URGENT: Need to access a program from my local computer through my laptop which is setup on a network.

Hi Worldsplayground,

I know you said you do not want to use Remote Desktop - is there a reason for that?

The only reason I ask is because I do a very similar thing with RealVNC when out onsite with my laptop to connect to my home PC and run an application

-red

Dear Worldsplayground,
You may check these tools like www.gotomypc.com or www.logmein.com

If you want to know more about gotomypc then check the below link to know about how it works
https://www.gotomypc.com/howItWorks.tmpl?SessionInfo=144610034:10E1E656E09033B


Cheers!
Inba

I find with Remote Desktop, it locks the HP at home, so then my wife, can't access her files or documents and then when I finish with Remote Desktop, all my display settings on the HP computer are altered.

I was also told that by using Remote Desktop, it chews up my wireless download usage with my internet provider on the wireless Optus Card.  This is why I don't want to use Remote Desktop.

Fair enough, I was just checking to see if it was a problem with the method or the delivery.

RealVNC does not have those problems, although it will be as if you are directly infront of your machine - so your wife will not be able to use it at the same time.  However, it will not mess with the display settings (and she will still be able to see the screen, which is more than gotomypc will do)

Any of the VNC flavours will work for you - I use RealVNC, but that is a habit.  There is a free version too - http://www.realvnc.com

-red

You may check gotomypc. It is very secure . But it is not free

Well...  Remote Desktop should not affect the profile, but if this is the case, you can create a separate profile just to use when terminaling into your home system...  This would certainly not affect the current profile you use when at home..

As far as bandwidth is concerned, these are just screen shots of the remote desktop...  it does not matter what type of client / server you use, it is all the same more or less...  some require more, some less..  Citrix probably does the best job of this, but is expensive and not something you could use here...  But I think that the differences are minimal unless you plan to stay on indefinitely..

JMHO...

Is there no other way apart from using REALVNC or GOTOMYPC.

Couldn't I just set it up as a network - or am I pushing my luck.

With GoTOMYPC - if I am using it does it lock out my wife from accessing the files on the HP?

What other way would you like?

What would be your idea scenario?

You could, theoretically, install the accounting software on your machine - VPN to your home machine - and then run the software from your laptop, accessing the files from your desktop at home via the VPN.

This will obviously take longer to set up, but is entirely possible

-red

I am not sure whether it locks to remote end when someone connects to it. Probably yoy may check it as it is free for 30 days.

Red, that is the way I want to go!

I am not interested and paying the dollars to access my PC.  I would rather set it up so that I can simply access the files from my desktop at HOME.  What are the steps that I have to take.

Thank you to inbarasan - if all else fails with VPN i might take the 30 day trial.

You say you have a VPN configured already.

Does that work?  Can you connect to it?  Once connected, can you ping your home computer?  If you can ping your home computer, can you access \\computername\c$ ?

-red

I can ping outside, I can't seem to ping my home computer.  This is where my troubles all began.

Can you ping it from within the network?  Once you enable a VPN it is like you are sitting there internally, and you should be able to access anything that is properly shared...  so, make sure that everything is working internally first..

the basics for setting up P2P networking...

1)  If you are running XP Pro, then turn off Simple File Sharing
2)  Setup all machines with IDENTICAL user credentials, including username AND passwords
3)  Make sure you have File and Printer Sharing enabled in the TCP Properties
4)  Share your folders and make sure you give appropriate SHARE permissions
5)  On the Security Tab (available when Simple File Sharing is off with XP Pro, or on an XP Home system accessed by the Admin Account in Safe Mode), give the appropriate NTFS permissions.
6)  Access the remote computer using the Run Line or a batch file:  Start > Run > \\computername (or IPAddress)\sharename
7)  Oh, and don't forget the Firewall!  Make exceptions, or turn it off!

Instead of running through a long cklist...  read my page on P2P troubleshooting, which will tell you where and how to look for such things as Netbios over TCP (NBT)

http://65.24.134.81/KipSolutions/P2PNetworks/TroubleshootingP2P.htm

Very good points, Rob....  did not consider the actual usage of the database files over the VPN..  although I should have, as we run similar apps at the office, and we have to use our Citrix Clients for this...  

Also, I did not know that hack existed...  interesting!

Thanks FE, I haven't tried the hack but several others have ,and say it works. I am not a big fan of these tweaks as they often seem to cause problems elsewhere, later. As I understand, it was meant to be a feature of XP, but didn't work properly and was dropped before release. The rumor mill said it would be included with Vista ( 1 of the 25 versions :-)  ) but I haven't checked to see if it is there.
Cheers !
--Rob

Do you need to be able to run this application at home and on the laptop at the same time?

You could VPN in, robocopy the file down, disconnect, work on it, vpn back in when you are done and robocopy it back up again.

-red

No I don't need to run the application at home and on the laptop at the same time.

I did though want my home computer to be accessible when I was using the application on my laptop.
By the sounds of it, the only way to gain what I want to gain is to actually use a third party application.

Thanks guys.  I wish I could give all 500 points.

Thanks  Worldsplayground,
--Rob