Today, I had to be the computer tech guy in fixing a computer for my sister, she had all these pop-ups and spyware. I tried removing them with Ad-aware and Windows Defender, and SpyBot Search and Destroy, but apparently it didn't quite clean them all. So, I just got fed up and decided to reinstall her machine. I finally was able to install remote control software to control her machine so I can fix it remotely. I've been wanting to do this, but never really found the time to really complete the job. I tried to use Windows Remote Desktop which is included in Windows XP Professional (the host has to be running Windows XP but the client to remote control the host can be any Win95/98/2000/XP client), but it works on the LAN but not from outside, I have to either VPN or enter an external IP address. So, the solution that I finally got working was the following. Here are the steps, so if anybody else needs to do this, follow these steps.
1. Set an external hostname on the internet for your host computer
First, the host computer needs to be recognizable on the internet. It needs an external IP address and hostname. You can get an external hostname from DNS providers for free, I got one at Dyndns.org. You set up an account and add your host machine to the account. From the web browser, it will be able to detect the external IP address (which is the one sent to by your ISP, this is the IP address that is assigned to you when you have your DSL or cable modem connected to your router). You select the external hostname that you want.
2. Install client to manage your external hostname
Then you install a client on your host computer that manages the external IP address, ie. if your IP address changes, then you can still connect because your external hostname will automatically synchronize to it. Since I went with Dyndns.org, then I just downloaded their client.
3. Install remote control software on host
I decided to choose RealVNC which they have a version that is free. I installed it on the host machine as the server and configured it with authentication.
4. Forward ports on your router
Next, you need to take the port numbers that is selected for outgoing and for Java version of RealVNC from the server and put those in the port forwarding page on your router. In this way, when packets get sent to your hostname, they go to the router which then forwards it to your host computer.
5. Install remote control software on client
You then install the remote control software client portion on the machine that you want to use to connect to the host. In my case, I installed RealVNC client.
6. Test the remote connection
I then tested the remote connection with the RealVNC client to make sure that I could connect to the host machine.
So, that's it!
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