[Sitaram]

I had a need to access my Windows XT desktop at work remotely, so I tried


http://www.logmein.com



It is simple to install, and works fine. After I installed it on my work desktop, I went to another computer in the office, and tried out the remote access. If you have two computers available, then you can see for yourself what it looks like on both PCs. There is even a chat feature, so you can chat with someone at the computer that you are accessing remotely.

logmein.com has a PRO version which you can try for 30 days, and also a free version which you can use indefinitely.

I use mozilla firefox browser, so I needed to install their plug-in before I could access the office computer from my home computer, but that installation only takes a minute.

Initially, I was going to try out gotomypc.com, but half way through the registration process, they informed me that they need my credit card for the trial, so I did not complete the registration. The next day, they sent me an email saying that I could try it out without giving a credit card number. But by then, I saw that the free logmein.com works just fine. And gotomypc.com would cost about $19 per month to use.

[admin (no pm's please)]

vnc is free and has always done the trick for me.

[Ziddy1232]

What is VNC as i need top remotly access my sisters laptop and did'nt realyl like Log Me In

[Sitaram]

My boss uses a MAC laptop, and I wondering if logmein, or some other product would do the trick.

Regarding problems with logmein, I know that in Mozilla Firefox, I had to install their add-in before it would work.

Thanks for the tip, Admin!

[Sitaram]

Last week, I decided to find a remote access program which might allow an accountant to access the computer at work over the internet.

I signed up for a trial evaluation of gotomypc.com, but when they asked me for my credit card UP FRONT, I bailed out of the sign up. The next day, I received several emails from them, offering me a trial with NO credit card.

But, by that time I had discovered logmein.com, which requires NO credit card, and offers a totally free remote access computer. The trial lets you test drive PRO, but if you dont purchase it after 30 days (or 120 minutes of usage), THEN it reverts to the free version. Here is the big difference. PRO lets you INVITE anyone you like to share your computer by simply sending them a URL link.

The free version does not have the INVITE option.

I went to a bit of trouble to find someone to help me with the INVITE GUEST test. It was my long time yahoo friend in Singapore who was able to be a guest on my computer for two hours. He could countrol anything on my computer... and I can see what he is typing. It is totally safe. There is a small icon at the top of the screen during the entire session, with a button to DISCONNECT. So, if a guest suddenly makes a move for the system, to delete files, reformat, or whatever destructive action, then one click of the DISCONNECT button will end the test session.

BUT HERE IS THE MOST AMAZING THING. While he was a guest on my computer, I logged in using logmeon.com to my computer at WORK. And he could access my WORK computer, and see the screen. So he is in Singapore, sharing access with my home computer, and my home computer is sharing access with my work computer, and he can control the work machine through his guest session on my machine.

Now, Pro costs about $70 per year, but the price drops with multiple licenses. If you were a company with 100 computers, you could get 100 PRO licenses for $1200 per year appx. NOW, lets say you were a support technician, and you needed to remotely access many clients a day to adjust their computers, or whatever. THEN you would pay $1200 per year for RESCUE, which lets you quickly access anyones computer, for a one time session if you like, with no software installed.

$1200 sounds pricey, but if you billed $100 per hour for your services then one hour of work would pay the $100 per month for RESCUE.

Now, if you had 100 employees with 100 computers, then that $1200 would buy you 100 Pro licenses, and each employee could send an invite to anyone they pleased, to share THEIR desktop. BUT, the RESCUE program for $1200 per year allows one techinician to easily control/share OTHER peoples computers, in a matter of seconds.

The options and uses of the logmein.com products are rather confusing. You really need to try them out to understand what it can do for you.