Remote Access Methods

Third Party Remote Control Products - Method 1a

Retail-level, consumer-oriented remote control tools like LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, TeamViewer, and most others, work by doing KVM capture and redirect. wut? KVM stands for Keyboard Video Mouse. Your keyboard and mouse interactions are transmitted securely to the far end (the host you are remoting into) and, likewise, the contents of the display on the far end is scraped and transmitted back to you on the near end (remote). If the internet service on both ends is decent, it can almost be like sitting directly in front of the far end computer.

I use this technology when helping my clients remotely. If a picture is worth a thousands words then live action is worth a hundred thousand words. I can investigate and fix problems far faster when I can remote into a distant computer. Of course, the computer must be working well enough to access the internet, but often that is the case.

Pros

• You can access all your specialized office software without needing the same software installed on the remote end.
• Since raw data files never traverse the link, there is no internet-introduced latency (delay) when accessing a database or other huge files. Only the screen contents are transferred.
• Confidential data never leaves the host end. Even though you are seeing and interacting with data residing on the host end, the raw data never leaves the host. Only the displayed screens travel the link to the remote end. Those screens are ephemeral and never saved on the remote end.
• You can access your office systems from a normally incompatible device. e.g. Access software on your Windows computer using an iPad. Something that would normally be impossible.

Cons

• You must be connected to interact with host end data. There is no such thing as working offline.
• Takes over the host computer while you are accessing it so no one can use it while you are remoted in. Make sense. After all, this remote access method simulates you sitting right in front of the host computer. Normally this isn't a problem as you'd be accessing your regularly assigned computer.

Most 3rd party KVM-redirection based remote products, like the ones mentioned above, charge a subscription fee, usually several hundred dollars per year. They're also more limited in how exactly you can configure the remote end. e.g. If have two monitors at home but only one monitor at work, that second home monitor cannot be used to extend to the host end.

Remote Desktop Protocol - Method 1b

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is the gold standard for remote access into a Windows host. It's a 1st party product that's baked right into Windows so nothing to install and it's free!

RDP offers far and away the best remote experience with features that no 3rd party product can match. The main reason that people buy 3rd party products and not just use RDP is lack of awareness and not knowing how to safely and securely set up RDP. And, to be honest, RDP is not a simple "turn it on" solution. It takes a bit of geeky knowhow to get it right. That's where I come in.

Pros

• All the listed pros of Method 1a above, plus...
• Built into Windows (Pro edition or higher), nothing to install
• Free! (usually)
• Performance is better than any 3rd party product like those listed in Method 1a above
• Works even on very slow, high latency network links such as older DSL or satellite. RDP was designed to work on dial-up!
• Remote end can have more monitors than the host. Indeed, the host can be headless.
• Host monitor simply shows a locked screen. No one can sit there and watch what you're doing. Granted, that can be a con if you need to assist someone. RDP isn't the tool for that.

Cons

• All the listed cons of Method 1a above, plus...
• Requires technical savvy to safely and securely setup and use. This is not like off the shelf software that anyone can install and use
• Windows Home edition cannot be a RDP host, though it can remote to a RDP host. This is easily remedied, however.
• Complicated licensing once you get into a multi-user server environment.

RDP is by far the most common remote solution I set up for my clients.

Extending the Network Through a VPN - Method 2

VPN means Virtual Private Network. No, it's not the same kind of VPN that some people use to hide their IP address or make it appear they're in another country so they can evade some streaming service's regional blocking.

This kind of VPN is used to connect a remote computer, like your computer at home, to your office network as though it was physically at the office.

It's a remote access system that allows your near end (remote) computer to actually join the host computer's LAN (Local Area Network). The office LAN is extended to the remote end via a "secure tunnel". Using this method, your work actually takes place on the remote end, where you are, and not on a host end computer. e.g. If you are editing a Word document, that editing takes place on the remote end.

VPN solutions are indicated mainly for connecting the LANs in distant offices together into a single network. e.g. A company with two or three area offices might connect them together via VPN in order to share a common database, real time applications, or a shared network folder (although there are other ways to share a folder).

A VPN solution like this one is generally suboptimum for 1-to-1 remote participants to access to host computers at the office. The reasons are fairly technical and beyond the scope of this article to explain.

Pros

• Doesn't tie up a computer on the host end. But again this is rarely an issue.
• Superior UI experience for display intensive work, such as photo or video editing, because the edits takes place on the remote end. Intense screen activity isn't delayed by being redirected across the internet link.

Cons

• Raw data files actually traverse the link between the host and remote ends. Large files can take along time to open and interaction can be sluggish.
• Whatever office software you want to use must be installed on the remote end as well.
• Confidential data will reside on the remote end.
• Any malware that's infected either the host or remote could possibly spread to the other side via this peer LAN link.
• Some VPN solutions of this nature require a static IP address which usually costs extra per month, perhaps $20 to $30.

File Sharing via Cloud-Based Platform - Method 3

Often times, business people really only need access to company files that may be on a server or their workstation. And maybe they'll want this access anywhere without necessarily being connected to the office network or even the internet. When clients discuss needing remote access or mobile functionality, this is often the method they (unknowingly) need even if they don't articulate it as such.

Pros

• Files are maintained on both the host end (or server) and remote end. They are synchronized automatically between the two ends.
• Offline work is possible. Edit a Word file while on an airplane and it'll sync automatically next time you're online.
• Synchronization between portable devices is possible. e.g. Edit Word files on your iPad that synced from your office workstation.

Cons

• Confidential data will reside on the remote end and on the cloud sync servers. However, it is possible to add layers of security to the cloud servers making them more secure than they otherwise might be.
• Whatever office software you want to use must be installed on the remote end as well.
• Only works with software that interacts with individual files, such as Word documents, spreadsheet, photo editing, etc. Cannot be used for accessing a remote database or a real time shared resource.

So, which method to choose?

This is where a discussion of your needs is necessary. The outline above may give you some idea of the methods available but without a discussion and analysis of your needs, it's not possible to conclusively recommend a particular method.

Having said that, most of my clients get along with method 1b using RDP. Some use method 3. Rarely do I implement method 2.

Sometimes, no one single method is best for everything that a client needs to do. I may recommend multiple methods, using whatever method that most efficiently addresses a particular need. In this case, I usually recommend method 1b for database or real time application sharing and method 3 for standalone file access such as Word, Excel, PDFs, etc.

Options today are more plentiful, diverse, and capable than ever before. WFH, kicked into high gear by the 2020 pandemic, is definitely a growing trend. There's never been a better time to investigate and possibly implement a mobile-capable ecosystem for yourself and/or your company. But it must be done right.