Remote desktop software
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 858
Remote desktop software
Hi,
I am looking for remote desktop software to install on my parents Windows XP & 7 machine that I can access from outside our LAN via my Mac OS Macbook. I live abroad and need to, from time to time, log into their computers to set things up when they mess things up.
In the old days I believe Norton made software like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? I already have them set up for Dyndns.
Thanks
I am looking for remote desktop software to install on my parents Windows XP & 7 machine that I can access from outside our LAN via my Mac OS Macbook. I live abroad and need to, from time to time, log into their computers to set things up when they mess things up.
In the old days I believe Norton made software like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? I already have them set up for Dyndns.
Thanks
#2
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,027
Logmein free edition does everything I need for remotely accessing my home computer.
https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/free/
https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/free/
#4
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: DL D & MM, Marriott P, Hilton S, UA, US, AA
Posts: 154
Hi,
I am looking for remote desktop software to install on my parents Windows XP & 7 machine that I can access from outside our LAN via my Mac OS Macbook. I live abroad and need to, from time to time, log into their computers to set things up when they mess things up.
In the old days I believe Norton made software like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? I already have them set up for Dyndns.
Thanks
I am looking for remote desktop software to install on my parents Windows XP & 7 machine that I can access from outside our LAN via my Mac OS Macbook. I live abroad and need to, from time to time, log into their computers to set things up when they mess things up.
In the old days I believe Norton made software like that. Does anyone have any recommendations? I already have them set up for Dyndns.
Thanks
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
Especially with XP, which as of SP2 and when Vista came out -- this might have changed in SP3 -- didn't use an encrypted connection for it by default and was relatively difficult to configure manually to enable encryption. (Unless it was backported, the version of RDP provided by Vista and Windows 7 [and server 2008/2008R2] is also a lot faster on a low bandwidth line - I know there's an updated client for XP from when Vista came out, but as far as I know the server side of the update protocol was not added into XP or 2003 server.)
There is a free Mac RDP client.
--
To the original question, I mostly use NX, which runs over SSH; I have password authentication turned off for SSH and one can only get in via a public key. When I need to get to my Windows box remotely, SSH can port-forward for it, or I can run an RDP client on the Linux server via NX.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
To the original question, I mostly use NX, which runs over SSH; I have password authentication turned off for SSH and one can only get in via a public key. When I need to get to my Windows box remotely, SSH can port-forward for it, or I can run an RDP client on the Linux server via NX.
On several machines at my dad's office, I just run Logmein Free.
#9
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
another nod to logmein. Free, can do everything you need, have great mobile platforms for things like ipad, iphone, android that offer excellent functionality for when your rents call you and you happen to be in a restaurant and know you can fix it in about three minutes at the table (ask first before doing during the meal. :-) )
Unfortunately, I have never found a need to move up from the free versions of this EXCELLENT software. I liked it so much, I bought the company. (okay, I picked up the stock shortly after IPO - disclaimer, still holding )
Unfortunately, I have never found a need to move up from the free versions of this EXCELLENT software. I liked it so much, I bought the company. (okay, I picked up the stock shortly after IPO - disclaimer, still holding )
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
another nod to logmein. Free, can do everything you need, have great mobile platforms for things like ipad, iphone, android that offer excellent functionality for when your rents call you and you happen to be in a restaurant and know you can fix it in about three minutes at the table (ask first before doing during the meal. :-) )
Unfortunately, I have never found a need to move up from the free versions of this EXCELLENT software. I liked it so much, I bought the company. (okay, I picked up the stock shortly after IPO - disclaimer, still holding )
Unfortunately, I have never found a need to move up from the free versions of this EXCELLENT software. I liked it so much, I bought the company. (okay, I picked up the stock shortly after IPO - disclaimer, still holding )
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 858
After spending 45 minutes on the phone with my father across the pond, trying to get Slingbox re-setup (for some odd reason the power outage brought it down), I went back to this thread, installed LogMeIn Free and in 15 minutes was up and running.
Then I went by and updated all passwords on the ftp server, also updated anti-virus, Adobe, god knows whats been sitting on the computer for months
Highly recommended!!!! ^
Then I went by and updated all passwords on the ftp server, also updated anti-virus, Adobe, god knows whats been sitting on the computer for months
Highly recommended!!!! ^
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
FYI, Windows 7 only includes the RDP host in the Professional edition. You can't use Remote Desktop to connect to a Win 7 Home machine.
#15
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: on the Llano Estacado
Posts: 2,652
Though I use LogMeIn free on a daily basis, as well as RDP over VPN, last week I visited a client who showed me something very cool. She had bought VNC Enterprise edition for her office, and it is dramatically faster than the free VNC version. Then she connected with the VNC app on her iPhone ($10 extra), and it was amazingly fast also. Very cool.