[X4U] remote access

[Stroller]

On 7 Sep 2006, at 14:39, Daly Jessup wrote:

> At 1:55 PM +0100 7/9/06, Simon Forster wrote:
>> On 7 Sep 2006, at 13:15, Daly Jessup wrote:
>
>>> 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.
>>
>> From a technological viewpoint, I think you're almost certainly  
>> wrong. Sounds like you're setting up a VPN using a secure passkey  
>> generator. Once the VPN's in place, effectively you are part of  
>> the network at work.
>
> Yes, that's what I'm doing. They have a VPN server, and the passkey  
> generator gives me access. I get connected to the network, and from  
> there, can use Remote Desktop Connection to access my particular PC  
> on that network and control it.  What I meant to say was that  
> without the VPN, I would not be able to get into the network at  
> all, much less access my computer.
>
> Since I have only a hazy idea of how these things work, I don't  
> quite understand what you are saying I'm wrong about.  Do you think  
> there's some other way into that secure network besides the VPN?

I think the haziness comes from your original phrasing: "I do not  
believe I could use ... anything else to get into the overall network  
in these companies" - I found that a little confusing, too.

You have described two technologies used to access your office LAN -  
VPN and RDC. You use VPN to get into the overall network, but only  
using the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection once you have done  
that. You are not using the Remote Desktop Connection to "get into"  
the secure network.

Your employer happens to implement their security this way. If you're  
going to have Windows desktops & servers then it's not a bad way to  
do it, but they could have done it lots of other ways, too.

> I don't have  Remote Desktop on the PC. I just have the XP "Allow  
> Remote Connections" option checked. The Remote Desktop Connection  
> is on the Mac and it lets me view and control the PC from my Mac at  
> home.

Um... you probably DO have Remote Desktop on the PC, you just don't  
use it.

Remote Desktop is Microsoft's name for the client software. They have  
a couple of names for the server software - the "Allow Remote  
Connections" checkbox manifests itself as one of these, but the  
traditional name is "Microsoft Terminal Services".

You only have the "Allow Remote Connections" checkbox because you  
have XP Professional installed on your office PCs - it's not  
installed as part of XP Home, for instance, and I'm not sure about  
Windows 2000. Your employer could have chosen to use VNC or Timbuktu  
instead.

I'm pretty sure that when you connect to a machine which has the  
"Allow Remote Connections" checkbox enabled then you take over that  
machine completely, and no-one else can use that computer at the same  
time you do. Your employer might find that of a dozen employees only  
8 or 10 are ever in the office at once, that usually 4 or 5 people  
are working remotely in this way, and that the present scenario is a  
waste of desks; they could use their office-space more efficiently if  
"your" computer in the office wasn't tied up when you connect remotely.

In this case they could decide to install Terminal Services on a  
server so that all users connecting remotely do so to that machine;  
they will not share the desktop, but each will have their own  
"virtual desktop" and will be able to undertake different tasks on  
the machine at the same time. In this case the employer could decide  
there is no need for VPN connection, and that staff will use  
encrypted Remote Desktop Connection both to "get into" the network  
and to access the server.

Stroller.