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Remote Access Software Reviews |
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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
Remote access and remote desktop software is more popular than ever. Nowadays, everyone seems to have a use for being able to access their computer while they're out of the house or office - who wouldn't?
You probably have also noticed many different companies that offer centrally managed solutions as well as stand-alone remote software and internet-based remote desktop services. I assembled a long list of alternatives of pro's and con's and hope to shed light on this not-so-new but newly refined technology.
GotoMyPC - For those looking for basic remote desktop access, PLEASE STOP USING THEM! www.LogMeIn.com is FREE and does the exact same thing - internet-based remote desktop access.
LogMeIn - I love their free service. No more configuring routers and doing port-forwarding or having to remember IP's and port numbers. LogMeIn allows you to easily handle a list of computers from anywhere in the world with minimum configuration possible. It is very easy to use and they do have a FREE service. I use them to manage many of my clients and love how much time it saves. LogMeIn, in my opinion is the very best option for the beginner remote desktop access user.
RealVNC - Easy to use program. Better suited for handling a few computers or remote desktop access over a local area network (LAN). It does require some configuring and firewall configuration in many cases so I won't recommend it for the average user. I will however like to advise people to try TightVNC instead. The FREE version is supposedly less secure but I have yet to be hacked in my 3+ years of using it. (There are many other derivative versions of this software also free called UltraVNC and TightVNC...each with their own rendering of improved features and added functionality. You are free to pick whichever version of VNC that works best for you.)
TightVNC - Same as RealVNC but better because it is more efficient data handling and faster in some ways. Results may vary but many feel it is better than RealVNC. It is also backwards-compatible with RealVNC.
CrossLoop - This thing is AWESOME! The small software is installed from both the local and remote computer and a temporary access ID and access code is generated for easy remote access into any computer anywhere. The best part is that it's very easy to guide a user over the phone and it also leaves them feeling secure since the connection is only temporarily available. I highly recommend it to all computer gurus!
VNC and Hamachi - This is actually an odd combo but has some advantages that the solutions above do not offer you. First off, setting up Hamachi is quite simple, you simply hit next several times and then read a 2-minute tutorial to create your own virtual private network. Next you install VNC (whatever version you want) and it's ready for use. Hamachi automatically assigns it's own VPN IP to all computers on the network and you simply plug the Hamachi IP into VNC to remote access the other computers. Hamachi allows you to easily transfer files as well as managing numerous desktops remotely without having to configure port forwarding. As an IT guy, I like to create many different Hamachi VPN groups with each group being a different company and then using VNC to access whichever machine I need to use. This allows me to manage many computers at a time without having to link all the machines into the same LogMeIn account. Best of all, this setup is completely free and all the options available by commercial software.
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