Console PC's (VNC?)

[Chris Wilson]

I use VNC on my laptop via a hard wired network cable when I am in bed and need to check something on the office PC upstairs (sounds Irish, but it's a bungalow). It works fine. However, I'd like a permanent PC console in the workshop, and maybe one in another room. I am more than happy being able to operate the main PC from what is effectively a second screen and keyboard. Is VNC the best or only way to achieve this? What level PC is needed to run VNC? Could I, for example, have a very cheap and cheerful tiny PC running maybe Linux with just enough stuff loaded to run VNC, or would it need some powerful processing and a lot of memory? The other PC(s) do not need to have any other functionality other than for them to be effectively duplicates of the main one. Finally, will VNC work ok over one of those network via the ring main 240 volt sockets things, or would it need hard wiring? Ta!

 

[Zarf]

VNC will work fine over powerline, It's TCP based. You could even connect over the internet or wireless if you were so inclined.
A cheap and cheerful pc will do fine, VNC isn't very demanding (on the client at least)

 

[JonJ678]

Remote desktop is one of the things I like most about computers. I'm using freenx instead of vnc, as far as I can tell it sends everything though ssh (pretty secure), compresses and caches intelligently. Over a wired network it's blissful.

Client can definitely be cheap. I use an atom based netbook as the client, the server is the desktop in sig. I suspect it puts a fair bit of stress on the server, but that doesn't matter so much.

It'll be fine over any network. It functions over the internet. The faster the connection, the smoother the experience. Strange experience over a slow connection, latency is high but otherwise it runs very swiftly. Say, wait 2 seconds for the command to get through, at which point it's executed as fast as the server can do it.

It's also the only thing I've so far done with my computer that the missus was impressed by.