# Remote access of computers
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 21, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744 "2020-01-21T13:56:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/1 "2020-01-21T13:56:22Z")
Does anyone have experience using a program to access another computer? I need to be able to access my mother’s computer remotely.
I don’t need to do this very frequently so I’d like a free program. We both have home editions of Windows 10. Her version doesn’t support remote access.
Any advice would be great!
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### Author:  [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/2 "2020-01-21T14:09:45Z")
I’ve used TeamViewer in the past for the same purpose, the problem is that in your typical home you’ve got 2 layers of firewalls to go through – your standard DSL/cable router won’t allow incoming connections unless you whitelist the target/port and set up port forwarding, and likewise with Windows itself. It helps to give your mom’s computer a static IP address. None of these are difficult tasks in and of themselves but if any of this configuration changes you’re dead in the water unless you can talk your mom through it. I think I was able to connect once this way and after my 3rd trip up there reconfiguring it all to work and then not being able to when the time came to actually use it I just gave up.
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### Author:  [@And\_his\_buzzer\_goes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_his_buzzer_goes)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/3 "2020-01-21T14:15:30Z")
Personally, I use [DWService](https://www.dwservice.net/en/overview.html), which is a free & open source alternative to teamviewer.
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### Author:  [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/4 "2020-01-21T14:16:08Z")
If you are willing to read documentation for a few minutes to understand the basics, [VNC](https://www.tightvnc.com/) will work and not create new vulnerabilities.
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/5 "2020-01-21T14:38:46Z")
Thanks for the quick replies. I didn’t mention this, but I am at my mom’s house now and have some time to set it up.
Thanks for the recommendations. I’ll start to look at them.
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### Author:  [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/6 "2020-01-21T21:34:06Z")
> [@Grave](#):
>
> If you are willing to read documentation for a few minutes to understand the basics, [VNC](https://www.tightvnc.com/) will work and not create new vulnerabilities.
I was going to suggest TightVNC for this. We have this set up for my girlfriend to access her brother’s work computer.
There is only one tricky part: you may need to enable “port forwarding” for the TightVNC ports on your mom’s router. There are descriptions on the TightVNC webpage, but you’ll want to access a “help” page for your mom’s particular router.
Secondly, once you get it set up, you’ll want to make sure you test it while you are NOT on your mom’s intRAnet (local network). You can either use your cell phone as a hotspot or go down to a Starbucks to use their wi-fi. (If you are on her local network, the TightVNC will work - but this doesn’t mean it will work when you access from “outside” her network).
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/7 "2020-01-22T04:32:08Z")
I like Teamviewer because it doesn’t require fiddling with the router and you can configure it so your mother has to launch it on her end and give you the password it provides for you to connect.
You can also configure it where you can connect at will if that’s what you need.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/8 "2020-01-22T04:47:10Z")
This may be too late, but I recommend _against_ using TeamViewer.
I used TeamViewer for years to help my aged parents, because the company says it’s free for non-commercial use, which mine decidedly was.
Then last summer TeamViewer suddenly sent me a message saying they had detected that I was using it for commercial purposes (I wasn’t) and shut my account down unless I bought a license for (I think) $50 a month. I tried to appeal, or even get an explanation, but got no response at all from them. On Googling, I found that they had done the same to many people.
So if you start using it, you may find at some time in the future that you’re shut out of it unless you pay lots of money.
I have since switched to [Remote Utilities](https://www.remoteutilities.com/), which I find quite satisfactory.
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### Author:  [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/9 "2020-01-22T05:05:23Z")
Would the tools at [https://remotedesktop.google.com/](https://remotedesktop.google.com/) suit your needs? I use it at work for remote access, but it also seems to have remote support stuff.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/10 "2020-01-22T13:55:41Z")
I meant to add that I have also used Chrome’s remote desktop, which is also pretty good, although not quite as full-featured as Remote Utilities.
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-access-of-computers/846744/11 "2020-01-26T19:51:56Z")
I want to thank everyone for your suggestions!
> [@leahcim](#):
>
> Would the tools at [https://remotedesktop.google.com/](https://remotedesktop.google.com/) suit your needs? I use it at work for remote access, but it also seems to have remote support stuff.
This actually is just what I needed!
I’m at my mother’s house and I wanted to set up something that I could talk her through on the phone and then be able to control her computer.
We tested it and it works. My mom was able to work her side. I can control her computer and she can do the steps needed.
Thanks again everyone!