Question about accessing other PC's on my network

[mdzcpa]

Okay Network Gurus and System Admins here's a question. Can I access other computers on my network through some kind of remote terminal service in Win XP Pro? If so, how do i set this up?

What I'm trying to do is keep my home network intact but be able to do it with less monitors and KVM switches. I would like to be able to access my Folding rigs through the network and do away with the associated monitor, mouse and keyboard.

Can this be done? Are there limitations? Please be as detailed as possible. I'm dumb when it comes to this sort of thing:)

[WesM63]

Hey mike,
I know i'am not begin specific, but you can use termenal services with XP Pro. Not sure how to.. but you can. Another alternative would be network booting ;) 7 of 9 were disscussing this the other day in a thread, if i can find it i'll link it. Sorry about not begin specific, but i'll play w/it tonight and see what i can dig up.

Lee or 7 of 9 might be able to help more than I can.

Good Luck.

[TGC]

This is what I use Mike.... http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

[NorthernYankee]

This can be done very easily Mike, I do it this way. I will list it step-by-step to simplify the explanation.

Do these steps On each computer that you want to be able to connect to.

1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on System
3. Select the Remote Tab
4. In the Remote Desktop box, Check...Allow users to connect to this computer remotely.

5. No on your main computer that you will be using to Connect to the remote computers. Goto Start, Programs, accessories, Communications. and click on Remote Desktop connections.

6. Now when the Remote Connection Box opens Click on Options. Key in the remotes computers name(Browse will not work). Type in the Username and Password.

7. Now click connect and it should connect and bring up the desktop of the remote computer.

And thats it...after you get comfortable with the Remote Desktop you can fiddle with the other settings in the otions to allow you to speed up or increase quality of the connection. On a 10/100 network you should be able to turn on everything and still fel like you are not working remotely.

If you need any other help just ask away Mike.

--Rob

[NorthernYankee]

I just saw that while I was typing others were saying use VNC, you dont need it XP has the Remote connection Built in so you can save yourslef from using addon software.

--NY

[TGC]

Originally posted by NorthernYankee
I just saw that while I was typing others were saying use VNC, you dont need it XP has the Remote connection Built in so you can save yourslef from using addon software.

--NY


Interesting NY, is this only avaiable in XP, or does it exist in W2K as well? I don't have XP but a good portion of my systems are W2K the rest being *nix's.

[NorthernYankee]

I don't think 2k has it, I would have to look and see but I am 99% sure that XP is the only one with it.

--NY

[TGC]

Okay thanks NY, it would be a good solution as VNC is slow and has a tendency to drop the connection from time to time.

[mdzcpa]

BAM!

Man...that was easy:D. I have XP Pro on all systems so everything went smooth as silk and went just as NY described it. I now have access to the "farm" in the basement without dragging my ass down there...or cluttering things up with more monitors, keyboards, etc.

Heck...even the wife will be happier. Can't beat that:D

Thanks again guys:D

Now what's this about network booting?

[mdzcpa]

Oh...one more question. Is there any security concerns I should be aware of using Remote Desktop? All of the lan is behind my Linkysys Router.

[Gregorach]

Yeah, you can do this with Win2K - they just called it Terminal Services...

If you install Terminal Services on a Win2K machine (control panel | add remove programs | windows | yada yada - have your disk handy) you can then connect to it quite happily from an XP machine using Remote Desktop as described.

D

[Player0]

Mike, using remote desktop is safe as long as your behind a firewall. You can open the RD port on the firewall if you ever want to access the machines from outside, its pretty secure.

I use VNC at home though. Its smaller, and usually runs faster for me.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wow,.. this is looking like an elegant solution,..

I have two questions;

1) I have seen "Terminal services" somewhere,.. but I have never used Win2K. is this available to a Win98se machine,.. if installed from the Win98disk,. additional tools perhaps?? (my "farm" is WinXP and Win98se machines.

2) Once this is all set up,.. is there a way to use this on a PC with no mouse,. keyboard or video card??? can you get it to boot???

Currently I use two 4port KVMS to address 6 working crunchers,. including the main pc.

Very interesting reading.

[Synthohol]

Originally posted by CyberDyneSystems

2) Once this is all set up,.. is there a way to use this on a PC with no mouse,. keyboard or video card??? can you get it to boot???

Currently I use two 4port KVMS to address 6 working crunchers,. including the main pc.

Very interesting reading.

in the bios can you select halt on.. no errors?
if so, there is powertoys or tweakui to boot and log you in with no user intervention. kbrd and mouse no problem but if no video card results in a long beep with 3 short beeps (i think thats video error) upon boot, get a 10.00 card and just put it in for s****s and giggles. it does work, ive made print servers from cheap pc's for copiers at work. if you need more detail or links to tweak and stuff please let me know, i'd like to help!:)

<edit>for the 98 boxes you will need pc anywhere or the equivilant.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thanks Synthohol.

Oh I have boxes of $9.00 Matrox Millenium pci cards,.. was just thinking of getting away with zero cards for tighter shelf space lol :)

I wish I'd known about this before all the KVM wiring went in :doh:

I will have to experiment with this for sure.

[Player0]

CyberDyne, i dont think Win98 has a remote-desktop/terminal-services thing built in. Just go to realvnc.com and download that. It works just as good (and better in some cases). You can install this as a service, but you will still need a keyboard/mouse with the system I beleive.

[TGC]

Nope, no need for a keyboard or mouse with VNC, if the bios supports the "halt on no errors" option. I have 24 systems up and running here at home, consisting of Win98,W2K,Linux and BeOS machines, all run and controlled with VNC.

[mdzcpa]

Thanks again to all who responded:) Everything is working out great.

[Player0]

Really TGC? When I tried to use VNC on a system without a mouse, Windows was not displaying a mouse curser for me in VNC. I never tried removing a KB.

[WesM63]

hey guys,
It's possable to have terminal services in 98se. My machine at work has it, I use it to terminal into the servers and my cubical partners box to burn cd's.

I'am not shure how to install or where its at. But i'll ask tomorrow at work and let you know.

[wollo]

Wes,
Did you ever find out?

[Snowman]

Hi wollo Welcome to the boards :)

check out this site I think its what you are looking for

(edit fix link)

http://manta.cs.vt.edu/dotnetdevserver.htm

[wollo]

Thanks for that snowball

[notoriousformula]

:D Welcome :D to LN's Wollo