There are a lot of programs for organizing remote access. There are paid and free programs, there are programs for different operating systems. It is clear that in this article we will not be able to consider everything at once, but we will talk about the most interesting of them, and most importantly, we will understand what is more effective for a particular task.

Radmin (shareware)

About ten years ago, the most popular program for remote access was Radmin, it still exists (www.radmin.ru) - it has not gone anywhere during this time. Let's start the review with it.

The program consists of two parts: Server and Viewer. The first one runs on a remote computer (or remote computers), and the second one runs on your computer and is used to connect to the remote machines that you are going to configure. On the developers' website you can download both the complete set and individual components. There is also a portable version of Viewer that works without installation, and a version of Radmin Server 3.5 NTI - this is a special version without a tray icon, that is, the user of a remote computer will not know that Radmin is installed on it until you start managing his computer.

I will note the key features: support for Windows 8 32/64 bit, support for switching user sessions in Windows XP/Vista/7/8, compatibility with Wine (Radmin can organize remote access to a PC running Linux via Wine), Telnet support, remote PC shutdown , Radmin server scanner (allows you to find all the PCs that you can manage on your network), file transfer between Server and Viewer.

Conclusions:

• The program's functionality includes its own authentication, voice chat support, and the ability to transfer files. Everything is very convenient.
• Due to the fact that Server is installed on the remote computer, the presence of the user is not required, as in other similar programs. For example, you can administer the remote PCs of your colleagues when they go to lunch. In other similar programs, it is necessary either for the user to allow the connection, or for the user to provide you with a password, which is generated automatically with each communication session.
• Low system requirements, the program does not load the processor at all, which is especially important for my old laptop with an AMD processor, which gets hot like an iron - it acted as a “remote” computer.
• Just running Server is not enough; you also need to configure it.
• Many users love TeamViewer not for its functionality, but because it does not require any special ports (it uses port 80 by default) and does not require any firewall settings. Radmin Server uses port 4899, and it will not be possible to run it without setting up a firewall.
• No mobile clients.
• Does not support other OS.

TeamViewer (freeware)

Nowadays, TeamViewer is probably the most popular remote access program. You can download its full version from www.teamviewer.com/ru and not pay a penny. For non-commercial use the program is absolutely free.

TeamViewer pleases with support for Windows, OS X, Linux, which was so lacking in Radmin. There are also mobile clients for Android, iPad/iPhone: you can control a remote computer from your iPhone. There is also a Portable version of the program for Windows, which is very useful for infrequent use of the program, and the Portable version can be run both on the “server” and on the “client”, unlike Radmin, where you can only run the client (Viewer) without installation, but the “server” part must be installed.

After starting the program, you will see the main TeamViewer window and the “Computers and Contacts” window (Fig. 4). If you plan to help all your relatives and colleagues at once, you can click the “Register” button, create an account, and then in this window you will see all the numerous computers that you have set up.

Now let's figure out what is what. If you need to connect to your computer, then you must provide the remote party with your ID (in this case 969 930 547) and password (8229). How to communicate, decide for yourself - you can copy and transmit these values ​​via Skype, ICQ, email, SMS, or simply dictate over the phone. This password changes every time the program is started. If the program is installed on your computer, you can make a permanent personal password, but I do not recommend it: the password can be compromised and then anyone can connect to your computer.

If you need to connect to a remote computer, then you need to enter the ID of the remote party (in this case 411108007) and click the “Connect to partner” button, after which the program will ask you to enter the password that you received from the remote party. That's all - in the window that appears, you can configure the remote computer (Fig. 5).

You've probably already noticed the main difference from Radmin: you need to give the password to the person setting up the computer, but in Radmin the password is specified when creating a user account. In other words, the user must be present at the computer. The question is, how can you organize a home office when you want to access your work computer from home, for example, at night? Everything is very simple. You need to organize TeamViewer autostart (for example, add it to the “Startup” group or register it in the registry in the Run key) and set a “Personal password”. Please note that you cannot set a personal password if the program is not installed on your computer, but is launched without installation.

There is one more program you should know about: TeamViewer Host. It runs as a system service and is used for 24/7 access to a remote computer, including logging in/out. It turns out that TeamViewer Host allows you to organize a terminal server, and it supports an unlimited number of clients for one server (the number of clients is limited only by the computing capabilities of your computer). It should also be noted that to install TeamViewer Host you need administrator rights, which are not always available, so in most cases you will still use regular TeamViewer. However, if you need to set up just one computer (or simply organize remote access to it, say, from home), then TeamViewer Host is not needed. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that if a regular TeamViewer (not Host) is running on computer A, then computers B, C, D (the number three is given as an example) can connect to it for joint administration. Another thing is that it is necessary to coordinate the actions of administrators, since the keyboard and mouse are shared, but one can configure, the rest will observe.

