Remote management

[bakerratface]

I have a small home network. My mother’s computer skills are worse than mine (which is saying something), therefore I get the ‘its not working’ or ‘I have lost my work’ whenever something happens. However I am away from home a lot (but normally have assess to an internet connection which I plug my laptop into) it is rally difficult to give her instructions over the phone. Is there a easy to use remote management software which is free. I currently us tight VNC on my network when there is a problem when I am at home. But to don’t know haw to access the home computers when I am away

Any suggestions, thanks

 

[Grok451]

I use RealVNC, which I assume works similar.

First, you need your external IP address provided by your ISP. Then you need to open a port on your router that forwards to the IP address of your wife's PC. That port should match the port that is configured in tight VNC. When you are away from home, you would remote control using the external IP addressort number.

A couple of things to reduce hacking and snooping:

1) if possible, I would change the default port that tight VNC uses as a precaution, in case someone knows your external IP address and knows about the default port
2) I assume tight VNC has password protection - use it!
3) Since you plan to use it to help your wife, implement the option to only allow the connection if the remote end user is given prompt to accept the connection (if tight VNC has this feature)
4) implement encryption on the connection. I had to purchase the RealVNC license to use this feature - it's not available with the free version

The above four items depends on what level of security you want.

 

[bakerratface]

How do I open a port on my router? Is this like port forwarding or is it something different. thank-you

 

[Grok451]

Yes, it is exactly that: port forwarding. You're telling the router that traffic coming in from the external IP on port xxxx is to be forwarded to the IP address you configure (your wife's PC).

 

[tdeg]

I use TightVNC (though any VNC viewer will work) over SSH.

There are alot of websites that tell you how to set it up. You will then need to just forward the port for the SSH. SSH gives you and encrypted session.

VNC tunnel through putty

http://www.maths.utas.edu.au/People/Hill/vnc/vnc.html

SSH server for windows

http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/