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Ask Slashdot: Best App For Android For Remote Access To Mac Or PC?

Posted by timothy on from the not-gonna-have-to-ask-you-to-come-in-on-saturday dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Hi, I need to get remote access to my home Mac and Windows PC. At home, it's basically for watching TV, whereas at the office, I need it to work on files I am not allowed to take out when leaving. I know there's a lot of choice out there, but I need something free and reliable. What do you all recommend?"

31 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Easy by mog007 · · Score: 3, Informative

    TeamViewer. It's free and easy.

    --
    Learn something new.
    1. Re:Easy by v1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      TeamViewer has issues you should be aware of.

      A friend showed me how easy it was to use, and we decided to give it a try at our shop, where we do computer sales and service. Being able to do remote support would be very useful, we have several customers that live a good distance away from us and that occasionally need to schedule us to come out and help them, and this would allow us to help them at significantly lower rates.

      We set up team viewer 6 (iirc) and bought one license. Come to find out that it could only be installed on one physical computer. We were used to remote apps that only allow one simultaneous USE at a time, and that's all we needed. Too bad the GM installed it on his computer before we could stop him. So now we have to go into his office to do remote support. (or HE has to do it)

      I discussed this with teamveiwer and they basically told me to buy another seat or get lost. More on principle than cost I think, we continued to use it from that machine. They have a nice tool to create a wrapped installer that you put on your web site and your customers just click to download. It installs, and immediately launches, configures, and connects to us. I must admit that's slick. Too bad it only connected to the GM's computer.

      So more frequently lately I just connect from my computer to the customer the more manual way. It pops up a "for non commercial use only" note on launch but hey we already paid for our license and I'm the only using it so whatever, it works fine. We never use more than one instance at a time, so as far as I see it, we're playing fair, we paid for one instance and are using one instance,

      I had been seeing an update notice for teamviewer and I made the [i]mistake[/i] of running it and it upgraded me to version 7. Now it disconnects me after 15 minutes. Back to 6 I guess. Finally found the old app in a backup and reinstalled it. Nope! They "upgraded" my account online and now I can't use teamviewer 6 anymore. Bastards. I really hate it when computer software actively fights me trying to get my job done. (6 is compatible with 7, the only difference apparently is the timeout they added, so don't be a fool and "upgrade") So they're not on my Good List anymore. I have to pay twice to use once, and they absolutely do NOT care to work with me on it. Greed wins over customer service with them, unfortunately.

      I hate to see that happen with good products. Alsoft DiskWarrior is the same way, incredibly useful product, horrible customer service.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:Easy by zugmeister · · Score: 3, Informative

      On the plus side it's open, runs on everything (server and client), and free. I use it as the failover from MSTS (mac client sucks) or ARD (which has no PC client).

      On the minus side, it's not fast so remote admin is fine but movies mostly unwatchable. No sound. No file xfer or printer sharing. It doesn't tunnel, so you are looking at a minimum of a VPN tunnel (or piggyback it off a ssh tunnel is you wanna be geeky) should you want access while off the server's network. DO NOT PORT FORWARD VNC TO THE WORLD! It does not have strong security (8 character pw no username) and the VNC data itself is not secured.

      Note that there are proprietary versions of VNC that address some of these issues.

  2. VNC works quite well by 3.5+stripes · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't know if I'd want to use it to watch tv though..

    --


    He tried to kill me with a forklift!
    1. Re:VNC works quite well by rwa2 · · Score: 2

      "VX Connectbot" for ssh / tunneling setup. It has a few useful fixes from the regular "ConnectBot" app, primarily with keybindings you need to send ctrl keypresses, etc.

      I just use androidvnc for occasional VNC access to my boxes. Use UltraVNC server on Windows, and I think "Chicken of the VNC" server for OSX (it's been a few years, there might be better servers now). And play around with tigervnc on Linux.

      Of course, VNC doesn't do audio... but I imagine you're using it as a remote control for your settop PC? There's an Android app for XBMC or whatever that you could probably connect to your samba share somehow.

    2. Re:VNC works quite well by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      "VX Connectbot" for ssh / tunneling setup. It has a few useful fixes from the regular "ConnectBot" app, primarily with keybindings you need to send ctrl keypresses, etc.

      Get Anysoftkeyboard and SSH for Anysoftkeyboard and you too will have an Android softkeyboard actually useful for controlling UNIX sessions. You will want to change the theme from the default to one which shows the long keypresses.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. Team Viewer by alta · · Score: 4, Informative

    I use teamviewer. Free for personal use. Does what you need.

    Drive my kids nuts when they're on the computer and Daddy randomly connect to see what the heck they're doing. Keeps them on their toes and off questionable sites. With the help of opendns... I'll eventually put in a proxy when they get older though. Preserving what innocence I can...

