Remote Access to Another PC (Both Windows OS)

[Scuall]

Hello all, hoping someone can help me out. I'm helping my father out with some issues on his PC. Simple stuff (driver installs, patches, etc.), but with 1000 miles and 2 hours time difference (not to mention my dad is over 70 and is not entirely proficient with a PC) makes it a looonnnngg phone call. I'd also like to d/l & install some apps for privacy and protection onto his machine.

I'm looking for an easy way (and obviously secure) to connect to his PC. He's running Vista, me XP, both of us have cable modems/internet access. Is it better thru software or via online service (i.e. logmein.com)? Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[gbhall]

We use RADMIN for that at work, for teleworking and international service. Very good, fast and secure. It is quite cheap for a lifetime licence, but there is also a 30-day free trial. Please yourself. http://www.radmin.com/ You will need just one server (your fathers PC) and as many clients as you want (clients are free).

With this software it is possible to transfer data as well as all mouse and screen info. It is even posssible to go through the other PC and then out again onto the internet, but it is slow that way, and the wrong way to do it ! This is just a tip for you. If you go browsing after using your fathers PC and it seems very slow, it is because you are still connected via him !

You could 'talk' to your father online via an Radmin built-in facility at the cost of your local broadband only. Have you looked into VOIP as well? Not to mention a $15 webcam will give at least one-way video pictures, and if you also run Radmin server on your PC, you could have alternating one-way video, two way-control, and for all I know, two-way video.

No doubt someone will jump in here with a better solution for two-way video over IP.