Alternative to Logmein.com?

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1

I’ve been using logmein.com now for approx the past 2 years or so and it’s always worked great. Nice when you need to do something on your home computer while at work/at a lab/family or friends house/etc.

lately it’s been really flaky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t… more often than not, it doesn’t work. It’ll tell me that the computer is in session, when it’s not and usually requires a few re-starts to get it working again (a problem if you’re not AT the computer). This is on XP and Vista… both native and VM’s. I thought it maybe had something to do with the new modem/router from verizon, but the fact that it works “sometimes” makes me kind of doubt that.

Do you know of any good FREE alternatives? It has to be browser based and cross platform for obvious reasons.

2

I’ve always just used Microsoft’s remote desktop, but that won’t work on a Mac. I don’t know anyone with a Mac though so it’s not an issue for me.

There’s also teamviewer, but again, not browser based.

3

I use remote desktop and a free dynamic DNS service…or run some VNC service and dynamic DNS.

4

well, it will be on a PC (the server software) but need to access it from a variety of desktops (linux/os/windows). Logmein worked great but stupid thing wont work right

5

they make remote desktop clients for macosx and linux…

6

I’ve heard that you can run a VNC client, then just call the IP addy:port to control it but found VNC to be a little more cumbersome (not exactly fast)

edit: Yeah, I know… but I don’t want to have to ask the owner of the machine to install software to run it or computers with limited administrative privileges

7

Hamachi VPN. Free and can create a small private network of computers that use their servers to connect to so you can penetrate firewalls.

8

Remote desktop over here.

9

i have been using logmein on my dell for a while and have noticed its getting really shifty lately.

i use cord on my mac and hate it, i need to find a better solution.

10

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx

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11

I used logmein for a long time until I faced similar technical issues with it. Hence, I have switched over to GoSupportNow remote support tool. It works on both MAC and Windows.

12

What do you think the chances are that davidjeffrey works for GoSupportNow?

13

Microsoft RDP for mac, or you could use CORD as an alternate for mac. CORD is great when it works, the newer versions are kinda buggy though.
Open 3389 for the IP of the computer you want to hit via RDP and then use a dynamic DNS service.

14

Just heads up CoRD for Mac won’t work on systems with NLA network level access enabled.

NLA is a security feature MS added that allows a login/password prompt instead of the standard desktop login window

If you use the CoRD on a system with NLA it won’t connect and time out

15

The newest M$ RDP Client for mac works GREAT. Leapyears better than the old shit. Grad it from the Mac App Store.

16

Do you find many places using NLA? Some of your stories make me cringe, the lack of security out there in the wild.

17

Some of the biggest companies are the biggest offenders of basic security principles.

18

Makes sense, especially since they probably started off on the wrong foot and to correct things after the fact is a major undertaking. They’ll wait till a big problem hits to take it serious…then LZ makes bank on their foolishness. hahaha :slight_smile:

19

Yea the sweet spot seems to be companies over 500 people who make a good profit but smaller than 5000.

Big companies end up with a lot of fucked up stuff from acquisitions and weird reporting structures so dome departments do whatever they want.

Smaller than 500 usually has a hard time justifying money/time on security

20

If the remote machine is windows, it is honestly stupid to not use Microsoft’s own remote desktop. It is far superior than anything, forward a non-standard port to 3389 on your router (or even better setup a VPN) then use just RDP Client in windows, mac or iOS. On linux use freerdp.org client since it has support for the newer protocols.