Ultra VNC is free software that enables a remote computer to be displayed on your computer screen. In addition, you can take control of the mouse and keyboard of the computer being monitored. The software could be aptly described as remote computer support software. It means that you can work on a second computer, as if you were sitting in front of it. Moreover, you can share control of the second computer and thus keeping the other user involved in the process. If necessary for an interruption free session the program goes a step further and allows the director to disable the keyboard and mouse of the other computer. Ultra VNC is a superb online computer training device and a great long distance troubleshooting tool. Acquire the free software by searching on Google for Ultra VNC. The search results will quickly guide you to a download site. After downloading the software to a suitable folder you can install the software like any other program. During the install process you have several options which you can select. The basis of the software is the server and viewer features. The server element should be installed on the remote PC while the viewer installed on the local machine. By installing the server software with default settings and a password you are ready for a connection. By entering the Internet address of the remote machine you will be connected to the remote PC.
You may be asking, How do I know the location of the remote machine. Every computer connected to the Internet has what is known as an IP address. An IP address is a twelve digit number you can easily obtain via a search engine. Get the remote computer user to do a search on Google for, My IP address and voila…they will easily discover their 12 digit address which they can relay back to you. If you are regularly connecting to the same computer there is another more efficient method of making a connection. On the Internet there are sites that provide free permanent Internet addresses. One such site is dyndns.com. Go to this site, create an account and you will learn how to attach a permanent domain name to the remote computer.
Some extra features of this superb software are: the client machine can shut down and restart the remote PC as well as open the task manager or transfer files between the two computers. There is also a chat function which will allow you to communicate via the keyboard if it is not practical to use the phone. It is a Windows based utility and in terms of operating speed compared to similar software, Ultra VNC comes up trumps. Not only is the software useful over long distances, it works very well on a local area network where the resident tech support person can have easy access to computers on the company network.
Navigating Routers and Firewalls
One hurdle that needs to be addressed when connecting to a remote computer is a passageway throughprotective firewalls and routers. On a router there is provision to provide a path through a designated port. By accessing the control panel on the router of the remote computer the feature will be listed as port forwarding, virtual server or could be labeled as gaming and administration. The default port for Ultra VNC is 5900. By assigning a TCP port with 5900 and saving the configuration a path through the router will enable you to connect to the VNC server. Because the Windows firewall restricts communication between the remote computer and the Internet, you might need to adjust settings to allow Ultra VNC to operate. Get to the Windows firewall by opening the Networking in the Control Panel. Right click your Internet connection icon and select Properties. Under the Advanced tab you will find the firewall settings. By selecting Exceptions you can add the VNC software to the list of ports and programs that are allowed to bypass the firewall security. It is preferable to select the software option rather than the port because the firewall is only open while the program is waiting to receive the connection.
