How to Control a Computer Remotely

Remote access makes explaining how to, say, set up email ports a lot easier than telling the person on the other end of the line to drag the mouse to the upper right... no, there... no, over a little?and so on. It used to be the case that linking computers on different networks required setting up a virtual private network (VPN), connecting to that, and then connecting to the remote computer using built-in system software. That's still an option, but there are easier ones. Now all you need is a dedicated remote-access program such as TeamViewer or join.me. Both are free, work across operating systems, and are straightforward to set up.

No matter which method you use, the first step to connecting to another computer is enabling remote access. On a PC, go to Start, right-click Computer, and choose Properties. Then go to Remote Desktop by clicking on Remote settings, and check the box next to Allow Remote Assistance. On a Mac, go to System Preferences, then Sharing, and check Screen Sharing.

Join.me and TeamViewer work similarly, except you'll remotely access your dad's computer via a Web interface with join.me, while you'll use a separate piece of software with TeamViewer. Because it's slightly faster to set up, join.me is a good option if you want to connect only once or twice. Just go to join.me, have your dad download the software, and type in the pass code he tells you. It's fast and easy, but the Web interface lags and is short on capabilities. For something more robust, turn to TeamViewer, a stand-alone application that needs to be running on both computers. Once you download it from teamviewer.com, you can both skip the setup and go straight to running the program. To connect to your dad's computer, have him tell you his automatically generated ID and password, which you'll then enter in the main application window. And just like that, you'll gain control of his computer.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/how-to-control-a-computer-remotely-14886269?src=rss

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