Recommend me a secure remote access solution...

...for the most computer illiterate persons imaginable.

My French in laws, bought a computer at 65, having both never been near one in their lives, and should have left well alone.

Over the telephone, they are beyond help. I need access to their desktop.

They have pretty much got the hang of talking and video calls through MSN Messenger, and they have had it two years. To give you an idea of how bad it is, you send them a web link to click via MSN, to a straightforward web page, and tell them to enter a username and password to log on, and it takes 15 minutes of "no, to the left of where it says...", with them telling you there is nowhere to enter a username and password, then suddenly, they find it.

I need a remote access solution, but it needs to be as simple for them as clicking an icon on the desktop, then automatically it gives me access. Doesn't matter if the process is more complex on my part, I just need them to let me in.

They can't use Remote Assistance through MSN Messenger as it requires too much interaction and too much requesting, clicking, password and allowing access on their part. I've spent two hours trying to get them to use it by phone and given up, telling my wife they are beyond help.

Their router doesn't do VPN or I would just use a VPN connection then VNC. It must be secure so I don't have to leave ports open on their firewall, ie: they trigger the process of allowing me access with an outbound initiated connection from their end.

It mustn't require them to have to do more than one click, two maximum if they are very simple and one immediately after the other, in the same window (OK to use saved passwords to achieve this)

Used to use Bomgar, and that could just be an internet shortcut on the desktop which the user clicked, then they were connected via HTTPS to a portal and you just went and picked up the connection. That would be perfect, but Bomgar costs money.

Any ideas?

[TSM]

teamviewer, free non commercial use, works well though osx/vista/7/xp

[the_lone_wolf]

www.logmein.com

I administer people's computers from the next room to South Africa using this, install on the user's PC and you log in anywhere in the world

No input needed on the receiving end beyond switching on the machine

[timwilky]

Tunnel vnc through ssh (putty), set up a batch script to enable the tunnel.

[christopher]

UltraVnc Single Click. It doesn't get much simpler than this! An old article from 2006 about it is on Lifehacker over here.

Cool, thanks guys.

TLW, can you use logmein for training, ie: can they see the screen whilst you are controlling it? I assume it just runs as a system service and connects back to a central server with a saved username and password then?

I've used teamviewer to help family before... very easy to set up on the opposite end too, very important if you cant get to their computer initially.

Just looking at teamviewer website, does it require any connection ID's or passwords? Asking them to find something on screen and read it to you is too complicated. Or can it be setup not to need these?

I'm going to set it up next time I'm in France, I wouldn't even try getting them to set up their end, it would be too painful.

The teamviewer website seems to have what TLW is describing with logmein (ie: an always-on agent that runs as a service), but it says you need to buy a license

"TeamViewer Host (24/7 access to unattended computers)

TeamViewer Host can run as a system service and enables 24/7 access to remote computers with login/logout and remote reboot capabilities.
BTW: Unlike most competitors TeamViewer includes an unlimited number of free hosts with all licenses - you just pay for the supporter license and your remote servers are included for free!"

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Cool, thanks guys.

TLW, can you use logmein for training, ie: can they see the screen whilst you are controlling it? I assume it just runs as a system service and connects back to a central server with a saved username and password then?

Yes, there is an option to blank the screen but iirc it's off by default

The logmein software runs on any computer you install it on at startup, you log into the website using your U/P from anywhere and control any of your computers through the web like any other remote control software. Requires the installation of a browser plugin where you're controlling from...

You only need to buy a licence if you use the software commercially. You can configure it to allow remote login using a user defined key and username (the username is prescribed by the software)