VNC

A program was released by AT&T research labs called VNC (Virtual Network Computing). VNC allows you to remote control another computer over the Internet. It is very easy to use, and best of all, it's FREE. The only prerequisite is that both computers need to have an active connection to the Internet.

There are two components to VNC: the server and the viewer. The server refers to the computer that you want to control. The viewer is the computer that you will use to view the screen of the server.

Step 1: Download & Install the VNC Server

VNC is available for most current operating systems, including Windows and Linux.

Perform the following the computer you want to control (the server):
Click here to download the VNC program. Choose OPEN or RUN when asked.

Once it is downloaded, Install the program.  The install program will ask you a series of questions, just take the default answers and keep hitting next.
The install will pause at a "server properties" dialog box where you should click on the button that says "Set Password".  Make it something that only you will know -- you certainly don't want unwanted hackers gaining access to your computer!

Click on OK. VNC will now be running in the background (you may see a little VNC icon in your system tray, next to the clock).

*If you have a firewall router at your place of business and wish to create a port forward for the VNC server, the port that VNC uses by default is 5900. If you wish to change this port, click on the "Connections" tab in the VNC Server dialog box. (you may need the help of your system administrator to create a port forward.)

Step 2: Your IP Address

Now, you will need to know what your IP address is. An IP address is a sequence of numbers that identifies your computer on the Internet. Every Internet-connected computer has a unique Internet address. Use the steps below to figure out what your IP address is, and write it down. We'll need it later when you want to use the remote control software.

Find your IP Address:

1. Go to the website: http://www.IPCHICKEN.COM
2.  
3. An IP Address will display on the page. Write down the IP Address -- it should consist of four numbers separated by periods, i.e. 152.16.85.201

Your computer is now ready to be controlled!

Step 3: Remote Controlling your Computer

These steps must be done on your viewing computer (that is, the computer that will do the controlling):

You will need to download the VNC viewer program. Click HERE to download it  Save it to your desktop.

VNC Viewer

A connection screen will immediately pop-up. Here's where we'll need

• The IP address you wrote down in step 1
• The "port number" (if any) that you used when setting the VNC configuration in step 1, the default is 5900.

In the connection details box, type in your IP Address, followed by a colon (:), followed by the number you used in Step 2 - if you did not use a port, then leave the colon and number off. In my case, my IP Address is 10.131.89.166, and the port number I chose was 50, so I will type in 10.131.89.166:50 (see figure 2).

Figure 2

Click on OK -- a password box will soon pop-up. Type in the password you set in step 2. Wait a few seconds, and you should see the screen of your server computer! Go ahead -- try moving the mouse, opening some programs, even checking the company network. Everything you do is being echoed on the computer you are remote-controlling.

If you are having problems connecting, make sure that both your client and server computers are actively connected to the Internet. If you still have problems, try the VNC Manuals.

Web Browser Control

Now for some real fun -- if you have a Java-capable web browser (i.e. Netscape or Internet Explorer), you can remote control your server using just your web browser! Here's how:

Open up your web browser.
In the Location field, type http:// followed by the IP address of your server, followed by a colon (:) followed by the number 5800.   For instance, I would type in http://10.131.89.166:5800

You should then be prompted for your password -- type it in, and you will see your server's screen, right in the web browser!

Final Thoughts

VNC is a snazzy piece of software that can be very helpful. It was developed by AT&T Labs, and they have released it for free, which is very nice of them. New and improved versions come out every few months, so check with their web page periodically for upgrades.