This is my software discovery of the day: RealVNC. I was looking for an easy way to print from my laptop over my wireless network to my USB printer attached to the desktop. I read someone saying they use VNC for this so I checked it out. It’s not the simple solution for printing that I was looking for, but it does seem like a terrific way for me to control my desktop remotely – over the wireless network at home or over the net from afar.
RealVNC comes in a variety of flavours. I’m using the free edition. I have the server version installed on the desktop and the viewer installed on my laptop. Installation was idiot proof and took 30 seconds. Now I can run my desktop from my laptop. It’s faster and simpler than any other remote control system I’ve tried in the past.
Now… can anyone suggest a way to print?
I would suggest a better version of VNC: UltraVNC!
If you have a MS network, it will even use ActiveDirectory info to allow (or not) connections. I use this for remote help at work. I install it on all workstations and laptops, allow only network admins to connect, and disallow the user to mess with it by removing the tray icon, and checking the “disallow user from stopping server” box, etc.
UltraVNC has built in file transfer, and chat (handy if you’re talking a user through some processing). For printing, I use the file transfer thingie to transfer photos I’m sorting on my laptop on the porch to my desktop in the basement, and print to my USB colour printer down there.
Cheers!