LogMeIn Alternatives
And other solutions
A while back, we discussed several options users tend to use to connect to their office computer from home or visa verse. One of the big names which people used is Log Me In, and in particular, Log Me In Free, which as the name connotes, the free version.
Log Me In was in the news last week, since they announced that all free plans will become disabled 7 days after the next login to software.
Therefore, we will re-discuss the current options, free and paid as well as some known pros and cons which come along with the various options.
Before we begin, let’s discuss: How does the remote software actually work?
Remote support programs allow users to access their desktop from different locations.
The first step is to download and set it up on your office desktop (or whichever computer you would like to access at a later point in time).
The next step is to access your computer from another computer.
What’s important to keep in mind, is that since you are connecting over the Internet, the main computer which you are connected to must be connected to the Internet and powered on for the connection to work.
Are there any security risks involved?
Depending on which program you use, there are potential security openings. However, we have found most businesses to be OK with allowing users to access their desktop from one of these types of programs.
What are the big names in the business?
LogMeIn– With those that used to have a free account, they were able log in from any PC, and access any of the computers which LogMeIn was already installed on.
The cheapest plan for new subscribers is the LogMeIn Pro, which starts at $99/year. For those that were using the free plan, they will be able to get the LogMeIn Pro for just $49/year.
GoToMyPC- Depending on the amount of users and computers, the price varies. The cheapest plan is $9.95/month or $99/yr which comes with the ability to remotely access one PC. We generally don’t recommend GoToMyPC due the cost, however the drag and drop file transfer (simply drag the file on the screen, and it gets transferred to the other PC) is quite cool and extremely easy to use!
Team Viewer – Team Viewer works differently than the LogMeIn and GoToMyPC in the setup. To access your computer remotely, you need to enter in the assigned code into the installed program on the “guest computer”. It is a free service for home users, but those that connect to many different computers over the course of the day, will be required to purchase the software (which is a one time fee) at $749/seat.
Remote Desktop – Remote Desktop is a free, built in Windows program, which allows multiple users to access one desktop or server.
This is very common in a server environment, when several users need to access a particular software located on one machine.
In a desktop environment, Remote Desktop is slightly limited, since it only allows one user to be logged in via Remote Desktop at any given point in time.
If you are looking to use Remote Desktop, confirm you are purchasing a computer which supports Remote Desktop.
VPN– A Virtual Private Network allows the user(s) to access all shared network resources (computers, servers, printers…) as if they were sitting in the office. A VPN connection operates by allowing the “guest” computer to be on the same network and IP address as the “host” network. The setup up for this generally requires assistance from your IT department.