 443 ;-)

xenonive

tronator wrote: »

I certainly wouldn't forward port 3389 to a Windows machine. I'd rather do it with a tunnel over ssh. Regarding the "corporate" firewall, who keeps you from running ssh on port 80 or 443 ;-)

you can change the remote desktop port on a windows machine so it works with firewall , ive got mine working on port 8080 so can get to my machine from home if required but does require an external IP mapped to internal IP.

hxxp://support.microsoft.com/kb/306759 to change port

weegie.geek

you don't even need to do that on most setups, the router itself can forward any external port to internal port 3389 on a set machine.

I wish there was something as straightforward and reliable as iptables built into all routers.

spg_SCOTT

I think you could also do the same with team viewer...would take a bit of configuring for unattended access, but you could do it...although it would have to be constantly running...I could have completely misunderstood though...

xenonive

weegie.geek wrote: »

you don't even need to do that on most setups, the router itself can forward any external port to internal port 3389 on a set machine.

I wish there was something as straightforward and reliable as iptables built into all routers.

Depends if they have access to router i guess. Agree would be handy to have something like iptables on all routers.