Remote access software recommendation

lpaul626

New member
I occasionally get asked to troubleshoot computers for friends and family which always involves a drive to pick up the comuter, etc. It'd be easier if I accessed their systems remotely. What's the best software for this? The cheaper the better.

Thanks in advance!
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
self build
OS
win 7 ultimate32bit, Win8.1pro wmc 32bit
CPU
amd phenom x4 9600
Motherboard
asus m2n32-sli deluxe
Memory
corsair twinxs 2x2gb
Graphics Card(s)
2x nvidia 1gb 8500gt
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
23" PB Viseo 233d
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
maxtor sata 500gb
maxtor sata 320gb
fujitsu sata200gb
PSU
oryxx tornado 750w
Case
thermaltake xaser lll
Cooling
artic freezer64 pro + 7 case fans
I provide exactly the same service for many friends and all my family.

I use two products since both are required:


(1) RealVNC, which is the remote access host-server/client product that permits remote desktop access.

There is a server application running on the remote machine to which I want to connect. It runs as a Windows service, so I can even re-boot remotely and enter their userid/password for Windows logon.

You have complete access to their remote desktop, conceptual keyboard and conceptual mouse. The person sitting at the remote machine desktop can see what you're doing, and also has local control over the same keyboard and mouse (sometimes you scream "PUT IT DOWN! LET ME DRIVE!" but that's to be expected)

Supports operation in a resizable window or full-screen, with scaling based on the size of the host target machine's desktop and your own client machine desktop or window size.

Provides a "mirror driver" for super-fast access even to very large desktops, and can also "black out" the remote desktop background to temporarily eliminate crazy high-pixel-count images that would otherwise take lots of worthless bandwidth to refresh that background on my client machine's window.

Provides remote printing capability, for example doing a print from the remote host server machine onto a printer on my own client machine.

Provides COPY (i.e. remote file transfer) between the two connected machines.

Provides "Address Book" for convenience, to let you define your remote host machines in a directory with login information pre-stored in the setup, and then you can easily just select an entry and click "connect".

This is a highly regarded global product, used worldwide both on a personal level as I do, as well on an enterprise level for companies with hundreds or thousands of desktops that support needs to "remote into".


(2) DynDNS Updater, which every 10 minutes provides the current IP address of the host machine on which it's running to a web server. The host machine has been given a symbolic URL address (i.e. like a web server or dynamic DNS) that others can then connect to symbolically, using that symbolic host name rather than a fixed IP.

Since typical DSL or cable modem setups involve DHCP assignment of IP address to subscribers, with leases for the assigned IP address that expire periodically and get renewed with possibly different values, it is important for RealVNC Client (running on my machine) to be able to connect to RealVNC Server (on the host machines I'm trying to connect to) symbolically, independent of the actual IP address assigned at the time which I of course have no knowledge of.

That's what DynDNS Updater does. Keeps the web-based DNS resolution for the symbolic host name, so that I'm really connecting to the target host machine through the DNS resolution provided by the DynDNS Updater service.

One DynDNS Updater license for you can support up to 30 "remote host names". Or, there is a 1-2 host version for free (so you can even try it out with one of your family members, to learn how easy it is to set up and use, and then expand for all of your intended support group).


Both products are NOT FREE, but very inexpensive for what they provide. And they are both reliable, commercial-quality and industrial-strength. I've been using both for many many years and they are guaranteed 100% problem-free.

Both of these products get my absolute highest ratings and recommendations. I could not live without them (nor can my family and friends, whom I support when they have trouble or problems or questions).
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Home-built, two systems (1) and (2)
OS
Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
CPU
i5-3350p 3.1Ghz/6MB-cache (1); E8400 3.0Ghz/6MB-cache (2)
Motherboard
ASUS P8Z77-V Pro (1); ASUS P5Q3 (2)
Memory
8GB PC3-12800 DDR3 (1); 4GB PC3-10600 DDR3 (2)
Graphics Card(s)
ATI HD7750 (1), (see TV cards); ATI R7 250 (2)
Sound Card
Realtek ALC892 HD Audio (1); Realtek ALC1200 HD Audio (2)
Monitor(s) Displays
Eizo HD2441W LCD, Eizo S2433W (1); Eizo 24" S2433W (2)
Screen Resolution
1920x1200, 1920x1200 (1); 1920x1200 (2)
Hard Drives
(1) 1TB SATA-II (7200RPM), 2x2TB SATA-III (7200RPM), 250GB SATA-III (10000RPM) for OS; 2x2TB external USB 3.0

(2) 320GB SATA-II (7200RPM), 750GB SATA-II (7200RPM), 150GB SATA-II (10000RPM) for OS; 2TB external USB 3.0
PSU
Nesteq ECS-6001 600W (1); Nesteq ECS-5001 500W (2)
Case
Acousti-Case 360 (1) and (2)
Cooling
Noctua NH-U12P SE2 for CPU, 2x120mm case fans (1) and (2)
Keyboard
IBM PS/2 (1) and (2)
Mouse
Logitech MX Revolution wireless (1); Microsoft wired (2)
Internet Speed
100mbps down / 10mbps up
Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials; Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Pro
Browser
Firefox
Other Info
Ceton InfiniTV 4-tuner cablecard-enabled TV card as well as Hauppauge HVR-2250 OTA/ATSC 2-tuner TV card in (1), running under Win7 WMC
I occasionally get asked to troubleshoot computers for friends and family which always involves a drive to pick up the comuter, etc. It'd be easier if I accessed their systems remotely. What's the best software for this? The cheaper the better.

