Working via remote access to home pc

Roger-D

Is 'working' via remote access to home via an internet cafe or even using data, viable?
I know that one can remote in and search for files etc, even view a file maybe but, can I for example open a locally stored software and make edits etc or is it likely to be too clunky and slow to be possible in reality?
Thanks 

DullGreyGuy

Yes, but it depends on security protocols. 

Some will have virtual computers, so you use Citrix etc so you pull up what looks like a Windows Desktop but it's a virtual desktop on one of their servers. Nothing runs locally, you are just seeing an image of a screen. 

Some will use VPN, so you can network your computer into theirs via any connection and access anything

Many will use mainly Windows solutions so you can access files stored on Sharepoint (aka OneDrive, Teams Files etc) and access other M365 solutions via SSO but you won't be able to access network drives or printers etc

Grumpy_chap

Roger-D said:

Is 'working' via remote access to home via an internet cafe or even using data, viable?
I know that one can remote in and search for files etc, even view a file maybe but, can I for example open a locally stored software and make edits etc or is it likely to be too clunky and slow to be possible in reality?
Thanks 

Are you saying that you want to be able to access your own PC from a remote location?

Or, as DGG has interpreted, you want to "work from home" but actually not be at home?

DullGreyGuy

Grumpy_chap said:

Or, as DGG has interpreted, you want to "work from home" but actually not be at home?

Given most home users have a dynamic IP it's very rare for companies to limit remote working literally to being from your home. 

Some will add geolocation limits so if you appear to be overseas they may block access but even that isn't very accurate. In the good old days any AOL user used to appear in the US no matter where they were. You can often circumvent this using VPN so you appear in one country rather than where you really are 

Roger-D

Thanks for your replies both.
My situation here is that I want to access my home pc from abroad, open a word doc, make changes (some of which includes replacing photographs etc) and re save.
When I said 'working' it is because I am self employed and these are my work files I am trying to access. 
I don't have the ms software on my remote laptop otherwise I could copy the file across, work locally and send back etc. I was really questioning whether it is possible to run the software remotely.
I think it's Chrome Remote Desktop that I have tested and can see the other pc on my screen. It's the speed aspect really that I was querying.
Cheers.

onomatopoeia99

Roger-D said:

Is 'working' via remote access to home via an internet cafe or even using data, viable?
I know that one can remote in and search for files etc, even view a file maybe but, can I for example open a locally stored software and make edits etc or is it likely to be too clunky and slow to be possible in reality?
Thanks 

The way you have worded this "remote access to home" suggests you work at home on your home computer and want to be able to go somewhere else (e.g. internet cafe) with a laptop and work from there connecting to your home computer where your documents and applications are, presumably via RDP.

You can certainly do this, but for security of your home computer you should establish a VPN connection (which you will need to configure yourself, the ones that people buy to circumvent IP geolocation blocks are not suitable).  I do exactly that, I run an OpenVPN server on my home network and my laptop has the client.  Once the VPN is established I can access the desktop of the home computer using the RDP client in Windows and it is like being sat at home, the latency is low and fine for "office" functions.  You wouldn't want to play an FPS game, but for other purposes, even watching video, it's OK.  It's also how I work from home; three days I connect to a virtual machine in my office by RDP over a VPN from my home PC, two days a week I am in the office and connect to it by RDP from my desktop at work.


EDIT : you could also look at something like zerotier to provide remote access if you don't want to get involved in running a VPN server of your own.

400ixl

Using something like the free version of Teamviewer would be the easiest way to allow remote desktop services.

Although it would by the sounds of it be better to use cloud storage and access the files directly from the device you have with you abroad.

DullGreyGuy

Roger-D said:

Thanks for your replies both.
My situation here is that I want to access my home pc from abroad, open a word doc, make changes (some of which includes replacing photographs etc) and re save.
When I said 'working' it is because I am self employed and these are my work files I am trying to access. 
I don't have the ms software on my remote laptop otherwise I could copy the file across, work locally and send back etc. I was really questioning whether it is possible to run the software remotely.
I think it's Chrome Remote Desktop that I have tested and can see the other pc on my screen. It's the speed aspect really that I was querying.
Cheers.

I personally wouldn't go to that much effort just to work on Word files... Presumably you have a MS license on your non-remote PC so save the file to OneDrive or your preferred cloud storage solution. Access the file on the remote laptop and either use MS Word Online which is free or install a free Wordprocessor like LibreOffice and edit offline and just save it back to the cloud storage.

You can get Remote Desktop access etc but its a sledgehammer to crack a nut and really only worth it if either you have some obscure software that cannot run on the laptop or its a massive data model or 3D render etc where the processing power of the home computer would be beneficial. 

Miser1964

The viability of remote screen sharing really depends on what bandwidth you'll get from the internet cafe, hard to give a yes or no.

You'll likely want something like TeamViewer which can be left running on the 'home' PC and then login from the remote laptop. TeamViewer will sort out the connection so you don't need to worry about static IP address, opening incoming traffic on your router etc.

TBH, I'd just sync the documents on OneDrive from your home PC and then edit them using the free Microsoft 365 Online from the remote laptop, which includes Word for the web. Free Microsoft 365 Online | Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Doshwaster

Yeah, I wouldn't bother setting up remote access to your home PC.  This is the sort of thing that cloud services such as OneDrive and Google Drive are for so you can access all of your documents from any device (phone, tablet, laptop) wherever you are without having multiple copies of everything. Also means that you don't have to keep your home PC turned on while you are away.

Heedtheadvice

.....or have a problem if it has shut down owing to a power failure!

It too sounds to me that cloud storage/access from anywhere using uSoft free Office version is ideal. That is not too demanding on comms speed so should work over many Internet connections that would be used for browser general work.

Only query that springs to mind is security if you are not using your own laptop I.e. multi user cafe machines or if the cafe connection themselves are insecure.

It might not be an issue for you but perhaps others with better security understanding might comment?

I would wish to consider at least security from unwanted outside interference and data reliability should a problem occur mid session?