Remote Desktop Connection ?

Chong

Well lads I want to know if this is possible through a wireless connection. I want to set up a remote desktop connection from my laptop to my home pc. Now I have Windows Remote desktop connection utilites installed on both machines. I have no clue how to set this up and would appreciate it if anyone can tell me how to perform this.

Thanks

Willem

Velcrow

Yes it is possible through a wireless connection.

I am assuming that you are using win xp pro on both machines - if so here is a guide to setting it up.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/remoteintro.mspx

If it not xp try using a VNC programme eg http://www.realvnc.com/

quarryman

just tried VNC there. great program.

djmarkus

VNC is good, but RDC is able to send sound, can be useful sometimes!

zuma

The best VNC type prog is Remote Administrator from http://www.famatech.com/.

True its not free....but I get better performance from it on slower machines than the VNC clones.

I find Remote Desktop very sluggish...then again I only use such progs on servers well past their time!

Hobbes

If the machine you want to use to connect is not XP you can get the remote desktop client for W2K. Otherwise you can use remote desktop sharing in NetMeeting. Just run "conf" from the run dialog to set it up.

Chong

Will it make a difference or problem if I am using windows xp home on one and pro on the other.

Zascar

not sure if its what your looking for but www.logmein.com is excellent for remote access

Chong

That looks a little dodgy.

Hobbes

Willem D wrote:

Will it make a difference or problem if I am using windows xp home on one and pro on the other.

XP -> XP = Remote Desktop to Remote Desktop.
W2K -> XP = Remote Desktop to Remote Desktop.
Linux -> XP = Remote desktop (rdesktop)
XP -> W2K = Netmeeting desktop sharing (run conf) or VNC.
W2K -> W2K = Netmeeting desktop sharing (run conf) or VNC.

VNC is nice, but doesn't come close to the feedback you get from RemoteDesktop.

secret_squirrel

Willem D wrote:

Will it make a difference or problem if I am using windows xp home on one and pro on the other.

It wont make too much difference as long as the PC you want to control is the XP Pro one.

Afaik XP Pro contains the RDP client and server and XP Home just the client.

For instance I use my XP home laptop to control my Xp pro desktop.

Chong

Well you see I want to actually control my home pc from my laptop but the laptop is the pro.

Hobbes

XP home has the server as well. You set it in the properties tabs of My Computer.

secret_squirrel

Hobbes wrote:

XP -> W2K = Netmeeting desktop sharing (run conf) or VNC.
W2K -> W2K = Netmeeting desktop sharing (run conf) or VNC.

Its a bit more complex than this. You can use the RDP client to control W2K servers with Terminal Services installed (the old name for RDP).

So :

XP Home/Pro/MCE & W2k Any version & NT4 -> W2k Server/Adv Server running Term Srvcs

Where Client -> Server

Chong

What I did right I called up the utility on my laptop , it says browse for more computers but it dont pick any ie the home pc.

Hobbes

secret_squirrel wrote:

Its a bit more complex than this. You can use the RDP client to control W2K servers with Terminal Services installed (the old name for RDP).

So :

XP Home/Pro/MCE & W2k Any version & NT4 -> W2k Server/Adv Server running Term Srvcs

Where Client -> Server

Netmeetings Desktop sharing is RDP but an earlier version. You can connect to it with RDP but I found it to be a bit flakey.

secret_squirrel

You have to put in the name or ip address of your home pc.

Eg Start->control panel-> system -> computer name will give you the name of your desktop pc.

Or STart -> run -> cmd -> type ipconfig will give you the ip address.

secret_squirrel

Hobbes wrote:

Netmeetings Desktop sharing is RDP but an earlier version. You can connect to it with RDP but I found it to be a bit flakey.

Ahh terminal services works perfectly without needing to go near Netmeeting in my experience, wether you use the Term Services Client or the newer RDP client.

Chong

Ya I put the ip address and it still dont pick up. I can certainly see the home pc in my network places.

secret_squirrel

Try it the other way round - controlling the laptop from the desktop this will confirm at least you are getting an RDP connection.

Goto Control Panel -> system -> remote tab and make sure accept remote connections or control this computer remotely is ticked.

A firewall could block the rdp protocol.

Chong

Ok right then I can connect from the home to the laptop but not the opposite way.

Chong

Everything worked grand when I tryed to access the windows xp pro laptop from my windows xp home pc. But it wont let me connect to the home pc through the laptop its driving me nuts.

secret_squirrel

did you not read my previous posts? Afaik XP Home does not have an RDP server with it - therefore RDP wont work.

You need to investigate VNC or similar.

I do recall there might be hack to turn XP Home into PRO but that would be illegal.

Your other option is to reinstall XP on both computers swapping the licenses around so that XP Pro is on your desktop but that would be rather painful.

VNC or similar is the way to go.

Capt'n Midnight

secret_squirrel wrote:

Your other option is to reinstall XP on both computers swapping the licenses around so that XP Pro is on your desktop but that would be rather painful.

That would be illegal if either is an OEM copy.

OP
At a guess you have installed the remote desktop CLIENT, M$ insist on a valid license on the client for every app the client uses on a terminal server, though I think you can get away with it if you are sharing the same desktop.

VNC is yer only man, for connecting to a PC you could then use it to start
Netmeeting - if you share Explorer you used to be able to get on to the desktop of the other PC (windows 9x - haven't tried recently) - when you setup netmeeting make bloody sure you don't allow the internet to use it - best not to use a netmeeting server either.

m_stan

...and if you are getting a dynamic IP, save all the trouble of having to re-check your IP everytime by using www.no-ip.com. It's a free DNS service for those with dynamic IPs - updates in realtime, assigning you a permanent DNS name (xyz.servehttp.com) that you can use everytime. Great service. Never fails me.

blorg

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

At a guess you have installed the remote desktop CLIENT, M$ insist on a valid license on the client for every app the client uses on a terminal server, though I think you can get away with it if you are sharing the same desktop.

With multi-user Terminal Services, yes, but I don't think they require this for the single-user RDP built in to XP, it locks out the console when you connect, so only one person can use the applications at a time.