Remote access to my home PC

Thinking about setting up VNC server on my home PC for access from work, travelling, etc.

Right now I have a hardware firewall and I assume I would poke a hole for port XX (whatever port VNC needs opened up).

How open does that leave my system to attacks? VNC is password protected, but is that enough?

I am running Win XP Pro...

I'd consider one of the alternate versions of VNC that add some security. You may want to open a different port other than the normal one (5910? I forget), so that anyone probing your firewall won't instantly recognize where it might be going.

Originally Posted by Kaz

I'd consider one of the alternate versions of VNC that add some security. You may want to open a different port other than the normal one (5910? I forget), so that anyone probing your firewall won't instantly recognize where it might be going.

I grabbed UltraVNC due to the price

Changing the port isn't a bad idea but I would assume it would be reasonably easy for someone just probing ports to see that it is there.

I don't have direct experience with it, but I've always wondered pcAnywhere from Symantec





http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/Consumer/index.html

Originally Posted by TeamM3

I don't have direct experience with it, but I've always wondered pcAnywhere from Symantec





http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/Consumer/index.html

It costs money and needs a client installed.

Originally Posted by Kaz

It costs money and needs a client installed.

doesn't that provide greater security and make it worth the money?

Originally Posted by TeamM3

doesn't that provide greater security and make it worth the money?

Not appreciably

Originally Posted by Kaz

Not appreciably

well I'll have to defer to your judgement

What about Remote Desktop? You don't need to buy anything extra, you have the client on any pc, all you need to do is enable port 3189.

Originally Posted by milski

What about Remote Desktop? You don't need to buy anything extra, you have the client on any pc, all you need to do is enable port 3189.

Is that thru Terminal Services?

Originally Posted by hockeynut

Is that thru Terminal Services?

Yes, they used to call it Terminal Services in windows nt4/2000. It's called Remote Desktop in Win XP, you can enable it in My Computer|Properties|Remote.

Originally Posted by milski

Yes, they used to call it Terminal Services in windows nt4/2000. It's called Remote Desktop in Win XP, you can enable it in My Computer|Properties|Remote.

Crap, thanks for saying that. I totally forgot about turning that off after my last reformat. Not sure if it's the case or not but I've come home a couple of times and my browsers were not how I left them (running ZA Pro and the XP firewall) but forgot all about that. Perhaps I was exposed or the cat was surfing.

Originally Posted by Jever

Crap, thanks for saying that. I totally forgot about turning that off after my last reformat. Not sure if it's the case or not but I've come home a couple of times and my browsers were not how I left them (running ZA Pro and the XP firewall) but forgot all about that. Perhaps I was exposed or the cat was surfing.

Don't worry, it's off by default. What's on is 'Remote Assistance', which is something that lets other peope see and eventually control what you're doing. It needs MSN Messenger (I think) and an explicit request from you to that particular person to let them connect to you.

Originally Posted by milski

Don't worry, it's off by default. What's on is 'Remote Assistance', which is something that lets other peope see and eventually control what you're doing. It needs MSN Messenger (I think) and an explicit request from you to that particular person to let them connect to you.

When I just looked it was turned on. Now that I think about it, I did enable it a while back when a friend of mine was having all kinds of problems and I thought I was going to just have them let me peruse their stuff from here. Under properties and remote that was all that I saw. I use classic view so perhaps it's in a different place than in the new XP view or am I totally lost here?

Originally Posted by Jever

When I just looked it was turned on. Now that I think about it, I did enable it a while back when a friend of mine was having all kinds of problems and I thought I was going to just have them let me peruse their stuff from here. Under properties and remote that was all that I saw. I use classic view so perhaps it's in a different place than in the new XP view or am I totally lost here?

I think XP Home does not have remote desktop, only remote assistance.
Does the one below look familiar?

Originally Posted by milski

I think XP Home does not have remote desktop, only remote assistance.
Does the one below look familiar?

I'm on Home, not Pro.

Originally Posted by Jever

I'm on Home, not Pro.

Well, no remote desktop for you than.
What you have is remote assistance, the one that you need a person at your computer and MSN Messenger to get it work. It would basicaly let me tweak your computer while you watch. Much better than trying to explain over the phone: "Click the blue thingie. No, not that one, the one above. OH.... noooo. We have to start again... "

Originally Posted by Jever

I'm on Home, not Pro.

Home sux. Get Pro. Even if you have to get it from an illegal Russian alien with a kinda-stolen programmer's disk.

Originally Posted by machmeter

Home sux. Get Pro. Even if you have to get it from an illegal Russian alien with a kinda-stolen programmer's disk.

Next box will have Pro. Actually, does Windoze Media Center have the same stuff that pro does?

Originally Posted by Jever

Next box will have Pro. Actually, does Windoze Media Center have the same stuff that pro does?

Pretty much yes, besides that you cannot join WMC to a domain. Nothing you should worry about.

Originally Posted by milski

Pretty much yes, besides that you cannot join WMC to a domain. Nothing you should worry about.

Just going to be my 2 or 3 boxes and my roomates box that need to work together. Well, I don't give a sh!t if his gets networked as he's probably out of here shortly whether he likes it or not. So far I'm just running us off a switch/hub instead of a router. It's all home stuff until I learn some more. Home schooling is good times!

Originally Posted by milski

Much better than trying to explain over the phone: "Click the blue thingie. No, not that one, the one above. OH.... noooo. We have to start again... "

LMAO!!!

Latest version of RealVNC 4 allows you specify which ports you want open. I run it on my AIM port because it's open through work.

http://www.realvnc.com/download.html

VNC is a quality remote support tool. I have tried using it and it works well. Additionally, you can even consider deploying on premise remote support appliance such as RHUB or Bomgar appliances in order to remotely access computers.

Originally Posted by adamsmike

VNC is a quality remote support tool. I have tried using it and it works well.

Eight year old thread... Just sayin...

(I'm guessing a spammer resurrected the thread and adamsmike responded before a mod deleted the spam post)