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To control computers remotely over the Internet, how? - Icrontic Forums
To control computers remotely over the Internet, how?
I will shortly be leaving on a 30-day business trip.
While away, I want to be able to manage my four computers networked on my home LAN.
Well, I would also enjoy the opportunity to learn more about networking.
My knowledge level consists of running UltraVNC over a LAN.
I do updates, manage the Folding@Home 'farm,' and perform OS/programs maintenance.
All the computers are currently run UltraVNC: one computer directly off the router and three computers off of a switch connected to the router.
This site seems to be a good tutorial, but given my limited experience with networking, I need your advice.
Is there a simpler way?
Will I need a dedicated file/internet server and FTP to find my remote machines over the Internet?
What about security?
If I open router ports 80 and 5900 (per article instructions), will I increase my LAN's vulnerability to intrusions?
Or will a strong password lower the vulnerability?
Please advise.
If you know of a simpler way, I am certainly open to trying different monitoring software.
I use UltraVNC simply because it's all I know and it works well for my current needs.
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UltraVNC works over the internet, too.
Set up each of the servers on your PCs to respond to a different port.
Then forward each of those ports in your router.
Then sign up for a service like DynDNS which assigns a memorable name to your IP address, like leonardo.dyndns.org.
Then when you're on the road, you connect to leonardo.dyndns.org instead of an IP address, and you specify the port of the computer you want to connect to.
Make sure all the VNC servers at home are passworded, and you're done.
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Quoting Leonardo I will shortly be leaving on a 30-day business trip.
While away, I want to be able to manage my four computers networked on my home LAN.
Well, I would also enjoy the opportunity to learn more about networking.
My knowledge level consists of running UltraVNC over a LAN.
I do updates, manage the Folding@Home 'farm,' and perform OS/programs maintenance.
All the computers are currently run UltraVNC: one computer directly off the router and three computers off of a switch connected to the router.
This site seems to be a good tutorial, but given my limited experience with networking, I need your advice.
Is there a simpler way?
Will I need a dedicated file/internet server and FTP to find my remote machines over the Internet?
What about security?
If I open router ports 80 and 5900 (per article instructions), will I increase my LAN's vulnerability to intrusions?
Or will a strong password lower the vulnerability?
Please advise.
If you know of a simpler way, I am certainly open to trying different monitoring software.
I use UltraVNC simply because it's all I know and it works well for my current needs.
If all you want to do is access the machines as though you were in front of them, there are a lot of simple and inexpensive options.
I personally use LogMeIn's free product for managing all of my systems.
A small tray app runs on the remote machine, and you access it via a browser plugin.
You can remote control the machine at full (scaled to your browser window) resolution at the actual user session (Terminal Services and VNC will sometimes create new sessions).
Speed, of course, is dependent on your home uplink.
You can't do things like watch video typically, but it works for pretty much everything else.
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Thanks, guys, that was fast.
My laptop will be the monitoring/controlling machine.
Guess I'll get it fired up tonight and start experimenting.
I'll try both of these methods and see what works best for me.
Concerning AlexDG's suggestion - what are the security implications of using LogMeIn?
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Quoting Leonardo Thanks, guys, that was fast.
My laptop will be the monitoring/controlling machine.
Guess I'll get it fired up tonight and start experimenting.
I'll try both of these methods and see what works best for me.
Concerning AlexDG's suggestion - what are the security implications of using LogMeIn?
Everything's encrypted, for a start.
As for the exact mechanism of how the data travels, I'm not 100% on it, but I'm pretty sure nothing gets sent from the home system until a request from a validated client machine is initiated.
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That's correct, but that's true of all remote control mechanisms.
None of them send data until a client initiates a connection.
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To manage four computers at desktop level using LogMeIn, would it work to just install it on one of the LAN computers, then to access the other three through the connected computer's UltraVNC?
The alternative would be to install LogMeIn on each of the four LAN computers.
Is that cumbersome?
Yes, I'll experiment at home, but I'd like to know from and experienced user's perspective.
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I use LogMeIn as well for all my machines.
I've found setup and configuration to be much simpler than configuring VNC to work over the internet (not that it's difficult).
It's pretty much all done automatically when installing LogMeIn.
Additionally, you get a nice web interface that organizes all your computer.
I've also setup a Hamachi network (same group as LogMeIn) and I can RDP into any machines if for whatever reason LogMeIn is failing - aside from the computer being off.
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At my company we've recently been using a tool called CrossLoop in order to do remote support not located on our LAN.
Easy to install and simple to use...and free (for now, at least).
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I can RDP into any machines That went over my head, sorry.
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Translate: I can remotely access any machine.
(RDP = remote desktop protocol).
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RDP = Remote Desktop Protocol.
I also remote to my machine at home, using the built in Windows RDP tool.
