Accessing your PC remotely. For free.

[slipd]

Hi guys,

I'm going away for a bit soon and I want to be able to access my pc and possibly a couple of others in the house, remotely. It's been ages since I've done anything like this and I'd like to know what my options are?

I don't really want to start spending any money

A mate of my recently mentioned that there are browser based options now? Logmein sound right? I think he said he'd paid for it though...

Cheers!

 

[bsoltan]

Pretty sure LogmeIn has a free version. Some features are stripped but you can still control everything.

https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/

 

[roger_37]

teamviewer 5

 

[booyaka]

teamviewer 5

x2- use it myself for family pc's etc if I need to fix remotely. Saves traveling around to sort them out.

Simple and free.

 

[apatia77]

Teamviewer or Logmein, both are free for home users and both work very similar way.

 

[uv]

Another vote for team-viewer - one big plus is it has a free client app for iphone too

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I have used LogMeIn commercially at work and I do rate that. I didn't know that it was free for home users so thanks for the heads up all of you.

 

[alex24]

LogMeIn has some issues with the mirror driver and windows aero etc. It can cause other problems too. Does teamviewer use that same method anyone?

 

[mast3r]

Teamviewer or RDP

 

[this_is_gav]

LogMeIn has some issues with the mirror driver and windows aero etc. It can cause other problems too. Does teamviewer use that same method anyone?

It does occasionally drop Aero on my system, but then so does VNC going the other way... I can't remember if LogMeIn did or not.

The free versions of TeamViewer and LogMeIn are fine. For me it depends on whether you want a browser-based viewer (LogMeIn) or one which offers a client program (TeamViewer). I personally feel that LogMeIn is the simpler for a less-techie person, not that TeamViewer is difficult, just that LogMeIn is very, very simple to setup and configure.

VNC is another free option, but I think all VNC servers require port-forwarding and the likes. Maybe a better option if you're happy with that though.

 

[SiriusB]

Never had an issue with LogMeIn and Windows 7 and I manage around 20 Windows 7 machines using it.

 

[tres]

Logmein - fantastic for sorting out computers on my account, and so easy to talk someone to add another over the phone so you can sort

 

[Mattus]

LogMeIn is pretty good. One day, though, my Win7 machine randomly disabled Aero. Eventually tracked it down to the 'LogMeIn Mirror Driver'. Disabling it restored Aero and LogMeIn still seemed to work. Apart from that, LogMeIn's been perfect.

 

[uv]

For me it depends on whether you want a browser-based viewer (LogMeIn) or one which offers a client program (TeamViewer).

Teamviewer is also browser based, in the same way that logmein is. At work, I use my web browser to connect to my fileserver, and when out and about I use the free iphone client.

 

[Aod]

LogMeIn is excellent - both the free and pro versions function exactly as they ought to in my experience.

if you haggle you can even get them to lower the price of the Pro version for you

 

[R@tman]

I am currently using live sync beta and the remote desktop

which replaces live mesh

and find it to be great !!

 

[Supertaff]

I support friends and families computers remotely using Logmein.

Whenever I set up their computers I install logmein and it saves me ages traveling to their house to fix their computers. Even managed my neices computer which is in New Zealand from the UK, though their broadband is shocking so that causes a few small issues.

I rate it highly. Never used Team Viewer so can't comment on that.

Taff