LinkBack URL
About LinkBacksThe time has come when I really need to be able to connect to my server from home. What would be the easiest way to do this and are there costs involved?
The time has come when I really need to be able to connect to my server from home. What would be the easiest way to do this and are there costs involved?
Logmein free is awesome for this: https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/
witch (5th December 2011)
Many LAs provide VPN type solutions. This is the easiest but also most secure too.
In Birmingham schools for example, I connect using a Cisco client and then use Remote Desktop as normal. This works absolutely fine over standard broadband connections.
witch (5th December 2011)
Log me in would be the simplest + free.
In the long run maybe look at setting up a VPN connection (SSTP if at all possible) - as said already most LEAs provide one however if not all your need is an external IP address and the software to run the VPN (built right into Windows Server or you could look at something like Forefront TMG). This way you could also enable remote access to your shared drives/internal resources to the staff as well.
witch (5th December 2011)
I use this to connect to my PC then i use Remote Desktop to get on to the server. As much as I like logmein (and use it for our external site server) I never like to install anything additional on to our servers unless I really need to.Originally Posted by sparkeh
*edit
You now reminded me I can do some updates on our servers
witch (6th December 2011)
We just Remote Desktop Gateway here, tunnels RDP over HTTPS. Can connect to any RDP enabled machine on the network from home if needed.
Logmein though if you don't have some influence on the firewalls
witch (6th December 2011)
Alternative to logmein is TeamViewer
TeamViewer - Free Remote Access and Remote Desktop Sharing over the Internet
Use the free edition.
Last edited by MYK-IT; 5th December 2011 at 10:44 PM.
witch (6th December 2011)
Used this the other day with a supplier - seems quite good not used it much though Ammyy Admin - Free Remote Desktop Access, PC Remote Control Software and Remote Desktop Sharing
witch (6th December 2011)
good piece of software i use this alot when remote assisting customers
And +1 to LogMeIn Free. I leave my machine logged in (and locked) when not in work so I can remote in at any time if need be and access the entire network if required. (and have had too on many occasions).
Pete
We use Team Viewer here have used logmein in the past but prefer TV, although we do still use Team Viewer we also use OpenVPN a lot now on our pfsense server.
Costs? Only if your ISP is a skezy nickle and diming quasi criminal racket. You can use the VPN solutions builtin to 2008 under NPS (I think) to host all sorts of VPN tunnels (P2P, IPsec and SSTP - requires a cert) and then it is just a case of opening some ports on your router. You can even just allow port 3389 for RDP directly but that is way less secure.
If you are with a centralised education LA/ISP then they may well charge for you to open ports and possibly will block stuff like logmein (gives an external agency a direct connection to your server) so you may have no option but to pay the - protection money - service fee to the greedy immoral ISP to open a port or two so that you can access it.
In shropshire we use Bomgar for support purposes, never looked into using that from home tho I just use Teamviewer
For IT use... standard RRAS VPN.
Funny enough was going to ask about remote working... thought RDS Web Access was perfect for this but from what I see the end-user experience is somewhat lacking...
- staff sign into RD Web Access, had to edit the login page to put the domain name in front... bearable
- RemoteApps work fine, click and launch... great (although the Connect box is annoying but not removable without a GPO applied... not going to happen on a users' personal PC!)
- connect to an actual Remote Desktop session by clicking the optional icon... awful... asks for credentials again that have to be entered in DOMAIN\USERNAME format (at least on 7 it fills it in for you but XP just gives a blank box)
Very frustrating as the idea is great but Microsoft seem to have missed the point of a Remote Access solution being for computers that aren't under corporate control!
OK. I have set up logmein and can get to the cont-alt-del screen for my server but I can get no further. The info says my keyboard and mouse input will be sent to the remote computer but I cannot log on. Is there something else I can do or have I missed something?
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
