Geek Help - Need a Remote Access Solution

[crokett]

I was helping my in-laws over the phone tonight and it was excruciating. I need a remote access solution. I tried just using Remote Desktop but didn't know what IP address to send it to. They are in Indianapolis with ATT DSL and near as I can tell ATT is doing some kind of spoofing inside its network cause the IP address on their laptop was 192.168.x.x and not a WAN address like it would be if it were hooked to my modem.

So any idea how I can get some kind of remote access working where I can reach out and get to them? I am pretty sure ATT won't poke holes in its firewall for me.

I could use something like gotomypc but would prefer it be free.

[LCHIEN]

you can pay extra for a dedicated IP address which is the most straightforward way but also costly.

When you see an address 192.168.x.x that is a subnet address most routers and network subnets use this area of addresses which can be duplicated in many different subnets to keep from running out of unique IP addresses.

What your computer uses as a network IP address and what sites thay communicate with see as their address are two different animals. Either your router or AT&T's router or both perform what is known as Network address translation NAT for short.

While on your dad's PC, you can (or have him) find the IP address representing him... go to www.whatismyipaddress.com and it will give you an address that it uses when requesting websites asked for by your father's computer. Unfortunately this won't do you any good becacuse the same address represents the router and several hundred other users; the router doing the NAT keeps track of what sites were requetsed by who and redirects the returning packets to the proper machines on the 192.168.x.x subnet.

In reality it is very difficult to remote control a machine set up on a DHCP network with NAT. And if you do so don't forget to turn off your dad's firewall or at least allow your address (which you will have to find using whatsmyipaddress,com, too)

I think there's some complex ways around this but I don't recall offhand. I remote control computers at work from home and on those I use vitual private networking (VPN)... which essentially puts me on the work subnet.

this article or something like it might help:
http://paininthetech.com/2005/11/02/...ndows-or-os-x/

[Anna]

I remember reading about something like this more than a year ago. What the guy did was write a program that emailed him the IP address from the computer he wanted to get to. In fact, won't your in-laws just sending you an email give you their IP address?

[crokett]

Loring, thanks for the explanation but I know all of that already. Just wondering if there was a way around it other than a paid service. The easiest way around an address assigned via DHCP is a service like dyndns.org.

[jonmulzer]

Sometimes, but not all the time, you can gain access through MSN Messenger. There is a "Request Remote Assistance" or something like that in there. Poke around, it is pretty self explanatory. Under most circumstances it does a pretty good job of writing its way through NAT tables. You can also send a request through email, but I have had less success with that, and I hate using Outlook.

[gerti]

OS X iChat has ScreenSharing built in. Windows has headaches built in.

[crokett]

Got it. Figured it out in NetMeeting. I am typing this from my wife's laptop where it is hosting a meeting and I am controlling mine right now.

[LinuxRandal]

Never messed with them (looked but no need). I believe the free VNC programs, allow you to email an invite. I believe you would still have to talk them into opening a port on the firewall though.

[rjwaldren]

Is netmeeting working to your fathers PC though? I'd imagine it would hit the same problem as RD. The router is not passing 3389 (for RD) If your comfortable in his router you can forward port 3389 to his 192.168.x.x address. You'll want to set his 192.168.x.x address static as opposed to DHCP to keep the rule valid in the future though. Then use whatsmyip to find the address of his router, the router will pass all traffic on port 3389 to his internal address. Remote Desktop must be enabled on his PC and in the profile you intend to log into.

It can get complicated real quick, but is a good exercise - I would recommend changing and redirecting ports to obscure the hole in the firewall though.

That said, just go to Logmein.com and have him install it. It's free for one PC, works through home routers/NAT and you can get to it from anywhere in a web browser. Make sure he disables any software firewalls or creates rules to allow it to run properly when you need to get in.

I use logmein to get home from my corporate PC which is on a very restricted network, and RD everywhere else (it's faster) even from linux.

[DaveS]

Here is an article describing how to use reverse connections in VNC.

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/...e-connections/

Basically, all your in-laws need to do is run an application and put in your IP (or your sever name if you are using a dynamic IP service).

They don't have to open any ports to make this work (you open them on your end). You don't need to know their IP, they just need to know yours.

It is simple, free, and works well.

[atgcpaul]

That said, just go to Logmein.com and have him install it. It's free for one PC, works through home routers/NAT and you can get to it from anywhere in a web browser. Make sure he disables any software firewalls or creates rules to allow it to run properly when you need to get in.

I setup the free LogMeIn on my parents' computer for the lifetime free
technical support service I was born into. Seems to work well so far.

Paul

[mikeadams]

As you and your in-laws are in different locations, using IP Address to remotely access computers will only work if you use a VPN, as both the computers are on different networks. Other alternative is, try using 3rd part remote support tools such as logmeinrescue, gosupportnow, GoToMyPC etc. in order to remotely access computers over internet without the use of IP Address.