VPN Server

[ecat]

Remote desktop is the quick and easy option, from past experience VPNs can get messy.

In ether case your first hurdle will be bringing the remote PC out of standby, check your router for 'magic packet' or 'wake up' options, there are also some small apps you can run locally that will attempt to wake remote machines. As a start I strongly recommend you disable all hibernate, standby and power saving options on the remote (office) PC, screen saver + password settings can probably be kept as they are - under XP at least.


Option 1. Very quick and easy (or so I'm told!)
https://secure.logmein.com/UK/
I've not used this myself but I know people who have. I'm not 100% certain it allows file transfers but it is free to try. This may also get around the problem of dynamic IP addresses assuming your account with your ISP uses them.

Option 2.
http://www.uvnc.com/
This is my 'go to' software which I've used for years with very few problems.

Install the 'server' as a 'service' on the remote PC, set a good(1) password.

Check the PC and router firewalls.

Check for and configure any 'port forwarding' options in your router. These allow your router to associate 'public' IP address with the private IP addresses of individual PCs on your network. Assuming a 'dynamic IP service' you need to match 'any IP address + external port (5900 for uVNC)' to 'local IP address of remote PC + local port (5900 for uVNC)'.

While sitting at the, soon to be, remote PC click this link http://www.whatismyip.com/ and write down the IP address. This is the 'public' IP address of your network, this is the address that may change periodically if you are signed up with a 'dynamic IP' service: See http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ou/free-dy...-your-home/468 and http://dyn.com/dns/ for more information

Install the uVNC sw on your local PC, you do not need 'server as a service' and will only be running the 'viewer'.

Run the viewer on the local PC, enter the public IP address of the remote PC and off you go... Or not. The SW is fine, any problems are usually related to IP addresses, port forwarding and fire walls. One strange problem that can rear its ugly head is trying to test the remote connection using the public IP address when both local and remote PCs are connected to the same local network, an obvious first test but some routers just won't play ball. Always test the remote connection from a separate network. For testing on site I generally force my 'local' onto a separate network by tethering with my phone, it's an option to bear in mind.


(1) Good Password. Seriously.
When using remote desktop or VPN or any other remote access solution you are opening up your server/remote PC to the public side of the internet. There are people out there running software that continuously attempts to break in to connected devices, it was not unusual to see 20 or 30 attempts per minute last time I checked. Two things protect you:

You are probably not an interesting target, so no one is likely to spend too much time trying to break into your network.
Your password and other security.

All that said you should still be fully aware of the risks of having an open connection to a network that shares data with accounts, design, manufacturing, customer information etc, etc. It is up to you to balance the risks.