Remote Control Software

By Rich Eichacker
Vibrance Technology Corporation

Remote control software has been around for a number of years. As technology advances and high-speed internet connections proliferate, this software is evolving into an essential component of the business computing toolbox. Users now have the flexibility to work from any-where, anytime.

A remote control package can pro-vide the following benefits:

• Employees can work off-site, from home or while on the road and/or in the field.
• Consultants and contractors can access your system, saving billed commuting costs and eliminating distance and geographical barriers.
• Technical support consultants can remotely administer your system to solve problems, upgrade software and perform maintenance functions.

Three of the most popular remote control packages are GoToMyPC, pcAnywhere and Citrix Metaframe. Each of these varies in complexity and capability, and therefore, ease of use.

GoToMyPC is a web-based, single-user system that is very easy to use. After installing the host application, you can use any web browser to log on to your system through the GoToMyPC web site. On the site, each host PC you've con-figured is listed and you merely click on a link to access that ma-chine. A file transfer function al-lows one file to be transferred at a time. GoToMyPC is a subscription service, costing roughly $10/month.

pcAnywhere is also a single-user system and can use direct modem or network connections. In pcAnywhere, you can configure settings for each user that will access your system. It's Explorer-like file transfer allows multiple files to be transferred as well as a "speed" mode, which attempts to transfer only the differences between the source and destination files. With a special cable supplied with the software, PcAnywhere can also transfer files directly between two PCs.

Citrix Metaframe is a powerful sys-tem that runs on Windows Terminal Server. It is multi-user and multi-session, allowing multiple users to access the server at once. While more complicated and expensive than GoToMyPC or pcAnywhere, it is the package you'll need to host many remote users.

Two other remote control packages worth mentioning: 1) If you've up-graded to Windows XP, it includes "Remote Desktop" which allows you to host your computer to anyone with Win95 or better. 2) VNC, or Virtual Network Computing, is a free, open-source remote control package. I don't recommend VNC for the novice user. It does not have a file transfer utility.

Winter 2002 - Volume 12, Number 1