Remote Computing Tips

Remote Computing Through a PDA

Ever wish you could gain access to your remote computer through your PDA? You can!

There are new products on the market that not only grant remote computer access, but almost full control of the remote PC, enabling full remote computing from the palm of your hand.

There is a VNC viewer available for your iPaq:
http://www.pocketpccity.com/software/pocketpc/VNC-Viewer-for-PocketPC-2001-1-2-ce-pocketpc.html

as well as one that seems to works on some PDA operating systems, including Psion, Nokia 92xx, SE P800, SE P900:
http://www.imhotek.com/html/vnc.html

If you can't bring all your important data and computing power with you, at least you'll be able to access and control it from anywhere in the world.

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Use Your Mom's PC as Your Own

If you want remote computer access to your home machine from anywhere in the world, then you need a remote computing solution such as AccessDesk, GoToMyPC, or MyWebExPC.

These systems offer slightly different features, but essentially provide you with secure access to your data from anywhere in the world as well as the ability to administer your computer and even run programs on your computer from any other computer on the internet. Using one of these programs you could be sitting 1000 miles away on your mother's computer and feel like you were at home.

With ubiquitous internet comes the ability to access your remote computer. Once you give it a whirl, you'll never be able to do without access to your data again.

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Windows, UNIX, and Remote Computing

Until recently, the remote computing platform of choice was UNIX because a UNIX system could be logged into and controlled from a remote terminal anywhere in the world. However, there are currently remote computer access programs for Windows machines that are much easier to use and offer rich features that are not only unavailable for simple SSH or telnet connections, but for any common remote computing administration offered for the UNIX platforms.

For example, AccessDesk from NetworkStreaming can administer several remote systems at one time, install software on all of them, cause them to reboot, and automatically reconnect when they all come back online. If one were to attempt this in UNIX he would have to open up several terminals, issue similar install commands in each terminal to both fetch and install the new software, reboot, and then simply wait several minutes until guessing that the remote machines had come back online and logging into them again.

While this is not an argument that one operating system is better than another, it is meant to dispel a myth that Windows machines are less friendly to remote support needs than are UNIX boxes, as that's simply not the case anymore, so the myth should not affect your decision to use one operating system or another on your server.

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Protect Your Machine from Hackers

A malicious hacker does not need much to gain remote computer access to your machine. In fact, if you purchase a new computer with Windows on it and go online, your computer will probably have been owned—computer jargon for infected by a worm or virus that has the ability to control your computer without your permission—within minutes, especially if your computer is on a broadband connection.

It is imperative, therefore, that you maintain updated antivirus software, run virus scans regularly, and use a personal firewall on your PC. Furthermore, you would do well not to use a traditional email client such as Outlook, and instead use a web-based email client such as GMail, HotMail, or YahooMail. Taking these precautions will not guarantee the security of your computer and the data it contains, but they go a long way.

The bottom line is that if you don't want a hacker to use your system as a remote computer from which to serve child pornography or attack the white house computers, you should take these precautionary security steps seriously.

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