# Connecting Remotely to a PC **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959 "2010-10-22T00:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/1 "2010-10-22T00:17:17Z")
I’m setting up my parents pc so I can log in remotely and help them with support. I’m using PCAnyWhere. It’s similar to VNC. I’ve used PCAnyWhere for over ten years to connect to my office pc. That PC has a fixed IP. The setup isn’t a big deal. I never have to do anything except start PCAnyWhere. I’m pretty sure my folks pc doesn’t have a fixed IP. They are with Suddenlink. I’m with AT&T DSL and my IP changes anytime I reboot my DSL modem. Is there an easy way to connect without looking up the host pc’s (my parents) IP? I was going to setup speedtest in their favorites. It Displays the IP in the lower left, middle section. > **[Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test](https://www.speedtest.net/)** > > Use Speedtest on all your devices with our free desktop and mobile apps. But, that means: 1. explaining this to my folks. 2. Showing them the web site. Plus, 3. they’ll have to call me and 4. read off their IP so I can enter it and connect. Each time we want to do this. I’m hoping there is an easier way. I’m sure there’s other people helping their parents remotely besides me. My PC will always be the one connecting. There’s will always be the host. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/2 "2010-10-22T00:20:03Z")
Services like logmein do not require IP addresses to be aquired first. they maintain a connection to a logmein server to facilitate the link as needed regardless of IP. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/3 "2010-10-22T00:22:12Z")
or > **[BgInfo - Sysinternals](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/bginfo)** > > This fully-configurable program automatically generates desktop backgrounds that include important information about the system. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/4 "2010-10-22T00:42:25Z")
BgInfo sounds similar to ipconfig /all. Unfortunately, ipconfig only gives the ip assigned by my router. Not, the IP on the outside side of my network. But, the screen cap example for BgInfo shows an outside IP. IP’s inside the router usually start with 192.168.1.100 for linksys routers. I’ll give BgInfo a try just to see which IP it reports. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/5 "2010-10-22T00:49:05Z")
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**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/6 "2010-10-22T00:55:20Z")
Seconding the recommendation for LogMeIn or TeamViewer, with the edge to TeamViewer IMO for simplicity. They are free for personal use and don’t require knowledge of any computer’s IP address or NAT port forwarding. TeamViewer just requires your parents to run a small standalone program. The program provides an ID number and passcode they can read off to you over the phone. You just punch those numbers into the TeamViewer client on your computer and you are connected. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/7 "2010-10-22T01:01:01Z")
I’ve just started using [TeamViewer](http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx). I don’t have a lot of experience with it yet, but it couldn’t be easier to install, you can set computers up so you can log into them anytime, without needing someone there (as long as they’re powered up), and it’s free! What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/8 "2010-10-22T01:38:20Z")
[Copilot](https://www.copilot.com/) is dead simple (and free on weekends)—I use it to help my stepmom and grandparents remotely. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/9 "2010-10-22T02:39:28Z")
Doesn’t Remote Assistance work? I don’t know what versions of Windows you have, but I have XP and my business partner has Windows 7 and we still use it all the time. Google “Remote Assistance [your version of Windows]” ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/10 "2010-10-22T05:35:48Z")
[TeamViewer](http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/11 "2010-10-22T07:43:48Z")
Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop require setting up port forwarding and the like. This is likely beyond the OP’s parents. ---
**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/12 "2010-10-22T10:14:39Z")
Set up a dynamic DNS - like [http://www.dyndns.com/](http://www.dyndns.com/) Your folks’ router may have a setting to keep this updated automagically for them or it’s just a simple case of installing an app on their PC that will update the DNS each time their IP address changes. Then you can look them up by name rather than IP address. Quick, Easy, Painless. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/13 "2010-10-22T11:48:09Z")
Wow, several strong votes for Teamviewer. I’ll look into it today. The easier I can set this up the better. 😉 Thanks everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/14 "2010-10-22T12:50:48Z")
I use LogMeIn to do “tech support” on my Mom’s PC, and it works perfectly. I should check out TeamViewer though, looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/15 "2010-10-22T12:57:49Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’ve just started using [TeamViewer](http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx)…and it’s free! The lowest price on the Buy page is $749. But there’s a button on the linked page that says “Start Full version..free!” So what’s the catch? Is the free version limited somehow, like with an expiration date or a slower speed? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/16 "2010-10-22T13:22:08Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop require setting up port forwarding and the like. This is likely beyond the OP’s parents. Not Remote Assistance. You just turn it on somewhere, I think in the Windows Firewall, and it’s ready to go any time you send out a request. It’s made for exactly this situation. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/17 "2010-10-22T19:22:37Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > The lowest price on the Buy page is $749. But there’s a button on the linked page that says “Start Full version..free!” So what’s the catch? Is the free version limited somehow, like with an expiration date or a slower speed? No catch, the free versions is for personal use only. You only have to pay the license if you’re going to be using the software for commercial activities. In fact they won’t even sell you a personal license, though if you’re so inclined they’re more than happy to take donations (and will let you know that each time you close down the program). I personally found it so useful that I threw them $50. TeamViewer really rocks the party that rocks the party. ---
**Author:** ![falcotron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ab097/32.png) [@falcotron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/falcotron)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/18 "2010-10-22T23:43:33Z")
> [@Deflagration](#): > > Set up a dynamic DNS - like [http://www.dyndns.com/](http://www.dyndns.com/) > > Your folks’ router may have a setting to keep this updated automagically for them or it’s just a simple case of installing an app on their PC that will update the DNS each time their IP address changes. > > Then you can look them up by name rather than IP address. > > Quick, Easy, Painless. I second this recommendation. It’s how I access my home computers from work, and how I do “tech support” for my mother and my sister. I had to talk my mother through the dysdns setup on her router, but that took less than 5 minutes, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-remotely-to-a-pc/557959/19 "2010-10-23T01:04:00Z")
Thirded, and the OP can just continue to use PCAnywhere as normal.