Thanks in advance!

lPaul, there is another free one called logmein which has a free version as well as a pay version. The free version allows you to login to the remote machine as long as they have run the logmein program or have it autostart. You then use any web browser and can log into their machine and they and you see what is going on.

the only problem with the free logmein is that it does not support file transfer.

Worth a shot for the price.

rich
 

My Computer

Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Toshiba Laptop Qosimo X870
OS
Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1
CPU
Intel Core I7
Motherboard
Toshiba Qosmio
Memory
16 Gigs
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
Monitor(s) Displays
17.7" laptop
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900
Hard Drives
256 Gig SanDisk SSD for C
256 Gig Intel SSD for D
Internet Speed
50/25 FIOS
Antivirus
Vipre (all you can eat for 10 machines)
Browser
IE and FF
Other Info
I have dos 6.22, wfwg 3.11, win98, 2000 and xp VHD's available for testing. MS's Virtual PC works great.
we've each got our favourite, and my vote is the same as pebbly's - teamviewer - simple, robust, reliable and free!
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
mickey megabyte 1234
OS
ultimate 64 sp1
CPU
i5 2500K [email protected]
Motherboard
MSI P67A-GD53
Memory
8 gigs GSkill Ripjaws 1600
Graphics Card(s)
amd hd6950
Sound Card
creative x-fi gamer
Monitor(s) Displays
samsung 24"
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
ocz vertex 2e 60 gig, samsung f3 1tb, buffalo 2tb ext
PSU
antec 550
Case
antec three hundred
Cooling
i'm a cooling fan
Keyboard
saitek eclipse ii
Mouse
logitech g3
Internet Speed
about 4 Mbps
Other Info
i love win7
Easy. Team viewer. So good I would buy it.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavillion dv-7 1005 Tx
OS
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
CPU
[email protected]
Memory
4 gigs
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 9600M
Sound Card
HD built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
17" Wxga
Screen Resolution
1440x900
Cooling
none
Internet Speed
45Mb down 5Mb up

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-4010TX .
OS
Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. SP1.
CPU
Intel i7 -720QM.[1.6GHz Turbo Boost 2.8GHz. 6MB Cache.]
Memory
8 DDR 3 RAM. 1066MHZ
Graphics Card(s)
ATI 1024 MB. DDR3. Radeon HD5650
Monitor(s) Displays
17.3" High Definition Brightview LCD. LED Backlit.
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900.
Hard Drives
640GB
Case
Laptop / notebook.
Mouse
Logitech Anywhere mouse. MX.
Internet Speed
ADSL [ but too slow ]
quick'n'dirty lesson on how to use teamviewer:

  1. get your friend to download and run the portable 'teamviewer quick support' program
  2. you download and install the 'teamviewer full version'
  3. when they run their teamviewer QS, they'll be given an ID and a password
  4. they phone/email you and tell you the ID and password
  5. you type their ID and password (actually a number) into your full teamviewer software
  6. their desktop appears on your screen
  7. you can move their mouse pointer around and click away!
you can also chat over a microphone or via a messenger box and can transfer files - they can also take control of your pc if you chose to let them.

i use it to fix my mother's xp machine, and she lives right over the other side of the country.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
mickey megabyte 1234
OS
ultimate 64 sp1
CPU
i5 2500K [email protected]
Motherboard
MSI P67A-GD53
Memory
8 gigs GSkill Ripjaws 1600
Graphics Card(s)
amd hd6950
Sound Card
creative x-fi gamer
Monitor(s) Displays
samsung 24"
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
ocz vertex 2e 60 gig, samsung f3 1tb, buffalo 2tb ext
PSU
antec 550
Case
antec three hundred
Cooling
i'm a cooling fan
Keyboard
saitek eclipse ii
Mouse
logitech g3
Internet Speed
about 4 Mbps
Other Info
i love win7
Team Viewer also supports VOIP, meetings (with chaulk boards), Conference calls, etc.

Their Keep alive server will keep you connected over the thinnest of bandwidth, and the only limitation of the free version is it times out after three hours. It can then be reconnected for another three hours.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavillion dv-7 1005 Tx
OS
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
CPU
[email protected]
Memory
4 gigs
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 9600M
Sound Card
HD built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
17" Wxga
Screen Resolution
1440x900
Cooling
none
Internet Speed
45Mb down 5Mb up
TeamViewer is good but it's not the best one in terms of performance. And it's quite pricey if you only need to access several machines for business purposes (remember that TeamViewer is free for home use only, and the cheapest license starts from $850).

