remote desktop / pc anywhere question [dynamic ip] [static ip]
Q: Not sure if this should go here, or technical support. but heres my problem. I have a client who wants to be able to connect to four of its offices, he bought pcAnywhere, but the problem is all the offices are on dynamic IPs, he knows very little about computers, and even if he did it would be a extra work to continuously identify the IP addresses of all 4 connections. He could pay extra for static ips, or go with one of those places that gives you a static host, but there are other solutions? I want him to pay more money every month than ext? he to.
thanks
Best Answer: That is EXACTLY what "Log Me In" can do. And it's free:
Just download and install the "LogMeIn Client" on every PC you want to access. Then, as long as any of your PCs is up and running, you can take control using only a web browser, from anywhere in the world.
HOW? Log in to LogMeIn's website, choose which PC you want to control, then enter that PC's User Name and Password, and it appears on your screen.
I often do live Demos of OS X, remotely from Windows and Linux PCs at our local computer club, for example.
Re:I use http://no-ip.org
Re:www.dyndns.com works great for me.
Re:Can anyone point me to another free DNS service? The one linked in the article (myip.us) is no longer accepting new members.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
Thanks for the quick primer, but I was looking to see if there was an alternate way to use Hamachi without installing it's client on a public computer. Not setup an entirely different program.
oh.
then, no.:o
Re:Thanks for the quick primer, but I was looking to see if there was an alternate way to use Hamachi without installing it's client on a public computer. Not setup an entirely different program.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
Originally posted by: guy
Originally posted by: guy
Another happy Hamachi user here. Have multiple groups made so I can share pictures and videos with friends and family. Only wish there was a way to use Hamachi without installing the client so I can quickly use securely a public computer.
there is, well, ort of anyway, but it is a major PITA.
Care to elaborate?
Hamachi uses a technology called SSL VPN in addition to another trick using a special unused IP subnet. What does ths mean to you? Basically it can circumvent most basic firewall and most equipment that isn't proactively trying to keep it out. What this means for you is zero configuration. Unless you have a hardware SSL solution, Hamachi is basically the only zero configuration solution out there that is free.
the alternatives to access files between family and friends depend on whether you are willing to pay. assuming that you aren't using some paid service, you can achieve multiple point to point IPSEC or PPTP VPN tunnels between your family in friends creating a mesh network depending on your configuration. While this will allow for access between the networks, it is VERY complicated to setup and will take a LOT of time.
If you simply wanted to VPN into a network from a website, you could do so using SSL explorer or you could use openVPN as a server. In the end, you are looking at a LOT of work.
Basically, the beauty of hamachi, and I know I sound like I am plugging thir program but I really like it, is that it keeps all of this SSL VPN and mesh stuff under the radar screen. Basically, the SSL VPN stuff is what allows hamachi to bypass almost EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE and make your pc accessible by a single ip adress that doesn't change.
What you have on the top layer is a client that acts as a host on the 5.x.x.x network, which no internet router will acknowledge. Only the hamachi server uses it. Basically, as a hsot on this network, and using a key, not only can you create a connection with another rcomputer, but you can create a group that can communicate with almsot any protocol from ftp to windows networking ,to, of course, remote desktop.
basically, my point is, there are other ways to do what hamachi does, but in the end, it is a fantastic tool that basically takes a bunch of clients, and makes it seems as if they are on the same local network. What makes it great is that although all the goodies inside like the SSL VPN and the encryption and tunneling and what not allow you to pull this off, the client remains simple ,and pc to pc copmmunications remain even simple.
other options include getting a host and setting up a webpage to excahnge files (MS sharepoint services is a corporate example, and ilife '06's iweb is a consumer example) or an ftp server.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
Originally posted by: guy
Another happy Hamachi user here. Have multiple groups made so I can share pictures and videos with friends and family. Only wish there was a way to use Hamachi without installing the client so I can quickly use securely a public computer.
there is, well, ort of anyway, but it is a major PITA.
Care to elaborate?
Re:Originally posted by: guy
I wouldn't hack the registry to change ports unless absolutly required. Do port translation on the router, i.e. request to port 3390 goes to box1:3389, pot 3391 goes to box2:3389 etc
lol
Or you could do it that way:P
Re:have him call someone at the office he wants to connect to and that person would goto whatsmyip.org to find out the ip then tell him so that he can use pcanywhere to connect using that ip. i think this would be the easy/cheap solution, but nothing beats those free options if you want to try them.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
Another happy Hamachi user here. Have multiple groups made so I can share pictures and videos with friends and family. Only wish there was a way to use Hamachi without installing the client so I can quickly use securely a public computer.
there is, well, ort of anyway, but it is a major PITA.
Re:Another happy Hamachi user here. Have multiple groups made so I can share pictures and videos with friends and family. Only wish there was a way to use Hamachi without installing the client so I can quickly use securely a public computer.
Re:I wouldn't hack the registry to change ports unless absolutly required. Do port translation on the router, i.e. request to port 3390 goes to box1:3389, pot 3391 goes to box2:3389 etc
Re:Originally posted by: guy
hamachi is a zero configuration vpn client/server. its is free and you can download it at www.hamachi.cc you don't have to have a static ip address. install it on each pc that he needs to acccess. he can make the vpn connection and then use remote desktop or ultra vnc to remote control the desktop. check it out it really works pretty good
I have tried this and it works wonderfully
even when you have a few friends who want to multiplay lan only games 
Re:I use remote desktop and dynamic dns. For multiple pc's behind the router create custom rdp ports for each system (a simple reg edit) and forward them on the router.
He will then connect using remote desktop client and specify the address like so: dynamicname.com:xxxx (xxxx=the port number of the computer he wants to connectt to).
Re:hamachi (ssl vpn) + remote desktop/vnc
OR
dynamic DNS (example: dyns.org no-ip.ccom) + remote desktop/vnc
Re:i use dyndns www.dyndns.com with my router (netgear)
all i had to do was setup a free account and then the router came with a built in setting for a dynamic dns, i put in the url they assigned me and it automatically updates my current ip to the url…
i've also used no-ip www.no-ip.com they have a small piece of software you run on your computer that updates the dynamic ip periodically
for what it's worth
Re:It can be done easily and totally Free.
1. To connect over the Internet to the office look at option 3 in this page.
http://www.ezlan.net/myip.html
2. To remote control and exchange files look here, http://www.ezlan.net/vnc.html
:sun:
Re:hamachi is a zero configuration vpn client/server. its is free and you can download it at www.hamachi.cc you don't have to have a static ip address. install it on each pc that he needs to acccess. he can make the vpn connection and then use remote desktop or ultra vnc to remote control the desktop. check it out it really works pretty good
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Tags: dynamic ip, static ip