Is Remote Desktop the best solution at home?

[Guest]

Hi All,

I am hoping someone can help with the following questions. I would like to know if Remote Desktop is the best solution for accessing a desktop in the same location.

I am running a wireless network with PC's in different locations within the 1 physical site. One has the Wireless Router set up with the Internet connection and the other is elsewhere. I would like to be able to access the PC with the Wireless Router and run applications so rather than needing to run it over the internet it would just be over a local network.

Secondly, after having read some of the forum posts I am now concerned about security. I have a firewall running on the local network but no encryption and am concerned that if I run RD over this network I might be opening myself up to attacks. Do people randomly search for PC's with RD operating? Could this be an issue for me?

Thanks!

 

[Sooner Al]

You can certainly run Remote Desktop over a wired/wireless LAN. I do that on my small home network.
Remote Desktop in natively encrypted so that is not an issue...

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/pree_rem_quaq.asp

I recommend setting the RD encryption level to "High" if your clients support that.

With that being said, the BIGGER issue is using an encryption scheme on your wireless network.
Personally I use WPA-PSK, with a very long random key, on my local wireless network...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/bowman_03july28.mspx

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Guest]

Thanks for helping out. All of the information you provided was great.

Thanks
Justin