Balzer
Cat Man Dew
join:2000-12-18
Tulsa
 ·Cox HSI
| Support X# of pc behind a router
I know that something like vnc is going to need to be on each pc and I will have to use something like dynamic DNS to be able to keep the same ip. but what app do i need on the "front end" to be able to connect to each pc. (this is a no budget project)
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"The wireless telegraph is not difficult to understand. The ordinary telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull the tail in New York, and it meows in Los Angeles. The wireless is the same, only without the cat." - Albert Einstein |
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SoonerAl
Old Enough To Know Better
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-23
Norman, OK
1 edit |  This is a help desk type function and/or a need to remotely access/control PCs in order to do updates, maintenance, remote file access, etc?
If the PCs are running Windows 7 Ultimate/Professional or Vista Ultimate/Business or XP Pro then Remote Desktop [RDC] host/server software is built-in and you can use RDC to connect to each PC. There is RDC client software built-in to Windows OS's and you can get RDC client software for Mac's and Linux boxes.
As you noted VNC is an option also. You would need to install VNC server on each PC you want to access/control and the VNC client on your PC. Natively VNC is not encrypted so running VNC through a VPN or SSH tunnel would get around that issue. UltraVNC includes an encryption plug-in.
»www.uvnc.com/features/encryption.html
For a help desk function look at the UltraVNC Single Click option for your users.
»www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html
TeamViewer is also an option although its only free for personal use. I use the free version to support a couple of sister-in-laws around town from home.
»www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx
If its for simple remote file access then a VPN or SSH tunnel works well. Please be a bit more specific about what you want to do.
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"When all else fails, read the instructions..."
MS-MVP Windows Desktop Experience |
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jimbopalmer
Tsar of all the Rushers
join:2008-06-02
Greenwood, MS
·Windjammer Cable
1 edit | reply to Balzer
If the question is How Do I VNC to multiple PCs behind NAT, I use twol techniques.
1) Add the local IP address to the Port forward, so 192.168.1.67 uses port 5967, and 192.168.1.167 uses port 6067
or
2) I use a IPSEC VPN to the site, (solves the security issues Al mentions) and VNC to the local IP address, not the public one.
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I tried to remain child-like, all I achieved was childish. |
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Balzer
Cat Man Dew
join:2000-12-18
Tulsa
·Cox HSI
| reply to SoonerAl
This is a help desk type function and/or a need to remotely access/control PCs in order to do updates, maintenance, remote file access, etc?
yes to all of the above
I need the able to remote in from my house and be able to see any one of the pcs at the remote site with and or with out any being at the pc.
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"The wireless telegraph is not difficult to understand. The ordinary telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull the tail in New York, and it meows in Los Angeles. The wireless is the same, only without the cat." - Albert Einstein |
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jp0469
JP
join:2000-12-13
Rochester, MA | reply to Balzer
You can accomplish this by using UltraVNC with the repeater add-on.
»www.uvnc.com/addons/repeater.html |
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SoonerAl
Old Enough To Know Better
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-23
Norman, OK
| reply to Balzer
said by Balzer  :This is a help desk type function and/or a need to remotely access/control PCs in order to do updates, maintenance, remote file access, etc? yes to all of the above I need the able to remote in from my house and be able to see any one of the pcs at the remote site with and or with out any being at the pc. So it comes down to what OS's the PCs you want to remotely access/control or provide help desk functions to are running and if these are on corporate networks or not. That would pretty much determine what methodology you use. This also presumes that if the remote PCs are behind any firewalls that you would have permission to either punch hole(s) in the firewall or get the network administrators to do that or if they require you to use a VPN or SSH tunnel to access their network. Again some that also depends on what program your using, ie. RDC, VNC, TeamViewer or other similar type programs.
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"When all else fails, read the instructions..."
MS-MVP Windows Desktop Experience |
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Balzer
Cat Man Dew
join:2000-12-18
Tulsa
·Cox HSI
| no corporate network, mostly vista and xp, yes i can poke holes in the firewall, wanting to use vnc but thinking i might to use ultra vnc due to vista. We will be the network admins in tulsa the site is in tn. does that help you narrow down what we need to do?
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"The wireless telegraph is not difficult to understand. The ordinary telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull the tail in New York, and it meows in Los Angeles. The wireless is the same, only without the cat." - Albert Einstein |
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cubbies
@comcast.net | reply to Balzer
Setup so each computer uses a diffrent port |
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stevekolbe
join:2009-11-05
Parkville, MD
| reply to Balzer
One problem with the above is that it's additional settings that have to be implemented and maintained.
