My friend runs a small IT business in his office, he also has a computer at home which he leaves online as he does after hours work from home.
He recently asked me, is there a way he can RDP to his Home PC from the Business Office PC?
They both run Windows 10 and obviously on different networks.
Tried TeamViewer and it wasnt very secure and requires input on both ends….
Use the built in Windows Remote Desktop?
Also, with a bit of configuration, TeamViewer is pretty quick and simple to use. It only requires input on both ends if connecting as a non-trusted user, or if the target machine is not associated with your account.
Your answer is missing a fair bit of information, as you can't just use RDP to connect to a machine on a completely different network.
he could setup a vpn at home which he would connect to and then be able to RDP.
I personally just use teamviewer. once you set it up properly, no input is needed from the remote end to setup a connection.
VPN would be a better solution. Configure it and then once he connects he can just use the RDP client to connect to the pcs.
Can you provide a quick walktrhough?
Basic steps:
You need a static IP to setup vpn once and never need to touch it again. There are DNS tools/sites you can use but they are a pain. Since the router is an optus one, it won't have vpn in built. Best to get yourself one that supports opensource firmware or a router that has vpn built in.
VPN is much better as it creates a secure tunnel to your home network. So when you join, it is like you're connected on the network at home. Once you're on the network, you can RDP straight into the pc, print to the home printer, etc. Anything you can do while you're on the network.
It doesn't sound like your friend has much knowledge so I'd just sign up to teamviewer and set it up to not ask for a password by using the account and just connect. No need to worry about static ip addresses or setting up vpn. It will be simpler.
Thanks, does that mean I need to call Optus to get a static IP?
I'm not sure if it's still a free feature, but TeamViewer used to have a 'setup my PC for unattended access' feature which would mean you could dial in any time you wanted without needing input on the other end.
Alternatively, if both PC's are running Win10 Pro then you can use the built in Remote Desktop functionality, but again you'll need to do some setting up on the destination PC.
runs a small IT business
Is your friend a 'client'? Hopefully we're not giving you answers that you should be able to work out yourself..
There are plenty of options. Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, TeamViewer, VNC (WinVNC, TightVNC, RealVNC), GoToMyPC, etc, etc etc.
does some work from home
Do you need it to be free? What kind of 'work' do you need it for?
Is it for:
Do they have static IP's set up? What routers are they using?
no the owner of the business (let's say, Accounting)
No static IPs setup.
Home PC is using standard Optus Home Net
Work PC using some Telstra whatever Business Internet
runs a small IT business
doesn't know how to set up Team Viewer, SSH, Tight VNC et al.
Team Viewer only requires input at both ends for initial config. I have it set up on family members machines and as long as they are powered on I can remotely control them.
Perhaps I should set up 'a small IT business'.
Was about to type similar, TeamViewer also supports AES 256-bit encryption, Two-factor authentication etc
So I don't know why its "not secure".
Maybe it is a medium IT enterprise then who knows how to setup an RDP?:) I can imagine that "small IT business" will discover a world of port forwarding on a home router after selecting a tool for remote connection!
VPN then RDP, don't do it without VPN.
Do you mean sign up for a VPN Software?
No I mean setup a VPN server at home which he can connect to from the office, this is of course assuming he has full control of the office firewall/internet access.
Anydesk works really well.
Surprised no one suggested Google Remote Desktop which requires near zero IT knowledge to set up and operate.
Ask a small IT business to set it up.
You can use a service like dyndns so he knows what to connect to.
Enable Remote desktop. Then it depends on router / optus modem to enable port forwarding to the computer.
Can also change ports to connect to to get less targeted..
Should be some guides online, otherwise use an app above.
Tried TeamViewer and it wasnt very secure and requires input on both ends….
They he set it up wrong. As you can control another end without anyones input on that side.
Yeah as others have said you can run teamviewer.
If he doesn’t know how to set it up I worry about his IT knowledge lol.
TeamViewer works well because you can login on both ends and the “different network” routing is handled by them. They have plenty of guides on how to set it up,
He should bring his home computer to work, tether it to his smart phone and test everything works,
That way he won’t have to worry about going back and forth.
I would suggest he actually pays for teamviewer. It’s a work expense and fully tax deductible.
It will also be useful for helping his clients
Thanks will try it.
PCAnywhere, on 56k dial up. Most secure ever.
We use TeamViewer everywhere, including all IT support and for work.
Could you elaborate why TeamViewer is not very secure?
Not sure if its what you're looking for, but I used to use tightVNC, there's also RealVNC as well (though I haven't tried it).