Fortunately, there are now Web-friendly services that take care of the networking details. Typically, you only need to sign up for an account on their sites and install software onto the computer you want to access. You can then use any other computer with Internet access to connect to your host. No muss, no fuss.
In this roundup, I look at four of these applications: GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, TeamViewer and Windows Live Mesh. They work similarly: You use a Web browser on your client computer to log in and connect to your host; three offer the option of using a separate client program.
Your host computer's desktop appears on your desktop screen as a separate window (or within a Web browser, if you use this method of access). You can then manipulate the remote computer -- for example, you can run programs or, depending on the particular remote-control service you're using, copy files from and to that computer. You can also, if necessary, send a command to reboot the host computer.
Keep in mind that in all cases, the host computer has to be left on. You can set your host to go into standby mode (so its screen switches off and hard drive spins down), but the computer has to stay on so that the host program itself is running.
For my tests, I used two Dell Inspiron notebooks (Models 1300 and 1440, running Windows Vista Business and Windows 7 Home Premium, respectively). The 1300 was assigned as the host and connected to Time Warner's Road Runner cable Internet (which had a download/upload rate of about 20Mbps/2Mbps). I used the 1440 as the client, accessing the Internet through various Wi-Fi hotspots in coffeehouses, bookstores and cafes, where the download/upload bandwidth typically starts at 1.5Mbps/1.5Mbps.
My goal was to see how these remote-desktop services would fare in situations where the Internet connections available for my client computer were wireless and possibly of less-than-ideal bandwidth. Controlling another computer over the Internet is usually not a speedy experience -- when you access a computer remotely and click something on its desktop, there can be a lag of up to a few seconds before you see a result.
So as you read the following, keep in mind that the usability of any remote-desktop service depends a lot on the reliability and bandwidth of both the host and client computers' Internet connections. And this should be obvious: While you can play a video file on your host computer and watch it streamed back to your client, doing so consumes precious bandwidth and will increase the lag of the connection between the two computers.
This independent paper from senior analyst Jon Collins at FreeForm Dynamics considers how Web-based security threats are evolving, within the context of IT trends including mobile, home computing and other forms of remote access that could potentially increase the attack surface of the companies. It defines the scale and types of threat, what to look for in a corporate web security solution and compares the different types of technological approach available to companies and the processes that need to be considered for effective protection.
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.
Social-networking sites have revolutionized how businesses use the Internet. Instead of relying on faltering newspapers to find job candidates, companies can access thousands of potential employees through Facebook and Twitter. But social-networking sites have also left businesses vulnerable to new security threats. So are they tools to be used or security traps to be avoided?
Chrome 10 and Opera 11.01 are in a virtual dead heat in the author's SunSpider JavaScript benchmark tests. IE8 brings up the rear, but the IE9 RC leads the pack. (Smaller numbers are better.)
In Chrome 10, Options now opens in its own tab.