Tool needed to help important users(mom).

[Steven E. Protter]

My mother and others have relied on my for support for years. In general, I've used a tool like VNC on HP-UX or other OS to help gain desktop control and do geek stuff for them.

Due to security concerns, SBC and other Internet providers have started to make it impossible to open up the needed ports for this.

HP and Oracle both have nice little setups in support where the user logs in and HP support or Orale can see the user desktop and even be granted control.

My preferred platform to run this kind of software on is HP-UX but I can't be picky.

What are your recommendations and where can I get such software at low cost or no cost.

Besides getting points, you will be helping a man help his Mom.

SEP

[Geoff Wild]

I have used Netmeeting as well as Remote Desktop to control remote Windows machine.

For NetMeeting - make sure you go to Tootls, Options, Security tab - and set "Secure" on incoming/outgoing.

Remote Desktop - I think it only works for Domain controlled pc's...

Netmeeting works on many different versions of Windows.

I don't know the ports - but you can probably find out easy enough on Microsoft Support...

Rgds...Geoff

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

Hey SEP,

I hope things are going well for you in Israel. It certainly appears from this end that they are.

Something I have used recently with vendors to help with remote control type stuff is Webex. It works quite well with a broadband connection, but I have heard it is really bad on dial-up connections. It may also be more than you want to spend.

http://www.webex.com

What about PC Anywhere on the PCs? I'm not sure how much the software is, but we use it for things here and it can be set to encrypt the connection.

http://sea.symantec.com/content/product.cfm?productid=16

Another alternative I just found (while searching for PC Anywhere), but have never used is:

http://secure.logmein.com/dmcq/068/home.asp

I don't know anything about those folks. I just happened to stumble across it.

Another alternative: GoToMyPC - https://www.gotomypc.com/en_US/entry.tmpl?_sid=56274536%3ACADB7DF21CD7C93&Action=rgoto&_sf=2

Something else - another Webex offering - Webex PCNow:
http://www.pcnow.com/Go/PCN/051101/default.asp?adid=GC$PCNENCATREMT~60.01.003&DCMP=KNC-GCdollarPCNEN&bstyle=

Good luck.

[Denver Osborn]

One thing I've done is to install OpenSSH on windows box then setup the windows realvnc server to accept connections only from localhost... this would allow me to setup a tunnel for my vnc.

It's free, but you have to help the non tech savy mom setup/install OpenSSH for win 1st, then open up firewall for port 22 or whatever sshd is listening on.

-denver

[Jeff_Traigle]

PC Anywhere is pretty expensive for not much functionality. A former coworker of mine was a big fan of Remotely Anywhere. Web-based interface, secure, low bandwidth (he used it for projects in Africa for remote control while streaming data over phone lines with acceptable performance). A lot cheaper than PC Anywhere too. In addition to the remote control functionality, you are also able to copy files to the system stealthily, monitor system performance, etc. All centrally managed also.

Of course, if SBC and other ISPs are battening down the hatches, I'm not sure that will work for you, but it's worth a look anyway.

[H.Merijn Brand (procura]

You can tunnel almost any port through ssh

So just install openssl/openssh, use the open port 22 (or any other free and open port), and set up a tunnel for (Tight)VNC or ssh -tCX or rdesktop, or ...

Enjoy, Have FUN! H.Merijn

[Steven E. Protter]

Very interesting idea.

It occurfed to me that I could have mom netmeeting in and possibly do some desktop sharing.

Anybody remember what port netmeeting uses? Looks like it might be 1720 from a netstat -an display, but I'd like to be sure.

The free, easy solution seems to be to set up a box in the US as a netmeeting box, route the appropriate ports to it via the wireless router in the US. This at least gives Mom a fixed IP address to go to.

She netmeetings in to a box I've got control of and hopefully I can see her desktop.

I think I'll try that on Sunday when she's next able to work with me.

I like Patrik's other ideas, will explore and love Jeff's Professional Geek handle.

I think I am doing pretty well here in Israel, though getting used to all the new germs and such has led to a series of colds. Life seems more relaxed and it seems change was good for me in many ways.

Thanks for your help, I encourage other ideas and will report back what I accomplish.

SEP

[Volker Borowski]

Hi SEP,

for firewall information about netmeeting, you can dig the microsoft site. I found this one to be quit usefull:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/NetMeeting/Corp/reskit/Chapter4/default.asp

As far as fixed IP is required...
No need for this, as long as you do not want to use this in outbound firewall rules on your side. Check www.dyndns.org
Most DSL-routers support dyndns of several provideers via bios, if not, a small client tool is available. A very comfortable way to find dial-in partners, although I'll bet that mom.dyndns.org is already occupied :-)

Happy supporting
Volker

[Arunvijai_4]

Steve, We use the following methods to connect,

1) Windows -- Windows

Remote desktop (mstsc.exe) and VNC (www.realvnc.com), If you want an Opensource version of VNC server and client, http://www.tightvnc.com/ will help.

2) Windows -- Unix

X11 tools like XManager (www.netsarang.com), Reflections and VNC.

3) Unix -- Windows

VNC Viewer from Unix to Windows, also Linux has got some clients for Remote desktop protocol.

You can configure Stunnel to tunnel any request that is unencrypted through a network, www.stunnel.org for more information.

Hope this helps,
-Arun

[Steven E. Protter]

All tunnelling solutions present two issues:

1) My mother is on keyboard at the other side of the Atlantic.
2) SBC may not be cooperative as far as openning ports.

I'm leaning toward a webx based solution or netmeeting.

I recall once with one of my private customers in the US having him netmeeting to my PC in the US and I was able to obtain destop control.

As far as the fixed IP issue goes, that is simple for me. I'm picking a fixed IP so that I can support my other relatives and the procedure is standard. This may be needed not only for my sixtysomething mother, but my nineteysomething grandmother.

What can I say, it's in the genes.

SEP

[Tom Ward_1]

Hello Steven,

You're right about netmeeting's port.

From http://www.gwaugh.myby.co.uk/floppyfw/
If you want to accept incoming calls, you need to forward tcp port 1720 to the machine you run netmeeting on.

I'm looking at updating my home firewall and when I read "port 1720" I though of this thread.

Also I've used rdesktop under linux to access windows remote desktop. I may work under HPUX as well, but I haven't tried it.
http://www.rdesktop.org/

Regards,
Tom