Like Radmin, TeamViewer allows you to exchange files, voice and text messages, as well as remotely reboot the computer (the required command is in the “Actions” menu, see Fig. 5; simply rebooting the computer is not enough - because then the TeamViewer communication session will not be established, reboot When setting up a computer, you only need to use the “Actions” menu).

Conclusions:

• Simplicity (the program is simpler than Radmin - a huge advantage for untrained users who will have to install it on the remote side).
• The program does not require installation at all: both on the client and on the server. Installation is optional.
• It works through port 80 (and some additional ports), so it does not require firewall configuration.
• Availability of versions for other OS.
• Availability of mobile clients for Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8 (that is, you can control a remote computer directly from your iPad).
• Possibility of organizing interactive conferences (up to 25 participants).
• Does not require administrator rights for remote access.
• It loads the processor noticeably more than Radmin, my old laptop even overheated and turned off.
• Although there are mobile clients, they are not very convenient (however, this is better than nothing).

Royal TS (shareware)

Once upon a time there was such a program - mRemote. I don’t know what happened there, but the mRemote project was closed, and the developers went and created another project - Royal TS. On the site you will find versions for Windows, OS X and iOS (can be run from iPhone and iPad).

In Royal TS, before creating a connection, you need to create a document, that is, one connection = one document. Royal TS documents are a very convenient thing; they can be transferred as regular files, for example to another admin. He will be able to open such a document and immediately connect to a remote computer without having to create a connection manually. The shareware version has a limit on the number of simultaneously open documents - ten. As for me, this is quite enough for non-commercial use of the program, so in practice you won’t even notice that you are missing something (unless, of course, you remotely administer a huge network of computers).

First of all, it must be said that this program is radically different from Radmin and TeamViewer. Both of these programs combine the functionality of both server and client (in the case of Radmin, the server and client are different programs, in the case of TeamViewer they are the same program). In other words, on one of the computers you can install Radmin Server or TeamViewer, and on the other you can use Radmin Viewer or TeamViewer, respectively, to connect to this remote computer. So, Royal TS is something like Radmin Viewer, that is, a program for connecting to a remote server, but you will have to create the server yourself. How you do it is your problem. Royal TS will not help you create such a server, but only let you connect to it.

Among the protocols for connecting to a remote server that Royal TS supports: RDP, Telnet, SSH, Citrix, VNC. The RDP/Telnet/SSH and other servers themselves will have to be configured independently.

On the one hand, this is beyond the scope of the article, on the other hand, it would be incomplete if I did not give an example of setting up at least one of the servers that Royal TS supports. SSH/Telnet servers, I think, will not be very interesting to the reader. I want something graphic. Let's say we have Linux (Ubuntu or its clone) and need to configure a VNC server. To do this, first install the VNC server with the command:

Sudo apt-get install vnc4server

After that, you need to run it - for the first time without parameters:

Sudo vnc4server

When running the sudo vnc4server command, you need to enter a password that will be used to connect to this VNC server. The password itself will be saved in $HOME/.vnc/passwd. I won’t say another word - there is man :). After the first launch, you need to launch vnc4server, specifying the screen number:

Sudo vnc4server:3

Next, in Royal TS you need to create a new document (on the File tab), then go to the Edit tab and click the VNC button. In the window that appears (Fig. 7), you need to enter the display name (Display Name) - in our case: 3, the IP address of the VNC server and specify the port number (usually 5900). The password will be requested when connecting to the server.

Conclusions:

• A universal client for connecting to a remote server using various protocols.
• There are versions for Windows, OS X and iOS.
• It is impossible to organize remote access using Royal TS alone; additional programs are needed.
• Not suitable for remote configuration of computers for inexperienced users - they simply will not be able to configure the necessary remote access services.

Supremo: free and simple (freeware)

Let's analyze the situation. If you don’t like TeamViewer or cannot use it for some reason (including the need to purchase a license for commercial use), and Radmin is also not suitable for some reason, then you will have to look for analogues. Since the article is about simple and free programs, then the following program must be: a) free; b) simple. This is the Supremo program, which can be downloaded from the website.

