# Remote access for laptops



## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow, logmein.com is a lot easier to deal with than port forwarding, less than half hour setup time as opposed to two or three days with the port forward method.


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## moorewarner (May 29, 2009)

Old thread but an interesting new solution, submitted for folks consideration.

http://www.unixmen.com/linux-tutori...e-desktop-and-transfer-files-with-teamviewer-


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

moorewarner said:


> Old thread but an interesting new solution, submitted for folks consideration.
> 
> http://www.unixmen.com/linux-tutori...e-desktop-and-transfer-files-with-teamviewer-


I have teamviewer and crossloop, they all basically work the same way as logmein.com. Crossloop gives you a timer on your passcode that you need for remote access. I think they are both geared for people giving you tech support at a remote location. I guess teamviewer works for your own remote access too. I liked logmein.com because it has a unique file transfer system that lets you swap files around fairly easy. Except that's only available in the one month trial, then they make you pay for it. The free version of logmein.com works fine but it's really slow, probably because it is all web based. I don't know if teamviewer works faster or not.


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## bender_dundat (Feb 20, 2011)

I believe the free version of logmein has some limitations. The Pro version though is only $65 per year which seems rather inconsequential if it solves a problem for you.


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## WildWill (Jun 6, 2008)

Teamviewer is great. As for using windows remote desktop, you need to setup your home PC as a remote desktop server. That requires windows 7 ultimate, it does not come with the home version.


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## donnahhi (Jan 2, 2009)

we use teamviewer. Works well. Thumbs up.


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## Bunited2 (May 30, 2011)

I remember when Go to my pc 1st came out. It was like $ 24.95
out of the box and no monthly or yearly rates.

But that was back when coke was a nickel....ahhh the good ol'
days.

I have always liked log me in myself...but then I never have to 
pay for ch....t.

There's nothing scarier than 1 or 2 poor guys trying to configure
a router for port forwarding, when they don't know what it is.

I do this type of stuff all the time and even have ways to remotely
turn on your comp so you don't have to leave it on 24/7, if
anyone's interested PM me. But that's not what the treads about
so I wont, bother going over it.

More (somewhat) useless information brought to you by:

*Bunited2*


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Bunited2 said:


> I do this type of stuff all the time and even have ways to remotely
> turn on your comp so you don't have to leave it on 24/7, if
> anyone's interested PM me. But that's not what the treads about
> so I wont, bother going over it.
> ...


Wow, cool trick. Logmein.com isn't as great as I thought. Remotely controlling your computer is very slow. The file swapping worked good but that only lasted 30 days before my free trial stopped. So I try and use Logmein.com and Google Documents together, but it can be a hassle.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

Kenn, can you try to explain exactly what you're trying to do in terms of the function? I have, and do, use remote desktops, file sharing and wireless networks pretty extensively as have some of the other respondents to this thread. They are all different solutions to different requirements so it's hard to make a recommendation. You mentioned file swapping, is that your primary requirement or are you trying to use programs that reside on another computer?


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## WarriorWithWood (Jun 30, 2007)

I use RDP, sometimes a couple at a time. Here you see virtual windows 8, windows 7 Pro, Windows 2003 server RDP, and my HTPC RDP. Looks a little funny because I run 2 24" monitors in portrait and 2 24" in landscape.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

EthanB said:


> Kenn, can you try to explain exactly what you're trying to do in terms of the function? I have, and do, use remote desktops, file sharing and wireless networks pretty extensively as have some of the other respondents to this thread. They are all different solutions to different requirements so it's hard to make a recommendation. You mentioned file swapping, is that your primary requirement or are you trying to use programs that reside on another computer?


I'm trying to pull files from my pc at home to my laptop when i am away. Whenever I think about it, I'll upload whatever I do to Google Documents, then I can access it pretty easy when I am away. I've had problems with Google Documents too though. Once I tried to transfer about 20 files at once using logmein.com remotely and dragging them into Google Documents. And I only got about 15 out of the 20 documents I tried to transfer. For the life of me I couldn't get to the other few files that I wanted. When I had the file swapping thing on logmein.com, I remember it worked pretty good. I thought instead of paying for the logmein.com service, I could use both Google Documents and the free logmein.com version. It usually works, but like I said it's slow, and sometimes it doesn't work. And no I haven't tried using other programs from another computer.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the info Kenn. I use Google Docs extensively but I download all finalized documents to my Dropbox folder. Dropbox is a file syncing program(free up to 2gb) that can be installed on any computer. Any files you add to that folder on one of the computers will be synced between all the computers and your online account. I have all of my master file folders on my Dropbox account. I create them either in OpenOffice or on Google Docs but I then save them to my Dropbox file.

