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Very often, when a
support question
comes in regarding
DMS, we will use a
utility called
'VNC', allowing us
to take control over
a user's desktop.
Following the adage
of "a picture
says 1000 words", it
certainly makes the
job of support much
easier, as we can
immediately see what
our user's see, and
fix the problem much
more readily.
While having a
remote access
solution like VNC
makes our jobs
infinitely easier,
it does tend to
generate the typical
'How can I do that
from home' question.
So, this month, I'll
go into detail
regarding some
remote access
solutions to help
push you in the
right direction.
What is remote
access? Put in
it's most simplest
terms: remote
access is the
ability to use a
machine in your
office from a remote
location. It's
the process of
hooking virtual
"extension cords"
across the internet,
bringing keyboard
and monitor cables
across the distance,
allowing you to use
a remote computer as
if you were sitting
directly in front of
it.
I
personally rely on
remote access not
just for support,
but also for
mobility. I
travel quite
frequently, both for
personal and for
business reasons,
and remote access
allows me to use my
office machines from
anywhere I happen to
be.
For users wishing to
spend more time with
their families at
home and less time
anchored to a
machine in their
office, remote
access can make the
difference.
First, a word about
firewalls.
(You DO have a
firewall installed,
don't you?)
When you connect
your network to the
internet, it's like
opening up the front
door to your house
to the great
outdoors.
Suddenly every
salesman, insect, or
stray dog can wander
into your home and
trash your humble
abode.
A
firewall serves as a
sort of "screen
door" that you can
place between your
network and the
internet. If
you were to look
very closely at your
screen door, you
would see that it
consists of very
small, evenly spaced
holes.
Starting from an
upper corner, you
could begin counting
these holes, and
begin referring to
their exact spot on
the screen door as a
specific number....
much like an excel
spreadsheet.
Every application
that communicates on
the internet does so
on a specific
"socket" or "port".
Tying in the
analogy, every
internet application
communicates on a
unique "hole"
through your screen
door. Plug a
specific hole, and
you prevent a
specific application
from coming through.
Firewalls operate by
plugging up ALL the
holes in your screen
door, then have you
open only the
specific holes you
need. (Quick
note:
firewalls block
originating traffic
coming IN from the
internet.... not
OUTGOING traffic
from your network to
the internet...
that's where the
screen door analogy
breaks down, and
will make you look
like a fool if you
push the analogy too
far in front of any
of your geek
friends.).
Tying all of this
information
together, it means
that depending upon
WHICH remote
solution you decide
to employ, you will
have to open up a
different socket (or
hole) in your
firewall.
VNC
VNC is a freeware
application that can
be
downloaded from the
DataWedge web site.
Installation is
straight forward,
and consists of a
SERVER component,
and a VIEWER
component (both
included in the
installation
program). The SERVER
component is the
program that must be
run in the
background in order
for the machine to
have control taken
over it. The
VIEWER component is
what needs to be run
in order to take
control over another
machine running the
SERVER component.
VNC's video refresh
performance is a
little on the slow
side compared to
other programs, but
it is, after all,
free. It does
not allow the
mapping of local
printers or drives,
which means that you
are unable to print
a document on your
local printer from
the remote machine,
or access a file
contained on your
local hard drive.
VNC does, however,
have a nifty
feature: the
ability to have the
VIEWER component run
from a copy of
Internet Explorer or
Mozilla with the
correct version of
Java installed.
This means that you
could open up a
browser and key in
your office's
internet address and
take control over a
VNC machine in your
office.
VNC needs socket
5900 opened up on
your firewall.
If you wish to
utilize the Java/Web
Browser option, you
must also open up
socket 5800.
PCAnywhere
PCAnywhere is the
commercially
available
application for
remote access from
Symantec (symantec.com).
Normal street price
for the software
package is $149.
PCAnywhere offers
some of the best
video performance
out there, by
"caching" the most
commonly used
pictures and images
locally, negating
the need for them to
be sent over your
internet connection.
It also has gateway
features that allow
you to connect to
any machine on your
network from your
remote location
(when properly
configured, of
course).
PCAnywhere also
contains tools to do
file transfers to
and from your local
PC, but does not
have direct file
access. (This
means that you are
unable to access a
file directly... you
have to first
transfer it to your
remote computer).
