Remote Login Made Easy

by GantMan

If you're like me, you've got about five computers (Work, Work Laptop, Home, Home Laptop, Mediacenter).

Sometimes you just need to login to check how your torrents are going, or just to grab a file you might have been working on.

Way back, in the long long ago, we would RDP/VNC into our desktops when we needed access.  That is... unless we were behind a Network Address Translation (NAT), like most of us were.

Then we'd have to port forward, and expose ourselves to the blistering cold world, or hide behind a nice Virtual Private Network (VPN) which most of us either never understood how to set up or didn't have the hardware necessary to set up.

Sure, some of us got by with Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) but, let's face it, it wasn't as easy breezy beautiful as we had hoped it would be.  There was no bit to flip, no switch to hit, and sometimes we didn't even have permission or physical access to the router at all!  Exempli gratia workplace hardware.

Today's Easy Way (With Free Software)

There are two applications that I use to keep my remote access simple.  Both of these applications have free Android implementations which means I can manage any of my computers from anywhere.

Application 1: LogMeIn.com

The free version of LogMeIn will allow you to access your computer from a web page, even when it's behind a NAT router.

It also presents you a list of all your computers you have access to, in a way that you can even organize them into batches, and name them as you see fit.  From a security perspective, LogMeIn machines are accessed by the main LogMeIn server, so not only are you protected from exposure, but a hacker would need the password to your LogMeIn account and the password to your local machine account (assuming the attack is informational, and that the passwords differ... and those passwords had better differ *waves finger*).

Everyone at my work is always having trouble connecting to their machines because the VPN or the Terminal Services are not working.

Constantly I hear people bicker about their inability to perform remote duties.  I've given up on using their ways for a while now, and I've never had a single problem logging into my office machine.  Though I do have the password to the router (muahaha) I've never had to port forward anything.

I'm sure LogMeIn is pretty happy with all I've had to say about their product... all the way up to this point.  What's the catch?  The free version gives you full access to the machine except you can't transfer files.  Rather than paying LogMeIn's monthly fee that I can't seem to justify for my personal needs, we simply need an easy way to transfer our files!

Application 2: Dropbox.com

The free version of Dropbox allows you to have two gigs of cloud storage.

You install Dropbox on a computer and it's like a share drive.  Simply put, you copy the file to your Dropbox folder on your remote machine, and happily receive the file in one piece on your local machine, and vice versa.  As an added bonus, this is a great way to move files to your friend's computer or even your Android phone without any cables.  They've got some pretty neat sharing features to mess with, and even that is free.

And there you have it!

Full remote access with all free software.  If you're ever making a purchasing decision for a company, try to throw a bone these guys' way, because that's why we're getting these services for free in the first place!