Desktop sharing programs like LogMeIn and Gotomypc are more useful for using software that is on another computer. For example I used to use both Gotomypc so I could use Quickbooks and our inventory program on my work computer. Additional licenses would have cost a fortune. I still use LogMeIn to log in to my in-laws home computer and clean it up and show them how to use certain programs.


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## Solar Control (Jan 27, 2009)

EthanB is right. We use Dropbox everyday. The two gb limit ended up too small for us so we pay $10/month for it. We use it on Macs, Windows and an Android phone. Plans or specs on the office computer and I'm at home? No problem - they're also curent on the home computer. Simple, and for us, trouble free.

Referral link to Dropbox.

There is also box.net which has been getting a lot of media attention also. I prefer Dropbox.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Another vote for Dropbox, I would hate to be without it, plus it's nice to have an offsite backup in case anything happens (I also have another offsite backup that runs on my home computer).


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Log me in is great and well worth the money. 

I use a nas with remote access, I also have a static IP and open ports on selected devices so I can remote access nearly everything on my network.


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## Tiger (Nov 21, 2007)

I would appreciate communicating with anyone who is successfully using LogMeIn. I tried it and was put off by the clunky speed and having the display visibly refresh with every click. $30 isn't much of an investment in business but it acts worse than much of the freeware I have. It isn't anywhere in the neighborhood of Pages and Numbers which I believe were $20 each.

...and I am another happy user of Dropbox. Help a fellow contractor out and use the referral link of the previous poster. Referrals to friends and family increases the capacity.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

Tiger said:


> I would appreciate communicating with anyone who is successfully using LogMeIn. I tried it and was put off by the clunky speed and having the display visibly refresh with every click. $30 isn't much of an investment in business but it acts worse than much of the freeware I have. It isn't anywhere in the neighborhood of Pages and Numbers which I believe were $20 each.


I have no idea what Pages and Numbers are unless you are referring to the Apple programs which(i think) are completely unrelated to remote desktop applications.

LogMeIn's , and Gotomypc for that matter, speed is largely determined by the internet connection capabilities of the two computers you are connecting. You can gather some helpful stats by checking with a site like speedtest.net to try to figure out what you baseline latency is going to be between two locations. Latency is basically the lag between the time you click the mouse and "click" actually registering. To speed up the actual computer performance eliminate any fancy graphics on the remote computer like a background or even too many icons on the desktop. That all has to be refreshed constantly. You can also lower the graphic settings in LogMeIn's control bar. Start at the bottom and work your way up to see how much effect it has.

Working between a computer in RI with a solid connection of 20Mbps/8Mbps download/upload and a computer in VT with about half that speed there is still a bit of lag. I wouldn't want to use Photoshop on the other computer for example. It's fine for using Quickbooks or other basic programs though.

EDIT:That's the free version of LogMeIn by the way.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

I use teamviewer for a lot of things - mostly when I've got a customer that needs remote assistance. You send them a single standalone executeable in an email - no need for installation. They give you the autogenerated passcodes, and blamo - instant control.

I like that it's an application vs using a web browser. The one thing I don't like, is that you can't run your own servers.

The way it gets around port forwarding, is to have each end make a connection to a server that's in the middle. Since it's an outgoing connection on each end, both remote machines are technically a client, vs a server. The middleman is just an internet facing server with ports open that can accept connections, and wire them together.

I'd love a solution that lets me run my own server. I've been thinking about building one using VNC and ssh for encryption. Shouldn't be too hard in Delphi, BCB or Qt - I just don't have the time right now. The server would have to be set up right, but each end could be firewalled, and not have to have port forwarding set up.

A lot of companies (like banks) won't use a third party service like logmein or teamviewer for this, since your data is passed through their servers.

Another thing, is that I'd be able to use this solution with my VNC software on the 'droid to remote in to my machines.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Hmm, I don't know how you guys have had such luck with Dropbox. I tried using it once on a Macintosh to swap some files around between a Mac desktop and an iPad, it seemed to work just fine. But later I tried Dropbox on Windows and it would not work. I don't remember the error message I got, but I tried to troublshoot by looking online, and other people with the same problem could not find an answer. Tech support for Dropbox is non-existant as well, that pretty much left me dead in the water. I decided to write off Dropbox after that, no point to even mess with it when Google Documents does the same thing. I like how Google Documents organizes everything as well, and the fact that it's web based, no need to download anything. 

The problem with Google Documents or Dropbox is I have to remember to add whatever I need in it before I head out of town. I can't really just put my entire hard drive on there. So if I need something at will, then I have to resort to the logmein.com + Google Document method, which can be very time consuming and a big pain.


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## Ohiobuilder (Feb 16, 2007)

Have you tried Carbonite? 

I back up my PC with it and occasionally when I am in he field and need a file I can access my hard drive and make a copy of a file on either my phone or iPad.


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