Remote Access as Easy as ABC

In the event you leave a critical file on the office network while you're on the road, having remote control software installed on your system will prove a lifesaver. And while Symantec's $140 PCAnywhere 9.0 streamlines the file transfer interface and installation procedure to make things easier for users, it also adds a host of features that will be of primary interest to corporate IS types.

Typically, you install PCAnywhere on two PCs, setting one to act as the local "client," and the other to act as the "remote" system. Once that's done, you can dial up one PC from the other (or connect through the company network) and access your data as if you were sitting at your office desk. The software can also be used for remote network administration; for example, the systems administrator at work could take control of your home PC to help troubleshoot a problem.

Physical Location Matters Not

We tested PCAnywhere using two Windows 95 desktops and a Windows NT 4.0 server running on a TCP/IP network. In addition to TCP/IP, PCAnywhere lets you connect by dial-up modem, ISDN, infrared, and IPX/SPX networks. The software also recognizes direct PC connections via the parallel and serial ports (a parallel cable is included). Although the utility doesn't support direct USB connections, it will recognize the connection as a TCP/IP network. The program directly supports Windows 9x, NT, and 2000; the CD-ROM also includes earlier versions of the software that run on DOS and Windows 3.x.

Setup is easy and smooth, with improved wizards that walk you through the process and help you set up password security at the outset. When you open PCAnywhere, there are four buttons, one each for file transfer, host, client, and gateway (for accessing a PCAnywhere system that's on a network). Simply choose the remote control session you wish to launch, and PCAnywhere will proceed to configure the software accordingly.

The file transfer option is actually a remote control shortcut that automatically establishes a connection with a remote PC. The file transfer interface is now more closely modeled after Windows Explorer, with a familiar file-folder metaphor that makes navigating PCAnywhere a snap. When transferring files, you can opt to use the built-in data compression and virus scanner, which is based on Symantec's latest Norton AntiVirus engine.

One feature we liked: the ability to synchronize two folders on two computers. If files have been altered, you can transfer only the portions of a file that have changed. You also have the ability to clone folders, though doing so will delete any files in the target folder that aren't in the original.