The program (Fig. 8) was created “in the image and likeness” of TeamViewer. It does not require installation, its operating principle is the same as that of TeamViewer, it even uses the same terminology (this is me regarding the partner ID and other inscriptions in the program interface).

The computer you are setting up and the support technician's computer must be running Windows only. Multiple editions of Windows are supported, including Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Nothing has been said about support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 on the official website yet.

The algorithm for using it is simple: you need to run the program on both computers, then ask the remote party for its ID and password, and then click the “Connect” button. Before this, the remote party must press the “Start” button, otherwise the connection will not be allowed. Perhaps this is the only difference from TeamViewer.

To make the review more complete, let's go to the program settings (Tools -> Options). In the “Security” section (Fig. 9), you can configure automatic launch of the program, specify a password for remote connections, and indicate which IDs are allowed to connect to your computer.

In the “Connection” section (Fig. 10), you can specify the parameters of the proxy server, if it is present on your network.

In addition to its direct purpose, namely remote computer control, the program can be used to exchange files. To exchange files (which is possible in two directions - both downloading and uploading) simply use drag & drop.

Conclusions:

• Easy to use.
• No installation required.
• Ability to transfer files.
• Chat option.
• Does not require firewall configuration (uses HTTPS/SSL).
• There is no support for operating systems other than Windows.
• No mobile clients.

LogMeIn (freeware)

Let's consider another useful program - LogMeIn (Fig. 11). The purpose of this program is the same as all the others discussed in this article - remote access. On the website logmein.com you will find several similar products, but we are primarily interested in the LogMeIn Free product. Its capabilities are quite sufficient for most purposes: access to a computer running Windows or OS X, remote control and viewing of the desktop, copying and pasting data between computers, reboot function, chat, support for multiple monitors, intrusion detection via SSL/TLS protocol, etc. requires configuration of firewall settings, does not require administrator rights on the remote computer.

Personally, I liked the functions of copying and pasting data between computers, as well as the reboot function: during the process of setting up the computer, sometimes you need to reboot it, after which the remote access session will be automatically restored, which is very convenient.

Unlike the Free version, the Pro version supports file transfer between computers, HD video, dragging and dropping files between computers and several other functions that are hardly worth paying almost 53 euros per year - that’s what the Pro version costs. A comparison of these two versions, as well as the OS X version, can be read at: https://secure.logmein.com/comparisonchart/comparisonFPP.aspx.

The way this program works is slightly different from TeamViewer and similar programs. It's a little more complicated, but apparently this is how the LogMeIn developers determine who uses the program and for what purposes. In the main window, select “from Mac or PC” and then you will see the sequence of actions that need to be performed to give another user access to this computer (Fig. 12). Grandfather and grandmother will definitely get confused and not appreciate it. You can’t do without registering on logmein.com; although it is free, in terms of convenience it is completely unnecessary.

There is, however, a simpler way - anonymous access through a browser. Quite an interesting feature that is not found in other similar programs. The point is this: a user who wants you to set up his computer creates an invitation link, then sends it to you in any convenient way (by email, Skype, and so on). The invitation link is valid for a certain time (the time is set by the remote user), even if someone spies on the link, he is unlikely to be able to use it after the expiration date.

Let's look at how to create an invitation and how to use it. The Desktop Sharing section displays your current invitations. By clicking the “Send invitation” button, you can generate that same link. The New Invitation Wizard allows you to determine the duration of the invitation and how you want to send the invitation (you can send an email with a link, or you can simply receive a link and send it manually).

Then this link needs to be sent to the person who will be setting up the computer. When he copies it into the browser and opens it, he will see a screen similar to the one shown in Fig. 13. To continue, click the “Continue” button. After which the user who sent the link will receive two requests sequentially. The first request is a request to allow access to the guest, the second request is to grant access rights (Fig. 20). The guest can either fully control the computer, or only view the desktop without control.

Conclusions:

• Does not require administrator rights.
• Does not require firewall configuration.
• Ability to use a browser for remote control.
• Mobile clients.
• A somewhat unusual operating principle.

Mosh (mobile shell): a good alternative for SSH

Mosh can also be used for remote console access (that is, you can execute commands remotely and see their results). The main advantage of Mosh over SSH is the ability to roam, that is, change the network on the client machine, which is useful on the road when the network can change (now it is cellular, in a few minutes - Wi-Fi, while the IP changes, but the connection remains). Frequently traveling admins will appreciate this. But there is one big drawback: Mosh will not connect to a regular SSH server, which means you will have to install Mosh on the server. But Mosh does not work as a daemon, like SSH, but as a regular program, that is, root access is not required to run it. Mosh is available for many Linux and BSD distributions, OS X, iOS (as part of the popular iSSH client) and Android.