If you are able to make a modest investment, consider a hardware appliance that is designed for this purpose. Check out Citrix's GoToAssist for an example...
If no investment is possible, my vote is a site-to-site VPN (hardware preferred) if available and access via RDP within the VPN.
Good luck!!
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Steve Kolbe, ANALYSYS
»www.analysys.net |
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Balzer
Cat Man Dew
join:2000-12-18
Tulsa | so a linux box running a vpn client at my house and the remote site, could i still use vnc? or would rdp be better? |
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SoonerAl
Old Enough To Know Better
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-23
Norman, OK
| said by Balzer :so a linux box running a vpn client at my house and the remote site, could i still use vnc? or would rdp be better? Either VNC or Remote Desktop [RDC] would work. Personally I have always had better response with RDC. Of course as noted earlier the PC host has to be running Windows 7 Ultimate/Professional or Vista Ultimate/Business or XP Pro in order to use RDC.
Presuming all of the PCs in question are at the same location behind the same firewall then I really think a VPN or SSH tunnel is the way to go. Some advantages are...
* Access to all of the PCs with either VNC or RDC through one hole in the firewall. No need to open multiple holes.
* Strong authentication using either certificates or a private/public key pair protected by a strong password.
In your situation, ie. "no budget" = zero budget to do this, I recommend SSH. You can setup a free SSH server on one PC at the site and use a free SSH client like PuTTY for remote login and to setup the tunnel. All VNC or RDC traffic can be forwarded through the tunnel. The SSH server PC would need to be on 24/7 in order for you to reach the other PCs but that should not be a big deal. Look at copSSH and PuTTY.
»www.itefix.no/i2/node/27
»www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
Securing SSH...
»theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/S···sta.html
Forwarding RDC with PuTTY through a SSH tunnel. Modify as needed for VNC...
»theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/S···SSH.html
The BBR VPN forum for additional help...
»Virtual Private Networking
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"When all else fails, read the instructions..."
MS-MVP Windows Desktop Experience |
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stevekolbe
join:2009-11-05
Parkville, MD
| reply to Balzer
said by Balzer :so a linux box running a vpn client at my house and the remote site, could i still use vnc? or would rdp be better? Balzer,
Let me say in advance that I am a fan of many open source solutions. We for example use a great open source solution for our website CMS at »www.analysys.net and we have many open source operating systems doing important things in our data center operations.
Okay, that having been said...
I recognize in advance that this may instigate a firestorm of criticism from open source advocates, but when one is implementing a system in a corporate scenario where service level, uptime, etc are critical, and especially where we are talking about the technology that allows support professionals to do their work, I am a fan of simplicity. The above would work, but I recommend a hardware-based appliance if possible. The cost in time to the employer (or your own time if you are self-employed) to specify, acquire, configure, and maintain a software based open source system to support a small office will most likely exceed that of the cost of an appliance designed to do the same thing... and you will have many more moving parts which increases your support overhead.
Check out the sonicwall tz series firewalls for example. They include an SSL VPN which would service the connection to VNC or RDP. All up, it would probably set you back less than $500.
»store.analysys.net/ssproduct.asp···13351994
»www.sonicwall.com/us/products/TZ_200.html
Hope this helps!!
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Steve Kolbe, ANALYSYS
»www.analysys.net |
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tomdlgns
join:2003-03-21
Chicago, IL
| www.logmein.com
free remote desktop, no port config, no firewall config, nothing...
you login, and in one web page, you see all the computers you need to manage.
VNC is good for LAN and your house PC where you can easily access the firewall/router, etc...
for customers that i do work for, i dont bother with VNC.
www.logmein.com all the way. |
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stevekolbe
join:2009-11-05
Parkville, MD
| said by tomdlgns :www.logmein.com free remote desktop, no port config, no firewall config, nothing... you login, and in one web page, you see all the computers you need to manage. VNC is good for LAN and your house PC where you can easily access the firewall/router, etc... for customers that i do work for, i dont bother with VNC. www.logmein.com all the way. I'll second that - for small networks, LogMeIn is awesome. Take a look also at Citrix GoToAssist for a similar service that is angled toward service providers.
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Steve Kolbe, ANALYSYS
»www.analysys.net |
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