The remote access computer software I use – why I like it best
When I first thought about working from home so that I wouldn’t have to travel an hour one way by car to get to the office, remote access computer software wasn’t something I was ignorant of, but I hadn’t had any good experiences with it.
In a previous job, the company I worked for had used a program that I had had a lot of trouble setting up on my home computer and I’d never been able to reliably access a remote computer with it. It frustrated me, because it shouldn’t have been so hard to set up a stinkin’ remote access computer program! But that was the days of dial up internet, and it really was a horrible little software program. :)
What do I do when I have remote PC access to my work computer?
I use QuickBooks extensively. I actually thought of signing up to the QuickBooks remote access service but when I mentioned it to the computer guy that comes into the office to take care of our network and other technical issues, he suggested GoToMyPC because he had other clients that used it and they seemed very happy with it. I looked it up later and after reading about it, I was sure it would work for me way better than a piece of software that would just let me access one program on my work computer.
What I also learned was that there are different kinds of remote access services out there. Some are for simple access to single programs and some are true PC access software. Not only will these latter programs let you access documents on your PC, but they’ll let you run programs just as if you’re sitting in front of your other computer—it’s a real “remote access solution” (maybe I should say “remote desktop software or solution”?) that gives you the ability to remote access your work computer, home computer, or whatever computer you have set up. Click here to visit the GoToMyPC website.
The thing is, it’s a whole lot better if I can have remote mail access so I can write and send work email from my office computer, and access all my work documents without having to carry copies home.
Frankly, remote desktop software is exactly what I needed and how I use it today is a testament to that fact. I send a lot of email at work—especially when I’m not “at” work. I don’t want all that email following me home, and there’s something about being able to turn off the remote desktop connection I have with the work computer and leaving all those emails behind. :)
Home/work separation is always difficult for people who work from home, which I found out the hard way, and this makes it just a little easier. “Oops, I’m sorry, I wasn’t connected to the office computer after hours—I didn’t get that email.”
Since I’m fairly comfortable downloading and installing software on my own, I didn’t wait for the computer guy to install the program. This particular remote computer access program was a breeze to set up on the remote access host computer. My home computer set up was even easier—until I had to install my older/out-of-date HP laser printer. I should have expected that though because my printer isn’t even compatible with Vista (which runs on my home computer). I had to play around with it darn near forever just to get it installed and running when I bought a new computer and switched from XP to Vista. Anyway, I called their support and they walked me through the set up and I was immediately able to print anything from my office computer to my home computer just as if it was installed on the office network! Now that, my dears, was awesome. ;)
The thing is, remote access software works for me because it’s easy to use and easy to set up. I’m actually pretty good with computers when it comes to certain things, but networks and remote access setup aren’t one of my strengths by far. (My brother set up my home network for me and I’ll have to call him again if I have to get a new computer any time soon.)
I would never be comfortable trying to set up Windows Vista or XP, or any computer for that matter to use its own remote access technology stuff, so I rely on good software to do it for me. I don’t trust myself to set it up correctly or securely. Leaving your computer open to others is a risky proposition and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Go for something secure like I did and you’ll never worry about it. :)
Anyway, I think the program I use is probably the best remote computer access software out there right now and I’ve told a lot of people about it, including friends I’ve worked with. A couple of them use it now too and like it, so I know I’m not alone when I say it’s a true solution when you’re looking for a way to remotely access your computer from home, or anywhere else for that matter.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
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