UltraVNC/RealVNC

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a system for remote access to a computer desktop using the RFB (Remote FrameBuffer) protocol. Previously, it was shown how to organize a VNC server in Linux; in Windows, such a server can be created using the UltraVNC or RealVNC programs. The UltraVNC program is similar to RealVNC, but has additional features such as encrypting the connection between the client and the server, the Java Viewer module (access to a remote PC through a Java-enabled browser) and others. Although RealVNC has a VNC Viewer plugin for Google Chrome, so there is no need for Java Viewer. As already noted, the programs are largely similar, so in this article we will only consider UltraVNC.

When installing UltraVNC, it is possible to install both a VNC server and a VNC client. If you don’t need remote access to your computer, you don’t need to install a VNC server. When installing a VNC server, you will be able to configure it to run as a system service, but this requires administrator rights. The RFB protocol that VNC uses typically uses ports 5900–5906. Therefore, to connect via VNC you need to configure a firewall, otherwise it will kill the connection.

To connect to the VNC server, use the UltraVNC Viewer program. The program is universal, and you can use it to connect to any VNC server, not just the one running UltraVNC Server. Similarly, you can connect to a server created by the UltraVNC Server program using the RoyalTS program or any other VNC client.

A few words about how it all works. First, launch the UltraVNC Edit Settings program and on the Security tab set a password to access the VNC server, then you need to launch the UltraVNC Server program. Then, on another computer, launch UltraVNC Viewer (Fig. 14) and enter the IP of the computer on which the VNC server is installed, and click the Connect button.

Conclusions:

• You need administrator rights, you need to configure a firewall.
• The same protocol can be used to control Windows, OS X and Linux, but these are the advantages not of a specific program, but of VNC itself.

SSH access

SSH remains the classic of remote access. It would seem, what else can you come up with here? Well, for example, what to do if you have a lot of remote machines? Should I register aliases for each? There are special utilities that allow you to quickly switch between machines. One such manager in Linux is Gnome Connection Manager. The program is very convenient, we highly recommend it. On Windows, AutoPuTTY is used for this purpose - a shell for the popular SSH/Telnet client PuTTY, which can be downloaded from: http://www.r4dius.net/autoputty/. There is a similar SSH connection manager for OS X -Shuttle. For mobile platforms, you can use mobile SSH clients - Prompt (iOS) and ConnectBot (Android). You can easily find links and screenshots on the Internet.

Ammyy Admin (freeware)

Ammyy Admin is another program for remote desktop access. The good thing about the program is that it is absolutely free, completely undemanding in terms of resources (the executable file generally takes up a ridiculous 700 KB), allows you to organize both regular remote access to the desktop and a remote office-style connection, and does not require installing or changing firewall settings. You can find out about the rest of the program's features on the developers' website.

AnywhereTS (freeware)

Allows you to convert computers into thin clients. The main purpose of this program is not remote access for technical support reasons, as in all previously described programs, although it can also be used for this. AnywareTS allows you to give a second life to old computers that will be used as thin clients - connect to a server that will run programs that are physically impossible to run on old PCs. You will find detailed information about this program on the developers' website.

Remote access in Windows 8

This review would not be complete if we did not consider the capabilities of the OS itself. On the “server” (that is, on the computer to which remote access is planned), you need to perform the following steps:

• Run SystemPropertiesRemote.exe.
• Enable the "Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer" checkbox.
• Turn on the “Allow remote connections to this computer” switch and click the “Apply” button.
• If you are using energy saving mode, you need to configure your computer so that it never goes into sleep mode.

On your computer, use the Remote Desktop Connection application to connect to a remote computer.

Google Hangouts: screen sharing and video conferencing

As a last resort, you can use a new service from Google - Hangouts. It allows you to host video meetings, during which users can share their screen with each other. If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with this service yourself.

Instead of a conclusion

There are a lot of programs for remote access. As I hope I have shown, the most familiar tool is not always the most effective. You need to build on the conditions of a specific task, target platforms and other factors. I hope that now I have finally cleared up the whole picture of remote access in your head. All suggestions and wishes can be sent to [email protected].