Windows NT

It's time for another business trip. While traveling with your laptop, you realize you forgot to copy over a critical file. Sure, you could have a colleague back at the office root around your PC and e-mail the file to you. But why not dial in to the system and download it yourself instead?

Windows NT's Remote Access Service software transforms your office system into a dial-up server, letting you stay in touch with your desktop PC while on the road.

To set this service up, first log on as Administrator. Next, select Start, Control Panel, Networking, and pick the Services tab. Choose Remote Access Services and click Properties. Select the modem on which you'll receive remote-access calls, and click Configure. Pick the "Dial out and receive calls" option, click OK, then Continue. In the next dialog box, choose your preference of "Entire network" or "This computer only"--the former allows you to see files and printers on the network; the latter doesn't. If you plan to access the Internet through this dial-up connection, click OK to accept the default setting in the following TCP/IP dialog box, or click Cancel to skip creating TCP/IP settings. Next, click Continue, then Close, and finally Yes to reboot the PC and activate your new settings.

After booting, open Dial-Up Networking ( Programs, Accessories, Dial-Up Networking), and click New to create a new connection. Name the new connection, click Next to skip the options presented in the following screen, and then choose the same modem you selected earlier and click Next. Click Next again to skip entering a phone number, and then select Finish to complete creating the connection.

Now choose Programs, Administrative Tools (Common), Remote Access Admin, then Users, Permissions. Select the user account for which you want to allow dial-in access to your desktop computer, check "Grant dialin permission to user," then click OK. Now start the Remote Access Service using Server, Start Remote Access Service. Test the service by attempting to dial in from another system. If the connection is successful and you'd like the service to start automatically each time you start up, open Control Panel's Services applet, scroll down to and select Remote Access Server, click the Startup button, and select Automatic. Click OK, then Close.