Easy Remote Access?

TinyApps asks: "How do Slashdot readers make remote connections through firewalls and NAT routers when assisting friends/family/customers? Reverse VNC connection are relatively easy to setup, but there is also the free LogMeIn and WebEx's new free service that startstarted, this week. Do you all have any other ideas?"

Comments

Re:VNC

[jessecurry]

why not just turn off ask slashdot for yourself?

Trust

[tonsofpcs]

I use VNC. I do not trust those companies that offer the service of allowing you to log into your own pc remotely, using a password that is stored in their database. But hey, I'm paranoid in that I don't like big corporations having a way to get into my pc.

If you don't like the story, why comment?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do angry people read and post comments to Slashdot stories they don't like?

Do these people complain about having to read the supermarket tabloids just because they are there?

Not many posts yet...

[windex82]

but no one seems to understand the question.

I'll try to make this as easy to understand as possible. Imagine this scenario...

Your |insert computer illiterate relation| needs help fixing something that VNC'ing into their box would easily fix. However, because you recommended that they put their windows box behind a firewall, which oddly enough they did, leaves you without the ability to easily connect to their machine without yet another couple steps, mainly setting up their firewall to allow you to connect to their machine.

How do some of you make the task of connecting through this firewall easy without the more daunting task of walking them through re-configuring their firewall to forward your request to their desktop. Since, if your walking them through that you could have probably just walked them through the other problem they had, like not knowing whether or not they wanted to continue or cancel what they had been doing. ;)

Re:GoToMyPC

[wowbagger]

Everyone talking about Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, VNC - but these solutions require a port open on the server and firewall.

LogMeIn and GoToMyPC only need an outgoing connection.

Which they use to create the same result - a way an incoming connection can be established to your PC.

The only difference is that instead of opening a port on your firewall that you can pick (allowing you to use a non-standard port to raise the bar above the heads of the script kiddies), you use somebody else's computer to control your security.

Somebody you cannot audit.

Somebody who can screw up and comprimise your computer.

Somebody who is a high-profile high-value target for an attacker.

Were I a system administrator, I would null route all of these services at the firewall, and would log any attempt to access them from within my network and kill the connection of the PC that attempted them - then proceed to LART the user that did so in a fashion that would make the BOFH wince. Their main purpose is to allow stupid lusers to do an end-run around the "meeny stupid-head network admin who won't let me access MY computer" (because he is doing his job of maintaining network security).

Folks, any remote access solution involves cracking a hole in your firewall - bar none. You can either admit that to yourself and realise that you must take increased security precautions, or you can delude yourself and ride for a fall.