Control another PC with Remote Access

You can control a computer virtually moving its mouse and typing on its keyboard over the Internet, using either Windows XP's built-in features or a third-party program.

When you are at work, wouldn't it be nice if you could log on to your home computer to check your email or find a file you took home? How about using your home or office desktop computer from your laptop on the road? You can use a remote control program to use another computer over the Internet, viewing its screen on your screen and giving commands via your mouse and keyboard. Windows XP comes with a feature called Remote Desktop, or you can use a third-party program. Windows Messenger also enables people who are chatting to share control of each other's computers.

The computer you will control is called the remote server, and the computer you are actually sitting in front of is the remote client. Windows XP comes with a remote client program (Remote Desktop Connection), and Windows XP Professional comes with a remote server (Remote Desktop) that works with one client at a time that is, one computer can "take over" your computer remotely (with luck, it'll be you doing the takeover!).

Remote Access Server (RAS) on Windows NT or 2000 servers and the Routing and Remote Access utility on Windows Server 2003 both act as remote servers that allow multiple remote clients to connect.

Windows XP Home Edition can't act as a remote server; if you need to be able to access a Home Edition system remotely, you need to upgrade to Windows XP Professional or use a third-party program. We recommend VNC, the small, free, open source program available at http://www.realvnc.com.

Configuring the Windows XP Remote Server

If you want to be able to control your Windows XP Professional system remotely, set it up as a remote server. Using an administrator user account,

· Choose Start

· Then Control Panel

· Click System (or press the Windows-Break key),

· Click the Remote tab,

· Select the "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer"

· Checkbox in the Remote Desktop section of the tab to enable incoming connections,

· Click Select Remote Users if you want to control which user accounts can be used by remote clients.

(Windows automatically allows connections from the current user, along with all user accounts in the local Administrators and Remote Desktop Users groups.)

Normally, remote clients connect to the server via a local area network or a permanent Internet connection. However, you can also configure the remote server to accept incoming phone calls if you have a dial-up modem.

· Create a dial-up connection that accepts incoming calls by running the New Connection Wizard (click "Create a new connection" from the task pane in the Network Connections window),

· Choose "Set up an advanced connection" as the Network Connection Type,

· Choose "Accept incoming connections,"

· Choose your modem,

· Choose whether to accept VPN connections, and choose which user accounts the incoming connection can connect to.

Firewalls usually refuse remote access connections, so if you want your remote server to be accessible from the Internet, you need to open a port in your computer's firewall. Remote Desktop uses port 3389.

· If you use Windows XP's built-in Windows Firewall, display the Network Connections window, right-click the Internet connection,

· Choose Properties from the shortcut menu,

· Click the Advanced tab, and click Settings to display the Advanced Settings dialog box.

· Click the Remote Desktop checkbox; if the Service Settings dialog box appears, just click OK.

One final configuration note: when a client connects to your server via Remote Desktop, the user logs into one of the Windows XP user accounts. You can't log into accounts that have no password. Choose which account you plan for remote users to log into, and give it a password.