Articles
- Who owns your domain name?
- Using your own domain name for email
- Top free software for business
- Backup for small businessses
- Keeping in touch abroad
- Erasing data from an old PC
- Remote controlling a PC
We'll be adding more articles on a regular basis, so check again soon for more information.
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The Background
Most people in business find themselves in the situation where they need access to a document, spreadsheet or a computer system on a PC where they work from another location.
This could be from home or while travelling.
Remote controlling a PC is a facility that's been around for a long time, but there are now quicker, easier and more secure ways to do this.
Remote Access
While it's possible to connect to computers to access files and folders and to use other services, what we're looking at in this article is the ability to use a PC in another location as though you were sat in front of it.
That is to view the screen and to use the keyboard and mouse as though you were actually sat at the PC.
Windows Remote Desktop
Microsoft included software to allow remote operation in Windows XP Professional Edition. The facility is available in Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise.
Although the facility is available "out of the box" and works very well for machines on a local network, issues arise when setting up to use this remote control method over the Internet.
Many of these relate to security and network.
An alternative to Windows Remote Desktop is to use a remote access service. The licensing model for some of these products is best described as "confusing"!
Commercial Products
- GoToMyPC
https://www.gotomypc.com
A 1 month trial is offered, after which the product is available at £60.00+VAT a year.
- LogMeIn
https://secure.logmein.com/UK/
A 1 month trial is available, after which some features are disabled leaving a cut down free version. The Pro version is listed at £41.95+VAT a year.
- Mikogo
http://www.mikogo.com
What seems to be a genuinely free product is actually aimed at the desktop sharing market. Mikogo is a cut-down offering from a company called BeamYourScreen
- TeamViewer
http://www.teamviewer.com
TeamViewer is pushed very heavily as being a free piece of software, though its Ts&Cs say that this is for personal use only. It appears that business users can trial the product for free, though it's not clear how long the trial may last! The product costs £439.00 to buy with a lifetime licence.