Go Virtual

If the machine you want to access from a distance doesn't have Windows XP Pro, don't sweat it. Start your browser, head over to the RealVNC Web site, and click the download it now link on the left to get the free VNC software. Enter your name, e-mail address, and other required information. Check the OS version you want (Windows, Linux, or Solaris), and click Proceed to download. Choose the link for the .exe version. (The .zip version isn't much smaller, and it has to be uncompressed before you can install it.)

Set up server and client: With VNC, one installer sets up both the VNC Server (the "remote" computer in XP-speak) and the VNC Viewer (which runs on the machine that XP calls the "client"). Double-click the file you downloaded, and follow the prompts to install VNC. If the current machine will be exclusively a server computer (one that others connect to but that doesn't make any connections itself), uncheck the VNC Viewer option to install the VNC Server only. If you think you'll ever want to use that system to access another machine remotely, install both programs. Repeat these steps on all the other computers you'll be working with.

Now go to the remote (server) computer and choose Start, Programs, RealVNC, Run VNC Server. The first time you run this tool, you'll see a properties dialog box. Normally, you can accept the defaults, but be sure to enter a password in the box on the upper left (see FIGURE 4). Then click OK. To reopen this dialog box, double-click the VNC icon in your system tray (at the end of the taskbar near the clock). Finally, write down the server computer's IP address. VNC makes it simple to find: Hold the pointer over the VNC icon in the tray for a moment until a tool tip appears over the icon. The number in the tool tip is the one you want.

Like Remote Desktop, VNC is not likely to see computers that hide behind a firewall. Make sure that you can establish a network connection first. See "Climb the firewall" for more about this. RealVNC offers a helpful FAQ page on firewalls.

Make the connection: Choose Start, Programs (or All Programs), RealVNC, Run VNC Viewer on the client (or "viewer") computer. Enter the IP address that you noted in the tool tip and click OK. A window will appear displaying the desktop of the server machine. Ta-da! Now you can click, drag, and generally perform tasks on the computer as if it were the one in front of you. Well, almost. A number of system keystrokes (such as Alt-Tab) will go to the local computer, not to the server (the remote one). You may have to use the mouse to get to the application you want; but once it's active, you can use the keyboard to run it from the viewer machine.

Maximize performance: Even with a relatively fast connection, virtual computing can be sluggish. To limit the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, double-click the VNC icon in the system tray of the server computer to open the properties dialog box shown in Figure 4. Under Connection Settings, make certain that Remove Desktop Wallpaper is checked, and under Update Handling, verify that 'Poll Full Screen' and 'Poll Window Under Cursor' are unchecked (but leave the 'Poll Foreground Window' option checked). To boost performance further, check Poll on Event Received Only to update the viewer only when it receives clicks and keystrokes from you. Click OK.

RealVNC also maintains a copy of the full user manual for VNC online.