Start >
Run > MSTSC /console then my dydns name for home.
Again, you can change the ports and access different PC's or chain an RDP from the 1st computer to the second once you are in 1 of them.
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Like what Ryder said, easiest would be to RDP into the 1st PC (foward port 3389 to this pc).
Then from that PC, RDP (or even VNC) to the other PC's.
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Sorry about that, Leo.
I deal with too many acronyms as it is, and they start to fly out of my mouth (hands?) without thinking about it.
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I RDP into all of my servers, then from the first server's desktop I RDP to the others.
On some of my networks I change the listening port on some of the servers so I can go straight into several servers at the same IP address.
VNC is very slow, and the video is mediocre.
I really try to avoid it these days.
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VNC is very slow, and the video is mediocre.
That's true, but for my purposes at home, it is sufficient.
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Second the vote for LogMeIn, should you decide it.
Very simple and easy to set up, though I can't say how secure it is.
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Https://secure.logmein.com/security.asp
Check out the white paper if you're interested.
LMI provides a good amount of security even using the basic config.
They offer a few other options such as one-time-use passwords and wireless passwords where they'll send a randomly generated sequence to a wireless device (such as a cell phone) when attempting to login.
Aside from using SSL to secure the sessions, you have to login with your email address and a password to access your "admin console," then select the machine you want and further authenticate to the local ACL of the machine.
It sounds like a lot to deal with, but it's all quite intuitive and flows well when accessing your machines.
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I'd definitely recommend against using VNC over the Internet.
The last time I looked at it, most VNC clients and servers either didn't force or didn't support encryption which makes it rather insecure if you're using it anywhere that data can be sniffed (read: anywhere outside your home wired network).
The only way we found to use it securely was to tunnel VNC through SSH which was a pain in the ass.
I'm hoping that has changed by now...
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UltraVNC supports several encryption plugins.
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That's good. I still think it's rather silly to have a protocol like VNC not be encrypted by default.
Then again, look at telnet or SSHv1 >_
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I use VNC over ssh tunneling.
I keep all of the ports (including vnc ports) on the firewall closed except the port I designate for ssh (and it is not 22).
I think this is as secure as it gets.
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True, anything tunneled over SSH2 is quite secure.
I'm just saying it's dumb that VNC doesn't do encryption as part of the protocol.
Also, doing tunneling adds an extra layer to get screwed up which is unnecessary given that there are other options out there that have encryption built in.
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I would recommend freesshd for Windows.
I have been using it since several years.
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I just use RDP...
Which does have built-in encryption.
I was just weighing in with my thoughts on VNC is all.
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VNC is cross platform.
I use it in a mixed Linux, Windows environment both across firewalls with ssh and in the intranet w/o ssh.
It is nice to connect from one computer to another regardless of the OS.
On a Linux computer, multiple resident VNC sessions (i.e.
Desktops) can run for different users (or the same user) simultaneously.
I can not live without VNC.
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In less than one hour I had LogMeIn downloaded, installed, tested, and working perfectly on all four LAN computers.
They really put together a fuss-free installation package.
One of the tests I tried was logging into one computer, then launching from that computer by UltraVNC to a third computer.
It worked, but it was pretty slow (lag) and the video was rather degraded.
I still can't get over how easy it was!
So why do people pay for GoToMyPC when this is free?
The same reason they pay for Norton and McAfee when Avira and AVG are free?
A big thank you goes out to Cyclonite!
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Quoting Leonardo So why do people pay for GoToMyPC when this is free?
Good question. LogMeIn has gotta be kill'n GoToMyPC.
My question, how long can LogMeIn support all the free versions from the money they make on the "Pro" versions?
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A lot of it's the power-user vs casual-user.
They understand that a good portion of their users are not going to need any features beyond what is provided with the free version.
So let them use it for free.
They'll tell their friends (Look at what we're doing here), and while a good portion of those users will be happy with the free version, some of those will become paying members.
Plus, enterprise contracts are very lucrative, and having people familiar with the product already could help sway an institution toward it, rather than a competitor.
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Oh, sorry, AlexDG, I didn't give you credit above where I did for Cyclonite.
Thanks for suggesting the software.
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This is some CRAP software.
I have now lost two computers - 'lost' in that we cannot see any more than the recycle bin on the desktop, from the remote view on my laptop 4000 miles away and at home, my wife at the monitor(s).
Things got so bad on one of the computers yesterday, I had my wife uninstall LogMeIn on an affected computer.
We did that through a computer running UltraVNC.
Another computer went bad (nothing available except desktop).
I managed to straighten that machine out also through UltraVNC, which could see the taskbar.
Well, just a little while ago, I lost the last machine with UltraVNC viewer, so now we are blind to what's happening on two of the computers.