    --
    Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
    1. Re:Team Viewer by CanHasDIY · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Facist

      Fascist is but one of the duties of a parent who actually cares about his children's upbringing. Obviously, a duty your parents failed to fulfill.

      Shame, that.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    2. Re:Team Viewer by NatasRevol · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm just happy I didn't have to milk my dad.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    3. Re:Team Viewer by ClintJaysiyel · · Score: 2

      While I tend to agree, your dad's approach was bad for you, but not everybody is you. Some shits need spying on.

    4. Re:Team Viewer by detritus. · · Score: 2

      Facist

      He just wants to destroy the concept of privacy for his children early since they'll live in a society with none. It's for the security of the entire nation as his kids could be terrorists.

    5. Re:Team Viewer by dpilot · · Score: 2

      Doesn't sound to me like he's hiding it, because the kids know when he's peeking. Hiding would be if he were doing so undetectably, then "just happening" to walk in the room when they're doing something they shouldn't, and catching them without their knowing how he just happened to come in, right then.

      --
      The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
    6. Re:Team Viewer by Fjandr · · Score: 2

      Where in the hell did you get "grown children" from? Parents looking over their children's shoulders is not the same as being so overbearing you damage them forever. There's this little thing called "middle ground," which it does not seem you have heard of.

  4. Files... Not Allowed to Take? by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I need it to work on files I am not allowed to take out when leaving.

    Are your bosses going to be cool with you transmitting all that data over innumerable, unsecured pipes they have no control over? Because if they don't want you sneaker-netting the stuff out...

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    1. Re:Files... Not Allowed to Take? by pr0fessor · · Score: 3, Informative

      I was reminded of a time when I had to do exactly that... It was an awkward situation where an entry level {hourly wage} employee had already placed a request for remote access but had been been denied by his management.

      I like go getters that are willing to put in some extra time to do a good job but if the company doesn't want you taking files home and won't give you remote access then chances are you shouldn't be looking for a way to do it.

  5. HR will have that pink slip ready for ya. by rodrigoandrade · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > I need it to work on files I am not allowed to take
    > out when leaving

    Where I used to work, this is grounds for immediate termination. I'm sure there's a reason you can't take those files home in a portable/flash drive (trade secrets, etc) and you want us to help you cirumvent that restriction?

  6. RDP by gbjbaanb · · Score: 4, Informative

    Microsoft's built-in remote display technology.

    The best RDP client for Android is Remote RDP

    For the MAC, you could install xrdp which provides the same protocol to access linux/osx.

    RDP is a very lightweight protocol, originally created by Citrix way back and bought or licenced by Microsoft, as they do with the bits of Windows that are any good.

    1. Re:RDP by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Informative

      Microsoft's new RDP client is pretty fantastic. They bought out some company that made a cross-platform RDP client: I've tried both the OS X version and the iOS version (primarily on my iPhone, but also on my iPad), and overall it's worked extremely well. Better than the Windows client, dare I say. It's also available on Android.

      Two big advantages for me on the iPhone: it's very fast (and seems to support some sort of progressive image compression that leads to low latency for getting something up on screen but still high quality as it loads in higher res imagery after) and has a very nice trackpad-like control option. For that mode, you basically can use the screen of the phone as if it were a touchpad, moving around a cursor. This works far better than the usual method most RDP clients use where you just tap on the screen where you want it to click. That's super inaccurate on a phone, while the trackpad style lets you be sure of where you're clicking.

      I don't want to say that there aren't other clients supporting all this stuff, just that I've tried Microsoft's new clients and they work pretty darned well.

    2. Re:RDP by Guspaz · · Score: 2

      XPRA is completely incapable of replacing RDP, seeing as how it doesn't support Windows hosts.

  7. 2X Client RDP/Remote Desktop by BingmanO · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I find 2X Client RDP/Remote Desktop to work very well on the Android. It has full support for RDP in Windows. not sure about Mac, never had to use it.

  8. Confused, so here's a cross platform solution by PNutts · · Score: 5, Funny

    Watch TV while at home. Work on files while at work.

  9. Splashtop does a fine job. by Maximalist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Splashtop works, but isn't free. I do find it is smoother and less buggy feeling than the free VNCs. There's supposed to be a google chrome RDP plugin too, but I've not played with that yet.

  10. PocketCloud by Giblet535 · · Score: 2

    PocketCloud's fake mouse is quite useful, even on a 4.something inch screen. It costs money, but you didn't rule that out.

  11. Re:Worst submission of 2014 already? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry, 2014 is new. It will get worse...

    --
    Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
  12. Remote access vs. taking files home by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 2

    If your security policy forbids removing files from the workplace, are you sure remote access isn't going to get you hot water as well? From a security standpoint, remote access to the same files you're not allowed to bring home is pretty much one of the same.

