need to support remote notebook desktops

[bookouri]

I need to provide remote desktop support for people in the field with notebooks and Verizon Aircards. I thought I should be able to use remote desktop to connect to any of these notebooks on line if I had their current IP address, but Ive experimented with this and their IP address will not ping and will not answer up to remote desktop connection attempts. I made sure the notebooks firewall was inactive, remote desktop was enabled and made sure i had the correct IP address but I could never ping the address. I'm assuming that the wireless people have some kind of firewall blocking me from getting to the notebooks. Does anybody have any suggestions how I might be able to do basic remote desktop support for these machines?

thanks for any suggestions

 

[brianinms]

Try Hamachi

 

[dthompson82]

You may also want to look into client initiaed VNC sessions. Basically, start a listening server at your end and then your field users start a new session to your external IP. Has worked pretty well for me in the past using RealVNC.


DT

 

[bookouri]

thanks ill take a look at those. Im hoping to find something that wont leave me at the mercy of some third party somewhere, but havnt had any luck yet.

 

[normntwrk]

you could also experiment with the remote assistance feature built into XP. It lets the user (your remote user) send an invitation to you which should allow you to connect up to them.

Doesn't always work as some firewalls get in the way

Norm

 

[bookouri]

yeah, the problem is going to be the ISP blocking incoming traffic so i cant get to the machine. There's lots of options, they just wont work as long as i cant get to the machine..

 

[dthompson82]

LogMeIn might be another option for you then. They have a free version that you can trial. The software constantly runs and registers back to their servers. As it is initiated by an outbound request at first, you should have no firewall issues.

 

[DTSMAN]

I second logmein. The free version works well just for support. You will have to pay for a version to get file transfer capabilities and other features.


Bo

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