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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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 Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:07 pm Post subject: Remote PC Monitoring. |
 
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I have, from time to time, PCs running around the country, on demo with customers. I'd very much like to be able to 'see' the PC and what's going on it, and even take control of it and such. The PCs are running XP, but cannot be plugged into the internet (customers don't allow it).
Is there something I can stick in a USB or network port that will allow me to do this? Very hard to diagnose software over the phone, and it's bloody daft driving for three hours for a 2 minute fix. |
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jema
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25599
Location: Still in Swindon
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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VNC is worth a look. |
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 40603
Location: Essex
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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He'll need a route into it though |
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Except for the bit about them not being plugged into the internet. Is there a bit of hardware that can put a desktop PC on the internet, but not using the clients net connection? |
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Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23880
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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I would guess for most of your business customers they would be on a company network. So your chances of getting access 'in' to their network are slim IMHO.
If it was a hospital, my one for example, it would be precisely zero, and I don't mean that in a facetious way. |
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, that's exactly the problem. |
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Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23880
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Nick wrote: |
| Except for the bit about them not being plugged into the internet. Is there a bit of hardware that can put a desktop PC on the internet, but not using the clients net connection? |
You could get a vodafone usb connection. |
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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I've seen them as cards for laptops, presumably I can find something similar for a desktop? The software isn't massive but are the speeds on those cards better than they used to be (I was used to a 14kb one...) |
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Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23880
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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A quick google got me.......7.2mb per second download speed with 3gb usage per month for £15 |
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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So, that, plue VNC seems to solve my problem. Thanks!
(Are there 3G connections pretty much everywhere?)
Hm. I might need 4 of them. Do they do a pay as you go version? Hm, yes they do, but they suddenly want 150 for the modem. |
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jema
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25599
Location: Still in Swindon
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Jonnyboy wrote: |
| A quick google got me.......7.2mb per second download speed with 3gb usage per month for £15 |
I use one of these and the 3g connection seems quite rare to get 
I can almost always get a connection of sorts though. |
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RichardW
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 7294
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Without some smart software that will allow the user to have free access to the net which the client will not want. Also that could put you in a position as they are all registered to you too (if they go over the 3gig you get the bill). Will they not allow you to have acces to the company network to carry out fixes? This was a common way to work when I was contracting for IBM / Boots through a 3rd party for the remote sites.
Are they all aprt of the same co mpany? If so can you go to a local site to access the remote site?
Justme |
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Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 23728
Location: Hereford
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Justme wrote: |
Without some smart software that will allow the user to have free access to the net which the client will not want. Also that could put you in a position as they are all registered to you too (if they go over the 3gig you get the bill). Will they not allow you to have acces to the company network to carry out fixes? This was a common way to work when I was contracting for IBM / Boots through a 3rd party for the remote sites.
Are they all aprt of the same co mpany? If so can you go to a local site to access the remote site?
Justme |
The computer is mine. The client doesn't care what the PC does, or can access, as long as it's not his network. These are systems on demo. The bill is irrelevant, as the alternative is driving to fix it. (I drove for 6 hours on Thursday, for a 10 minute fix). At 800 quid a day, I can pay for a fair amount of downloads.
No, each company is different. The PAYG 3G USB sticks with VNC are the way forward. |
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Jamanda
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 28526
Location: Devon
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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There's a system we use at work, so I can see and control, if necessary, the laptops that the kids are using. I think it's called Vicram. I'll look tomorrow. |
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vegplot
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 17013
Location: Castell Dolbadarn near Llanberis c 1220
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 08 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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Personally, I'd use Terminsal Services/Remote Desktop as I find it screen refreshes better than VNC, especially when connection speeds get slow. |
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