    That said, the best free way of accessing a remote desktop is going to be VNC running on the localhost endpoint and then an openssh connection of some sort (forward or reverse) to authenticate and tunnel. You could also use FreeNX but configuration has historically be a PITA.

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  13. SSH by carp3_noct3m · · Score: 2

    SSH is what you should be using as your connection core, and then using VNC on top if you want a gui. On windows, I've found the cygwin based SSH servers superior (have tested almost every single windows SSH server that is FOSS).

    Side note: Wow it's been a long time since I logged into /.

    --
    "It's ok, I'm completely secure as long as my iron is off"
  14. LogMeIn by RedBear · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Kind of surprised nobody has mentioned LogMeIn. It's free for personal use on up to 10 computers. There's a LogMeIn app for iOS and Android, which is free*. Then there's LogMeIn Ignition ($30), which lets you do file transfers, printing and other useful things if you're using LogMeIn Pro on the computers, which I think is something like $70 per computer per year. I bought LogMeIn Ignition for my iPad a couple years back and I've been using the free version of LogMeIn to connect remotely to Windows and Macs for years. Seems to work well even on relatively slow connections and on networks with fairly restricted firewall setups on either or both ends. I've even used it over a 3G connection, connecting to a 27" iMac no less.

    LogMeIn are the ones who bought Hamachi, which lets you easily set up secure private networks between collections of Macs and PCs. Also free for personal use, up to five computers or something like that. Been using Hamachi to get secure remote access to certain oddball ports/services on remote computers for several years now. Hamachi however seems to have trouble connecting if certain ports are blocked on the network, so I've had much better luck using LogMeIn for remote desktop connections.

    Not affiliated, just a satisfied user of both products. I haven't had any significant experience with TeamViewer so I can't make any direct comparisons, but I do know that when I was checking them out I didn't much care for how anal retentive TeamViewer is about licensing.

    * I can't find the free LogMeIn app for Android. Maybe there isn't one. So I guess that leaves LogMeIn Ignition for Android, which is $30. It's one of the most expensive apps I ever put on my iPad (1st Gen), but it's been helpful enough and reliable enough that I think I can recommend purchasing it for Android if you like LogMeIn, especially if you want to do easy file transfers between your computer and your device.

    1. Re:LogMeIn by bessie · · Score: 2

      I have LogMeIn Professional and use it for work. It works well - my main problem with it is that they had a security leak (or sold their user address database), as all the folks who used tagged email addresses for LogMeIn started getting spam on those tagged email addresses.

      To this day, LogMeIn refuses to admit there was any leak or anything was sold or anything of the sort. This, despite quite a few tech professionals who know what they're doing seeing this spam.

      I still use LogMeIn, but I trust them a hell of a lot less now. :-/

      Discussions:

      http://community.logmein.com/t5/Miscellaneous-Offtopic/LogMeIn-leaked-my-email-address/td-p/88548

      http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/12/logmein-docusign-investigate-breach-claims/

  15. NX, but, in all reality by popdookey · · Score: 2

    On a personal level, I have always liked the NX Protocol. It's easily installable on Ubuntu or CentOS. You can choose between the free and open source route, or for an enterprise roadmap, NoMachine reigns supreme in my experience.

    NoMachine packages its free client/server solution for what seems to be any gnu/linux distro. Its IOS and Android clients are due for release in the coming months and can solve the original poster's "problem". I have no affiliation with nomachine other than being a bit of a fan due to their community commitments.

    In all reality it becomes a matter of servers, clients, and protocols that fit within your network's architecture with varying degrees of comfort and performance.

    --
    Success without humility is an indulgence in arrogance
  16. Re:How about for chromebooks? by metamatic · · Score: 2

    Quote: "Chrome Remote Desktop is fully cross-platform. Provide remote assistance to Windows, Mac and Linux users, or access your Windows (XP and above) and Mac (OS X 10.6 and above) desktops at any time, all from the Chrome browser on virtually any device, including Chromebooks."

    So it sounds like it's supposed to work.

    --
    GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
  17. Re:How about for chromebooks? by goombah99 · · Score: 2

    Quote: "Chrome Remote Desktop is fully cross-platform. Provide remote assistance to Windows, Mac and Linux users, or access your Windows (XP and above) and Mac (OS X 10.6 and above) desktops at any time, all from the Chrome browser on virtually any device, including Chromebooks."

    So it sounds like it's supposed to work.

    It works from Chromebooks to mount other OS desktops but not from other computers to mount the chromebook desktop. Since I'm trying to support the chromebook user I need the latter. I need to view the chromebook. can't do it with google remote desktop or team viewer.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.