Remote Computer Access
I live in Hong Kong and my parents, who are less than technically savvy, live in Australia. I primarily use a Mac, but have a PC in the house as well. I’m looking for a solution which will allow me to access their computer (PC) from Hong Kong so that I can sort out simple issues for them such as updating virus software, finding files and general assistance when things go wrong. I’d also like to be able to access my own PC from my Mac on a daily basis.
I heard of a product the other day on a podcast - but now can’t remember the name. The best thing about it is that there was no need for either me or my parents to download software - we simply ran the remote access via this site. Do you know the name of this company or someone that offers similar, very basic remote access software?
LogMeIn allows PC and Mac users to connect remotely without having to pre-install software. The Mac Beta version was just released.
NTRconnect also allows you to connect from a Mac to a PC, or vice versa. There’s a free version and a Pro version. The Pro version offers file transfer and remote startup. The free version offers enough features to allow you to provide remote support for your parents.
They will need to install software on their end. I’ve provided step-by-step instructions to walk them through the process:
Instructions for Windows
Instructions for Mac
13 Comments
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
If all you need to do is connect to someone else’s computer periodically, the absolute best product is copilot from fog creek software. This thing is literally brain dead simple. There is nothing to install. All the other person has to do is download a very small program and double click on it. As long as the person you are trying to help can surf the web, they can use copilot to allow you to connect to their computer. I have used it to help fix my grandma’s computer.
Another beautiful thing about copilot is that it uses port 80 so goes through all firewalls. This means nothing to configure on your end or the other person’s end.
The only caveat is that it is not free to use. It costs $5USD/24 hours, but it is a small price to pay for brain dead simple.
(no affiliation with either copilot or fog creek software, just a big fan of this little app)
https://www.copilot.com/
I use teamviewer as it is for free and very simple to use. Unfortunately there is no possibility to run it on the Mac but for all Windows OS very advisable:)
Download at http://www.teamviewer.com/download/TeamViewer_Setup.exe
You could use also use Real VNC on the windows machine and chicken of VNC for your mac. Both are pretty simple to set up, and both have a free version to them.
I have the exact same situation. Mac user, PC on the LAN, and help parents occasionally.
The solution I use is VNC, which is working very well. You need to install the a small program on the machine you want to control, but you can access it from any other machine using any web-browser (with Java). It is very easy to install and setup, and completely platform independent.
Drawback is that it is a tad slow, even on the LAN. So don’t expect to use photoshop on a remote machine. But it is perfect for administrative stuff (moving files, changing settings, …). I always use it to control my PC which is just 2 meters away! My dad also loves it because when he needs help, all he needs to do is send me his IP address, then he can just sit back and watch the mouse dance :)
Microsoft offers a free utility to access PCs remotely from a mac, works the same as the remote desktop utility in windows. I’m assuming the poster has a way to tunnel into the remote PC if not on the same LAN/WAN connection
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=remotedesktopclient
The Microsoft one doesn’t work unless the PC user has XP Pro and has Remote Desktop Sharing enabled. I just wanted to let people know because I have ben bitten by this.
Form The Microsoft Page:
To connect to a Windows-based computer, you need network access and permission to connect to the computer. In addition, the Windows-based computer must be running Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Services. The following Windows products support Remote Desktop connections:
Windows XP Professional
Windows Server 2003
Windows 2000 Server
Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
I have to second the comments for Fog Creek CoPilot. It works great, you can use any combination of Mac or PC and it works great. You can even do a free 2 minute preview to verify that it will work for you.
Scott: Thanks for the catch, I don’t deal with people with anything but XP pro and above, guess it’s realvnc or chicken of the vnc if no xp pro :)
I agree with Chris above.
CoPilot wins this hands down.
I’m an NTRconnect user and I absolutely adore it. I checked a lot before starting to use it, and found out that basically it’s cheaper than copilot, securer than VNC (it has 256-bit encryption, vs 2.500.000+ enties in google for “hack VNC”), really fast and very, very easy to use…
Well, as you can see I’m a fan! :-P
http://www.ntrconnect.com.
I’ve also found another product from the same company that really rocks: NTRsupport, http://www.ntrsupport.com. Two thumbs up.
LogMeIn is the first application I’ve actually got to work to give me remote access to my Mom’s iBook. I’ve never been able to get VNC, Hamacchi X or other free solutions to work.
She’s got an iBook using AirPort Express to access DSL. I’ve got a MacBook using AirPort Extreme to access DSL. The setup instructions were very clear. This is a huge stress reliever. Thank you thank you thank you!
Web Hosting Providers Directory…
Sorry, it just sounds like a crazy idea for me :)…
[...] This solution gives me control of the remote desktop but I can’t do file transfer with the free account. Don’t fear, there’s a LogMeIn Free for Windows too. Check out more solutions at Dear Cali. [...]