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jjones84

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Remote desktop without port forwarding on router?

Hello,

a friend of mine asked me if i can help him setting up his router so it forwards all the ports he needs.
And here is the problem: As long as port forwarding isnt set up i cant connect to his computer using VNC, remote desktop sharing, Netmeeting or whatever. Everything needs port forwarding.

Is there a way to access his desktop without having port forwarding set up?
If he has to install software, thats no problem. I just need access to his desktop to assist him :-(

Thanks alot.
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jgourley

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You can download and install a free utility called Hamachi from http://www.hamachi.cc   It is a very small utility you install on the remote and local machines to create a VPN (virtual private network) between the two sites. It is an encrypted tunnel that will give you added security which is especially important with VNC that does not use encryption with it's free version. Hamachi makes an out going connection from both systems to a third party server which operates like a telephone operator, and sets up the link. Once connected the server steps back from the connection. You are then free to connect to resources as you would on a single local network. Hamachi requires no ports be opened or forwarded which is an additional security advantage. You can easily run remote desktop or VNC through the secure tunnel.

Another option is to use a 3rd party service like Logmein   https://secure.logmein.com/go.asp?page=home  who offers a basic service for free.
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jjones84

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Thanks jgourley, that tool really worked like a charm!!
Another solution that is free and easy to use is logmein.com - just make sure to do the free version and you can log in from anywhere on the net like you are right there!
Thanks Keithaycn.  This looks like a free replacement to gotomypc.com  What's the catch?  Are there security issues?  Anything else to watch out for?
No catch really.  I've been using it for a year now for free, every once in a while they ask you if you want to upgrade to pro or try some new software, I click no and move on.  Seems very very secure, easy to use, and I have 10 computers hooked up to it.

Enjoy!
Great!  Thanks for the info.  Now I can kill my pay per month gotomypc account!