Best Free Remote Access Software |Articleforever.co.nr

Introduction

Remote Access Software (RAS) allows a user to remotely administer another computer through a GUI (Graphical User Interface). RAS software usually falls into three categories: attended (someone must be present on the remote machine), unattended, and self-hosted RPC proxy servers (middleware for accessing firewall-protected networks). In this review, we are interested in the first and second categories.

There are also 2 different kinds of packages, those that are downloaded and run without requiring any installation and the other which is installed and either uninstalls at the end of the session or remains for future sessions. Unattended sessions would of course need to have the installed version to allow for connecting at any time in the future. I will explain the pros and cons of each type of session and the two categories.

Discussion

Let's first talk about the two different categories, attended and unattended. Attended is of course when there is a person sitting at the computer that you want to access. This is most likely a one-time session or when helping someone fix a problem where you will not be allowed to access it without the other person being present. This type of access is usually quicker to establish but also comes with fewer capabilities when compared to a fully installed software that runs as a service. Typically the process for establishing an attended session is simple. You ask the other person to download a small application which runs in their user session and has access to everything the user has rights to. From here the situation varies but usually requires that you and the other person exchange a small passcode either auto-generated or set by you. Once they initiate the session you are connected and able to request control of their mouse and keyboard. If the software is simply run and not installed there are typically some limitations like not handling multiple monitors or losing connection and having to start the process over because it doesn't have an auto-reconnect featrure. If the software installs then typically it falls under the 'unattended' category. There are more capabilities with an unattended solution but the trade-off is that the user needs to have authority on their computer to install software. Installed software also leaves behind a footprint although there are some that ask the other person upon completion of the session whether they would like to uninstall the software.

The fastest solution in the 'attended' category is Join.me. It's small 1 mb download and simple security code make it very quick to establish a remote session.

The next solution in this category is TeamViewer which has a larger download but ultimately has more features than Join.me. They also offer a run-only version of TeamViewer that does not require installation if you want to leave no footprint on the remote machine.

The last solution in this category is Mikogo. Mikogo is not the fastest nor is it the most reliable but it offers the most features of any of the solutions in this article. It is a full-featured solution comparable to the commercial Citrix GotoMeeting product with features like presenter switching, remote control, whiteboard sharing, file sharing and session recording.

The first and highest rated product in the 'unattended' category is LogMeIn. This is a web-based service that's extremely easy to set up and use and can be accessed from any PC with a browser. The free version won't allow file transfer or remote printing but is a great solution for accessing your remote data as well as file sharing. Registration is required before using the product. It is really meant to be an install and leave it kind of tool and not for the quick connect to help a friend scenario. I still very much believe that the features and speed of LogMeIn are unmet by any other product and worth the extra hassle if you have access to the other machine(s) or means to connect remotely and install it. It is free for personal and commercial use.

Next is TeamViewer. It is very reliable, allows both attended and unattended control and has great features. There is a portable version of the viewer if you want to use an application or they also have a web-based control site that requires no installation to remotely control computers. The web-based version uses HTML and Flash so it is usable even if the browser or firewall doesn't allow Java or ActiveX. TeamViewer is a commercial product and only allows you to use it for personal use. Any commercial use is prohibited by the TeamViewer use policy.

To sum everything up, you may need different tools to accommodate different situations. In my years of experience helping people solve computer issues remotely I use the best tool for the job. When speaking with a person that has no understanding of their computer and no idea of whether they are allowed or capable of installing software I use an attended, non-installing type of tool. Other times I may choose to get the person to install an unattended tool. Let the situation dictate the best tool but always have both available.