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Thanks for all the great help here !
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So, this might help if like myself, you try to use of UltraVNC for the very first time on your home-PC's connected together in a LAN inhouse network environment.
The explanations are just basics that you need to know as a newbie.
Take my configuration as example. The goal is to make remote desktop available on a PC running Win-XP Home. I want to be able to work "remote" on this PC, from my other PC on the inhouse LAN. Both PC's are cabled to a router.
A.
You don't need UltraVNC if you want to access PC's running Win-XP Professional.
The "Remote Desktop" function in Windows-XP Professional can be used.
Such PC can be made available for remote control, by any Windows PC (XP-Home in my case)
In other words : You can use any PC with the XP-Home version to take control on the desktop of a WinXP-Pro machine,
and work on it, just as if you were sitting in front of it.
B.
However it does not work the other way ! If one of your PC's has Windows-XP Home edition, and you want to operate it from a remote PC, you will need to do something.... because there is no way you could remotely control it, without a "server". This is some piece of software, controlling things happening on your network. Hell, one more again !
What does the server do ? It controls what the outside world can take away from your PC. And you are the big boss ! It's up to you to decide if the take-aways are gonna be pizza's, nuts, desktopviews or remote access.
Above all, it's up to you to decide WHO is allowed to enter and you will give the viewer a password. UltraVNC is an example.
So, for UltraVNC you are becoming the "administator" of the most important computer network in the whole world : your own home PC's network ! Of course "servers" can do much more, but as I said, we are learning about the basic set-up.
C. After installation of UltraVNC
I did NOT see any icon on the system tray.
However on START\Programs\UtraVNC\ you will see 5 items :
1. Doc
2. UltraVNC Server (Folder with detailed submenu of no less than 10 items !)
3 UltraVNC Viewer (Folder with submenu of 2 items )
4. "C:\Program Files\UltraVNC\winvnc.exe" (server, blue eye icon)
5. "C:\Program Files\UltraVNC\vncviewer.exe" (viewer, green eye icon)
The last both items are shortcuts which you better cut-paste to your desktop.
D. Any PC with XP-Home must use the "server".
This is C:\Program Files\UltraVNC\winvnc.exe
The SERVER needs to know a few things, that you must define in the "default settings".
This name remains "default" settings, even after changing them to your taste.
You have to do this with Start/Programs/Ultra VNC/UltraVNC Server/Show Default Settings
(Make sure to have a shortcut on your Desktop too, because there is chance that you will have to retry your settings !!)
The password is important for the incoming "viewer" to enter this PC.
After loosing much time, I discovered in some other topic one should NOT USE THE WINDOWS LOGIN !!
I must check later on this again, because I want to be able to "work" remotely (not only "view")
But as a start, and for the time being, let's be happy if atlast, the screen can be viewed.
For other settings I did follow mostly as shown at the online documentation.
E. So what else is needed ?
Nobody and no program could acces the PC, if the firewalls are not allowing it.
E.1 First of all:
Windows Firewall should be adjusted to allow UltraVNC programs to send and receive data.
Probably you will find your way via ControlPanel / Windows Firewall / TAB Exceptions,
where you have to make sure that UtraVNC programs are in the list of not blocked programs.
E.2 Your
usual Firewall should not be overlooked.
I use BitDefender, where I allowed "Program Control" (checked ON),
and adding the UltraVNC programs as permitted in both directions on the specified ports.
D. Now go to a another PC
- We will try to "view" the XP-Home PC (with the server installed)
- On my Win-XP Pro PC , I launched
the viewer and finally after doing all what is described above, I was able to enter the WinXP-Home PC.
- A small window will appear in which you must enter the password
(NOT the Windows account password neither the Microsoft Network password, but the password which was defined above)
Enter the command line "computername::5900"
Attention : Those charachters :: must be typed twice.
Hopefully it should work (at last)
Eventually you can now "VIEW" the screen of the WinXP-Home PC.
But even more ! Now you can also "work" on the Windows accounts, just like you would with Remote Desktop.
So, now that you and me are finally getting started, I hope we will discover more features.
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Anyway : The documentation needs more guidance. Besides network engineers and computerfreaks, maybe there are other people on this planet, speaking plain English only ??
One same opinion was found here :
Newbie needs Setup & Connection help
And looking at this forum, there are too many questions, and too many remain un-answered.
There might be some bad reason for ?
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