Here are other, more flexible alternatives (just google 'remote control software' or 'remote desktop software'):

Radmin
Remote Utilities
Anyplace Control
TightVNC
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
Our pleasure.
Would be interesting to know your decision ...

;)
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-4010TX .
OS
Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. SP1.
CPU
Intel i7 -720QM.[1.6GHz Turbo Boost 2.8GHz. 6MB Cache.]
Memory
8 DDR 3 RAM. 1066MHZ
Graphics Card(s)
ATI 1024 MB. DDR3. Radeon HD5650
Monitor(s) Displays
17.3" High Definition Brightview LCD. LED Backlit.
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900.
Hard Drives
640GB
Case
Laptop / notebook.
Mouse
Logitech Anywhere mouse. MX.
Internet Speed
ADSL [ but too slow ]
TeamViewer is good but it's not the best one in terms of performance. And it's quite pricey if you only need to access several machines for business purposes (remember that TeamViewer is free for home use only, and the cheapest license starts from $850).

Here are other, more flexible alternatives (just google 'remote control software' or 'remote desktop software'):

Radmin
Remote Utilities
Anyplace Control
TightVNC

Actually for personal/business use it is still free. It must be licensed for "business use"

It is truly not the best in terms of performance but it is idiot proof and that is often the most important thing for someone trying to fix a users machine.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavillion dv-7 1005 Tx
OS
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
CPU
[email protected]
Memory
4 gigs
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 9600M
Sound Card
HD built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
17" Wxga
Screen Resolution
1440x900
Cooling
none
Internet Speed
45Mb down 5Mb up
I use teamviewer on my Android phone to remote control my pc from the sofa when watching videos...
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Toshiba Satellite L500
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium x64 OEM --> RTM clean install
CPU
Intel T4400
Motherboard
? - laptop inbuilt ?
Memory
4Gb
Graphics Card(s)
? - Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family ?
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
? + extended to a 42" LG55PC plasma tele!
Screen Resolution
1366 * 768
Hard Drives
320Gb 5500rpm
PSU
?
Case
?
Cooling
?
Internet Speed
3Meg, when it works.
Other Info
A LOWLY LAPTOP!
I use teamviewer on my Android phone to remote control my pc from the sofa when watching videos...
That's just pure laziness :roflmao:
 
Last edited:

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
self build
OS
win 7 ultimate32bit, Win8.1pro wmc 32bit
CPU
amd phenom x4 9600
Motherboard
asus m2n32-sli deluxe
Memory
corsair twinxs 2x2gb
Graphics Card(s)
2x nvidia 1gb 8500gt
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
23" PB Viseo 233d
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
maxtor sata 500gb
maxtor sata 320gb
fujitsu sata200gb
PSU
oryxx tornado 750w
Case
thermaltake xaser lll
Cooling
artic freezer64 pro + 7 case fans
I use teamviewer on my Android phone to remote control my pc from the sofa when watching videos...

That takes laziness to a whole new level. Dont know why I didnt think of it.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Pavillion dv-7 1005 Tx
OS
Win 8 Release candidate 8400
CPU
[email protected]
Memory
4 gigs
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia 9600M
Sound Card
HD built-in
Monitor(s) Displays
17" Wxga
Screen Resolution
1440x900
Cooling
none
Internet Speed
45Mb down 5Mb up
Last edited:

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
LAPTOP. HP Pavilion dv7-4010TX .
OS
Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. SP1.
CPU
Intel i7 -720QM.[1.6GHz Turbo Boost 2.8GHz. 6MB Cache.]
Memory
8 DDR 3 RAM. 1066MHZ
Graphics Card(s)
ATI 1024 MB. DDR3. Radeon HD5650
Monitor(s) Displays
17.3" High Definition Brightview LCD. LED Backlit.
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900.
Hard Drives
640GB
Case
Laptop / notebook.
Mouse
Logitech Anywhere mouse. MX.
Internet Speed
ADSL [ but too slow ]
I use CentraStage and recommend it to you. Not only a possibility to watch what is happening there, but also a possibility to control software and hardware on remote devices and set automatic policies and log events happening in system and so on.
You can read info on it by yourself
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 Ultimate x32
One option that some forget is that some of the remote access software programs require someone be on both ends of the computers to make it work. Others will allow you to connect with out someone being at the target computer.
Most are pretty well password controlled. I use logmein and vmc via Hamachi the free vpn.

Rich
 

My Computer

Computer type
Laptop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Toshiba Laptop Qosimo X870
OS
Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1
CPU
Intel Core I7
Motherboard
Toshiba Qosmio
Memory
16 Gigs
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
Monitor(s) Displays
17.7" laptop
Screen Resolution
1600 x 900
Hard Drives
256 Gig SanDisk SSD for C
256 Gig Intel SSD for D
Internet Speed
50/25 FIOS
Antivirus
Vipre (all you can eat for 10 machines)
Browser
IE and FF
Other Info
I have dos 6.22, wfwg 3.11, win98, 2000 and xp VHD's available for testing. MS's Virtual PC works great.
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