You are, however,
able to print to
your local printer,
though the process
is somewhat
convoluted.
PCAnywhere
requires sockets
3348 and 3349 to be
opened on your
firewall.
GoToMyPC
A
lot of attention has
been given to
GotoMyPC recently.
This particular
company charges a
monthly access fee
to utilize their
software, running
connections through
their web servers.
This means that you
have a low-up front
cost to use their
software, and any
web browser on any
computer can serve
as a "viewer" to
take control over
your remote system.
I wasn't able to get
their web site to
tell me how much
they charge unless I
first created an
account, but I
believe it's in the
neighborhood of $10
a month.
GotoMyPC is by far
the easiest program
to install,
primarily because it
requires no changes
to your firewall.
(Without getting too
technical, the
client you install
maintains a constant
connection to their
web servers,
negating the need
for you to open a
socket manually in
your firewall).
GotoMyPC does allow
a free trial period
for their software.
For more
information, you can
visit
gotomypc.com
Windows Remote
Desktop
If you are running
Windows XP
(Professional or
Home edition), you
have a form of
remote access built
right into your
operating system.
This is a slight
variation on other
forms, however, as
Microsoft Remote
Desktop does not
allow users in your
office to see the
desktop as you are
using it remotely.
(This means that it
is not a good tool
for supporting
remote users, since
you can't see the
same desktop as the
remote user is
seeing at the same
time).
Local drives and
printers can be
mapped, allowing you
to print locally and
access files on your
local hard drive,
and graphics
performance is very
good.
To activate it,
choose the machine
you wish to take
control over, and
right click on "My
Computer" and go to
"Properties".
Under the "Remote"
tab, put a check in
the box next to
"Allow remote users
to connect to this
machine".
Then, on the machine
you wish to use for
controlling your
remote computer, go
to "Start --> All
Programs -->
Accessories -->
Communications -->
Remote Desktop", and
key in the IP
address of your
remote network.
Microsoft Remote
Desktop requires
socket 3389 to be
opened in your
firewall.
Further notes:
Regardless of which
remote access
solution you choose,
make EXTRA CERTAIN
that your passwords
are in order, and
that you change them
from time to time.
The mapping of
unique sockets to
specific software
applications means
that hackers can
create "scanners"
that sniff your
network from the
outside. If a
scanner hits your IP
address and sees
that your firewall
has a hole for
socket 3389, they
immediately know
that you have a
Remote Desktop
service they can try
to log into...
giving them a place
to start scratching
at your screen door.
Installation of the
software is
typically the
easiest part of
getting remote
access software
going.
Figuring out how to
configure your
unique firewall is
usually the most
difficult.
Contact your local
network specialist
to help you decide
the solution that
works best for you,
and to set up your
system properly and
securely.
FAQ OF THE
MONTH
As the new year
begins, clients are
again wondering how
the RDS industry at
large is doing.
Normally, the
industry witnesses
the annual "summer
slump" between the
months of May to
somewhere around
September.
This year, however,
summer slump seems
to have lasted much
longer. Many
RDS have reported
gross sales roughly
20% below normal
well into the end of
October.
My personal opinion
for this extension,
I believe, has to do
with the events
surrounding Katrina,
Rita, and Wilma.
One must remember
that when dealing
with an industry
such as an RDS, food
delivery is
considered a luxury,
just like dining
out. It's no
secret that
American's are among
the most charitable
persons in the
world, this year
being no exception.
With much of the
target audience's
disposable income
given up to
organizations like
the Red Cross, not a
lot of spare money
is left for things
like prepared meal
delivery.
I
am happy to report
that in the months
of November and
December, sales seem
to have picked up
for RDS's across the
nation.
Although I have no
hard numbers to
report, the generic
"grape vine" that is
our customer base
informs me that
sales have returned
to normal, and that
everything is
finally getting back
on track.
DID YOU KNOW
The download manager
for the previous
year has expired.
For instructions on
downloading and
installing the
newest download
manager, please
contact us
DID YOU KNOW
For those users that
utilize our web
template for their
web engine,
DataWedge has now
added the ability to
directly change the
text/verbiage on
your individual web
pages. Simply
log into your
web admin pages
to make the changes.
If you still don't
have access to your
web admin pages,
contact us for more
details!
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