PawEng

It is often necessary to log on to a remote computer. On Linux/Unix systems, this has been the norm for a long time, but with the advent of always-on home internet connections and internet connections available everywhere, it has become more common to connect remotely to PCs. For example, you may be at away from home (at work, at a friend’s house, using you laptop at a WI-FI coffee shop, or on the train surfing the web on your cell phone) and you need access to your MP3 music collection, your vacation photos, or some document you were writing.

There are a lot of options for connecting remotely to a PC. Below are some of them.

• Cross Loop is a free program. It is about as simple as it gets — which is really good it you need to connect to a non-tech-savvy friend’s computer.
• Microsoft’s SharedView is a free program for sharing documents and screen views.
• Microsoft’s Windows Meeting Space for Vista is the replacement of the old NetMeeting that is no longer supported for Vista. Windows Meeting Space comes pre-installed an Vista.
• Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a protocol for sharing desktops between PCs, MACs, Linux/Unix computers. VNC is even available on many smart-phones and PDAs. There are many different VNC programs available. TightVNC is a favorite of mine, and it is free.
• LogMeIn allows you to access your PC or MAC from anywhere. Basic service is free, and you can upgrade to their premium service.
• GoToMyPC is a service similar to LogMeIn. They offer access to your PC from any webbrowser.
• WebEx is geared towards businesses with meetings involving multiple people sharing a desktop or a PowerPoint presentation.
• Symantec’s pcAnywhere runs on several platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac, and Pocket PC.

There are lots of choices out there. Some are free; some you pay for. Using tools like these, many professionals work on computers that are thousands of miles away. Some people even work on computers that are located on a different continent. You don’t realize that you are working remotely until something goes wrong and you have to call the IT guy to reboot the remote machine.

One very nice thing about working on remote computers is that they continue to run even when you disconnect or shut down your local computer. For example, at work you may start a big job on the remote computer. Then you disconnect your laptop and go home. In the evening you log back in, and your big job may be done and you have the results you need.

Tags: Linux, Mac, Web, Windows