Real VNC

TMFS9 · #1 03-24-2005, 12:08 PM

I have installed Real VNC on my home computer to be able to remotely connect from my work computer. I have installed the program on both computers, I followed the directions given by the website but they aren't completely clear and they don't offer support because it's a free program. If I have the server program running on my home computer, and then try to connect through the viewer on the same computer I am allowed to connect through the server. But when I try from work I get a message saying can't connect to the host. Is there anything I need to do besides just the basic installation, like setup ports or open ports, or anything else?

SamJack · #2 03-24-2005, 12:12 PM

look in the config setting for RealVNC server program. It will tell you the port it uses. I believe by default it is 5900.

You need to open that up.

If you have a router, you need to forward all traffic for that port to the computer you want to control. That can be done in your router set up utility. Then from your work computer, you'd want to connect to the IP of your router. (your externally visible IP)

SamJack

TMFS9 · #3 03-24-2005, 12:18 PM

Thanks, that's what i guessed. How do go about opening a specific port?

SamJack · #4 03-24-2005, 12:22 PM

Your router manual will have the URL that you will need to type to get to the setup page for your router.

http://xxx.xx.xxx.xxx

The manual should also have info on port forwarding.

There you will type 5900 as the port you want to forward to a specific computer. Then you will need to identified the computer you want to forward it to by its IP address. You can get that IP by typing 'ipconfig' from the command prompt on the computer in question. Type that in. Save the settings and voila.

If you have probs. PM me.

SamJack

MaxPower · #5 03-24-2005, 12:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, that's what i guessed. How do go about opening a specific port?

[/ QUOTE ]

You need to set up port forwarding in your router. If you have firewall running, you have to open up that port. How you do that depends on what kind of firewall you have.

TMFS9 · #6 03-24-2005, 12:29 PM

Thanks, i'll try it when i get home.

SuitedSixes · #7 03-24-2005, 12:37 PM

I (used to) run RealVNC at work, and all of this advice was dead-on perfect.

Be sure to hover your mouse over the VNC icon on the bottom of the server machine to be sure you've got the right IP address, unless you are using a router, than you will need the IP address of the router. My router is not fancy at all, and it was able to forward VNC traffic to the correct port without any help from me, I just opened up Port 5900 (like you were already told).

astroglide · #8 03-24-2005, 12:52 PM

http://www.realvnc.com/faq.html#security

VNC Free Edition and older VNC 3 based systems support a simple challenge-response protocol used to verify a password of up to eight characters, supplied by the connecting user. While this avoids exposing the password to attackers as would be the case with pure plaintext protocols such as telnet, the rest of the session is unencrypted and so anything typed into the viewer passes "in the clear" to the server. VNC Free Edition is therefore suitable for use within a local network or secure VPN, but not for general use over untrusted networks, such as the Internet.

Kellon · #9 03-24-2005, 12:58 PM

I was going to make this same warning. We used to use VNC at work, but killed it b/c of the insecurity (we didn't have a super-duper firewall at that time.) My recollection is that there is a somewhat complicate means w/in VNC to configure password protection, but in our multi-city environment it was overly cumbersome.

TMFS9 · #10 03-24-2005, 01:04 PM

Thanks, guess i should have read all of the fine print [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]. Any suggestions on a secure remote desktop software, pcanywhere?