[X4U] remote access

[Daly Jessup]

At 4:48 AM -0400 7/9/06, Mitchell Senft wrote:
>I want to be able to access the work network from home, something I 
>know nothing about. The work network is predominantly Windows but 
>the file server runs on Linux.
>
>Apparently there are web-based services. Are these services 
>platform-agnostic? They say I can access my p.o.b. PC but can I 
>really? I mean, can I run the apps on my work PC from the web 
>connection? Or to work in word processing documents do I have to do 
>it through a compatible app on my Mac? And one of the reasons to 
>access the network is to be able to access our case management app; 
>can that may be made to work with one of these services? Exactly 
>what can I access through the Mac? Particularly for the case 
>management app, must it be installed on the Mac -- which of course 
>means a MacIntel w/Windows. Or am I really going to have to commit 
>to a dual-booting MacIntel?

For my current job and the one before it, the work computers are on 
secure networks. To reach the work machine, I obtained a "SecureID" 
device, about the size of a thumb drive. It generates and displays a 
new network passkey every 30 seconds or so. I installed a very small 
application from Cisco on my Mac with which I access the work network 
using a private PIN number and the current password from the SecurID 
device. Almost instantly I am admitted into the secure environment at 
work.  I got the Cisco utility from the IT departments web site at 
work. They have a Cisco VPN server set up there, so I had to use the 
Cisco utility.

Then at home on my Mac, I use the free application, Microsoft Remote 
Desktop Connection (available at versiontracker). All I need is my 
work computer's IP address and my regular Windows login name and 
password, and there I am, looking at the work computer as if I were 
sitting in front of it. I can do anything there that I can do when 
I'm at work, including travel through the work network, print to work 
printers, and so on. It is nearly as fast as working on the Windows 
machine directly.  Oh, I had to set the work machine to allow remote 
connections to get this to work.

I am describing this because I do not believe I could use VNC or 
Timbuktu or anything else to get into the overall network in these 
companies. If I were you, I would talk to the IT department and just 
ask how you can access your work computer from home. You will find 
out if they have a secure network set up with special requirements 
for access.  I don't know about the web-based services you mention. 
Who told you about them? Maybe that person can give you more details?

Daly
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