logmein.com - free remote desktop ANYWHERE in the world??

[Spud1]

first, the url.

www.logmein.com

I stumbled accross this website last week, and since then i've been using it every day. Basically what it does is lets you access your PC from anywhere in the world via your web browser - in a similar manner to remote desktop. You install a small piece of software on your computer at home, and then leave it switched on and connected to the internet. You can lock your pc/leave it on screensaver/whatever as long as it is switched on and has an account logged in.

Then you goto logmein.com, and login, select your PC from a list and a few seconds later you are at your desktop. It works via an activeX plugin (best way) or via a java applet, or if your browser is really locked down/obscure than a basic screenshot based html interface. From here you can do (almost) anything you would normally do on your home pc - browse the net, work, play simple games etc etc.

This is most useful for people stuck in an office IT job all day, where most PCs are locked down to some point - normally you can't ftp out of your company network, let along telnet or remote desktop. Logmein get's around that as it is all done through your browser on standard ports. It also gets around any monitoring that your IT team has - ie you can browse the net unrestricted and without fear of someone comign along and saying you have been posting on hexus all day instead of working - as far as they know you are simply logged on to logmein.com, that's it.

Performance wise it's similar to remote desktop when you use it over the internet, and it's affected by which plugin you use (activeX is fastest, java is predictable a bit poo, and html screenshots..well you need to be desperate )and your internet conncetion - but it is more than useable. My main use for it is to be able to telnet and ftp to my website/uni servers while I am at work, as I don't have access to those resources normally. It could also be great if you were away for whatever reason and need to get on your home pc to check a document or photo etc, simple to use

Best thing is that it's free..you get a free trial of the pro version when y ou sign up, but the only different really is that in the pro version you can transfer files to and from your PC - with the free version you can't. but it's simple enough to upload stuff from your main pc to an ftp/YSI/rapidshare or something.

I have probably explained it badly and have defo rambled on, but it's worth a look

[arthurleung]

Microsoft got the same stuff called TSAC (or Remote Desktop web connection for XP)
But I think the ActiveX plugin still use non-http traffic though.

[Splash]

Correct - also I'm always dubious of running a remote control server on my home rigs that is accesed through a 3rd party portal...

[badass]

I wouldn't trust this TBH.
The MS TS web connection downloads an Activex control thats more or less the Activex version of the Remote desktop client. It uses the same protocol, ports etc (TCP 3389 - MS RDP 5.0 IIRC)
You can change the port it uses though if you fancy it

[Moby-Dick]

I suspect surfcontrol etc have already catagorised this under proxy avoidance

its certainly where I'll be classifying it

[TiG]

It is pretty effective though, I've used it myself and can confirm it is very slick.

But i'm not using it to avoid HTML lock down etc. Its a last resort measure if other connection technologies fail.

TiG

[GDVS]

Correct - also I'm always dubious of running a remote control server on my home rigs that is accesed through a 3rd party portal...

Ditto. I have an SSL Explorer gateway into my home network but that's entirely run by me. Works pretty well too, even through our MS proxies.

[b0redom]

You can use TightVNC for connections to anything, and if you're really sensible (paranoid) you can force it to work over SSH tunnels to make sure it's secure. All free and all secure.

Tom

[eloquence]

I've used LogMeIn lots, and it's been stable and reliable.

It's a similar speed to the likes of TightVNC. TightVNC avoids having connections to a 3rd party, but on the other hand, LogMeIn can be handy for connecting to your work machine from home as well as vice-versa, and because it's via a 3rd party you're unlikely to have problems with firewalls.
The client works well enough in Firefox, too.

The best remote desktop stuff I've seen has got to be NX, but while there's windows clients, the server side is Linux-only... remote desktop is undeniably faster than LogMeIn (and has more features than the free version of LogMeIn), but if you don't have remote desktop, then LogMeIn is an easy way to get remote access working. TightVNC (or UltraVNC) is good, but they will generally require more configuration - LogMeIn really does make it stupidly easy (on the downside it makes it stupidly easy to leave a significant security hole if you have a weak password).

[b0redom]

...but if you need to access work from home on a regular basis, chances are you have an sshable bastion host or VPN. If I were looking after corp security and found someone had left a big hole open with this kind of software I'd do my nut....

Just my 2p.

Tom