I had my wife go is nto Safe Mode on this last computer, the one with UltraVNC viewer installed.
She could view everything, but she could not uninstall LogMeIn in Safe Mode.
It gave her a message about not have access to all the Windows installer features needed to perform the operation.
LogMeIn has turned into a disaster.
4000 miles and 30 days away.
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I think something else is amiss, Leo.
LogMeIn is a very trusted and reliable piece of software.
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Hamachi was great until it wasn't...
Logmein is great until it can't Quoting Leonardo To manage four computers at desktop level using LogMeIn, would it work to just install it on one of the LAN computers, then to access the other three through As suggested before yes mstsc for LAN to LAN connections
Quoting RyderOCZ RDP = Remote Desktop Protocol.
Start >
Run > MSTSC
LogMeIn is great....
Unless you receive the mysterious terminal error and can no longer remote control a machine.
Alternatively Social VPN
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Too bad Leonardo.
I much prefer RDP but have inheirited logmein on about 25 computers on a couple new networks I've taken over.
Never had a problem outside of the obvious "userturnedoffthecomputer.dll".
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Yeah, not sure what's going on with your setup, Leo, but all 8 of the computers I have running LogMeIn are going just fine.
I'm with Thrax in that there must be something else going on in there somewhere.
That's unfortunate, because I've found it to be an invaluable tool for all of the support that I do.
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Sorry to hear that, Leo.
I'm going to have to agree with the others.
I've run LogMeIn on Windows XP, Vista, and 7 without issue.
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I use VPN with DameWare for remote desktop.
The good thing about DameWare is that the install is pushed to the computer, it runs as a service, and can be started and stopped on demand.
I'm a shill.
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Well, I think I'm stumped until I return home mid-November.
My wife is a champ, but her hobby is not the geekiness of PC software and networking.
The computers that lost their desktop and taskbar are now turned off...I guess they will remain so until I get home and can restore their hard drives from from backups.
(Go Acronis!)
She's willing to work with me over the telephone on this, but both computers that have UltraVNC viewer service installed have blank desktops now.
(Desktops are viewable in Safe Mode....I think.) I can restore their hard rives easily enough, but I don't have any solutions in mind that my wife could handle.
Suggestions, if any, would be appreciated.
I could walk her through booting the comps into into Safe Mode with Networking, but I don't know where we would go from there.
Slow Internet connections may be a factor in the mess we've landed in.
Our home Internet is moderate speed DSL (only broadband available on our mountain).
My connection at my lodging in DC is the slowest DSL available, about twice the speed of dial-up.
I'm thinking that network commands issued from my computer via the LogMeIn website must of somehow been garbled due to the hideous Internet connections.
Does that make logical sense?
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Quoting Leonardo I'm thinking that network commands issued from my computer via the LogMeIn website must of somehow been garbled due to the hideous Internet connections.
Does that make logical sense?
Hard to believe with normal error checking that's part of Ethernet protocol.
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Hard to believe with normal error checking that's part of Ethernet protocol.
It's a strange "broadband" setup at my apartment here.
According to the lease papers I signed, the complex is "not true DSL" but rather each apartment has a DSL modem connected to the complex's T1 line.
I don't know the infrastructure beyond that brief description.
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It's still packets of info from one ethernet card to another.
Each packet has a CRC check code in it.
If the codes don't match, the packet is re-transmitted.
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Beats me! All I know is that two computers lost their desktops, taskbars, and start buttons on LogMeIn.
The computers are not accessible also on local monitor and local UltraVNC.
Both those computers run updated AV (Avira Antivir).
Neither of them has ever experienced the desktop disappearance before.
Both computers and the remote monitoring computer had the default settings for for LogMeIn.
I'm not arguing or whining here, just trying to figure out what went wrong and see if there's a way a can fix with outside of walking my wife via telephone for system restores on the two computers.
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I understand. I just think a unique internet connection is a highly unlikely culprit.
Your symptoms almost sound like explorer.exe isn't running.
If you checked the event viewer I wonder if something about that process shows up.
If you bring up task manager and kill explorer.exe, everthing on your desktop will disappear...task bar too.
Restart the process, or reboot, and it all comes back.
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When we did have access to the Run command from the start button, we did run Task Manger, and yes, explorer.exe had stopped (disappeared).
In we added the task "explorer" with mixed results, but only briefly.
Eventually we had no access to to anything except Recycle.
So yes, explorer.exe was stopped by the LogMeIn software for some reason.
Restart the process, or reboot, and it all comes back.
Unfortunately, reboots did not bring back anything.
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@leonardo try to use teamviewer its really tested
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Thanks for the continued support, folks.
At this point, I don't see anything I can do with two of the computers until I'm home (mid-November) and can restore the affected hard drives.
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