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Remote control applications do just that: they allow you to use your local PC to take total control of a remote PC’s keyboard,
mouse, and display, and operate the remote PC as if you were sitting right in front it. Your connection can be via the internet or
through direct dialup of the other PC. On your screen you see a picture of the remote PC’s desktop.
Symantec’s pcAnywhere and
Netopia’s Timbuktu are two examples of such applications.
With remote control applications you can pretty
much do anything on the remote computer that you could do if you
were sitting in front of it:
access files
launch, quit, and work with applications on the remote computer
work collaboratively or demonstrate how to do
something
chat with another person who is using or watching on the remote
computer
You can also easily transport files between the two computers,
which is why I'm including this method!
The developers of remote control applications are extremely security
conscious and provide mechanisms for limiting what is accessible remotely, and they implement varying levels of authentication. Considering what these programs are capable of, you
absolutely must use strong password protection
and caution when configuring one of these programs.
Remote control applications are client/server based, so the remote control server must be running before a client PC can connect to
it and share files or run apps. If you want to control multiple PC’s, each one will require the server to be installed on it. The server
can be started and stopped at will, so you don’t have to leave the server running when it’s not necessary.
Tip:See this note
if your Remote control server is on a shared Internet connection.
The first time you use one of these programs to control a distant PC, you feel a sense of empowerment that makes you giddy. I’m
serious. These applications are truly neat! If you want to control a PC over the internet, where both
PCs have broadband connections, these programs work quite well. However, if you are going to attempt to control a remote PC using a 56k modem
connection, be prepared for things to slow down. Transmitting a picture of a screen and how it changes in real time is similar to
viewing streaming media. You can do it, but a bigger pipe always makes things run
more smoothly. Some of the techniques these programs utilize to make up for slow connections include compression and limiting the colors to two or four colors to reduce the
amount of data transmitted.
Tip:
