Remote Access

Did you know that you can access your office computer from anywhere in the world (or vice versa) for free as long as you have a high speed internet connection and the host computer is running Windows XP Professional?  When the process is completed, you will have an icon on your remote computer that, when clicked, will automatically connect you to your office computer.  Everything will function exactly as if you were sitting in front of the host PC, including printing, drag and drop file transfer, etc.  As long as the host computer is running Windows XP Professional, it can be accessed by any computer running any version of Windows (as long as you have the proper user names and passwords to complete the connection).  Once the connection is made (which usually only takes a few seconds), you will be looking at a screen that is exactly the same as if you were actually sitting in front of the host computer.

This is all made possible by a really nice component of Windows XP Professional call "Remote Desktop Connection".  While it is included automatically with all versions of Windows XP Pro, it can be downloaded for any other version of Windows (Windows 95 and up) for free from the Microsoft website by clicking here.  There are other software programs that will allow you to connect in a similar manner such as pcAnywhere ($179) or "GoToMyPC" ($10/month), but none of them are as inexpensive or as fast as Microsoft's "Remote Desktop Connection" ($0).  RDC can be configured to work in almost any environment, even if your office PC is behind a software and hardware firewall, and you will function at a speed that is almost as fast as if you were sitting in front of the host PC, assuming a have a high speed (DSL, cable or T1) connection on both ends.  If your host computer is running Windows XP Home Edition, it will not function as a remote host, but the upgrade can be installed for less than $100!

If you have a T1 line or a static IP address for you DSL line, your IP address will not change.  But if you have a dynamic DSL line (as about 90% of all DSL users do), your IP address could change at any time, making the remote connection difficult unless you have someone you can call to tell you the new IP address.  I have a reliable, FREE solution for that problem that can be implemented in a matter of only a few minutes.  All that is required is a valid email address. 

I have used this system to complete all my paperwork, billing, payment processing, etc. from home for years now and I love it!  I can't give you specific instructions for implementing this solution in this document since it is much too complicated, but I can get you set up in less than an hour in most cases.  Keep in mind, once the remote access is configured and working properly, you will be able to access the host computer from anywhere in the world!

If you are interested in configuring your computer for remote access or have any questions, please contact me by using the mobile phone number listed below or send me an email.

03/10/2008