VNC vs. RDP vs. ?

[CollinR 0]

I have noticed alot of the dealers here use VNC to support their client's systems but I never hear of using RDP or Remote Assistance. Wassup with that? I guess I am totally backwards as I only use RDP and RA to support my clients. I haven't played too much with VNC but from what I have I wasn't overly impressed at the surface.

 

 

 

 

There was a time when RDP was considered a security concern, I dunno about the validity of that but here is a MS KB article that I think discusses the the idea.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324380/en-us

 

 

Looks like one has been dealt with and I'm not overly concerned about a remote attacker crashing either machine, nobody really cares about either of the boxes.

[CollinR 0]

Obviously you should not use port 3389, the first part of securing anything is obscuring it.

[Soundy 1]

RDP works alright if your DVR or remote machine is Windows XP Pro, or a version of Windows 2000 Server or higher. The one big drawback I've found to it is that you have to login to the same user as the remote system is running on, or it will kick that user out (not good for DVRs), plus remote login kicks the local screen to the login prompt, and RSP won't work unless you have a password set on the account, meaning your user needs to know the password for that account (not always a problem IN CONCEPT, but most users are too dense to understand how to logon properly).

 

It also makes the connection pretty much unsable if you have live video running on the remote end...

 

VNC will let you have a live view of the other screen without kicking the local user off, will work on most versions of Windows (with remote clients for a number of non-Windows systems), and you can have a login that's completely separate from the Windows login.

[VST_Man 1]

anybody try "logmein" yet? Just heard about it and it sounds good..............besides having to pay for it.

[ncpilot 0]

I'm using logmein to access my home machine while at work (shhh, don't tell my boss) and it works just fine.

 

They have a free version, can't remember the limitations offhand compared to the pay version... file transfer is one I think (need the pay version).

 

It's nice because it is completely encrypted without having to worry about how to do that with VNC.

 

Works ok so far for light use...

[Thomas 0]

The proper way to do it is set up a SSH tunnel between the two.

[ncpilot 0]

SSH tunnel if using VNC--you're referring to that, right?

 

With logmein, it's basically already there, nothing extra to set up... that's why I think it's nice--much simpler...

[schwazche 0]

If you're using VNC, as many of us are, please ensure that you're running 4.1.2 or higher as noted in articles like this one...

 

Oops... I can't post URLs yet.

 

Google on "vnc security alert" hackersblog is one of many outlining the issues.

[rory 0]

Actually most of us would be using Ultra VNC .. whichever the latest version is .. also change the default port.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Thomas, Your thoughts on Logmein?

[p3ter 0]

Microsofts RDP is actually one of the best things they have developed in years , and significantly outperforms VNC in terms of low lag (input) fast response speed & screen refresh speed, compared to a relatively small amount of bandwidth used.

 

However a security measure in RDP makes it hard to use in a number of situations that are relevant to CCTV applications. Logging into an RDP session 'logs off' the local user (even if you are logging in with the same username/password), and means that their computer screen, and any external secondary displays or TV-out connections, are all replaced with the Windows Logon screensaver.

 

Logging out of the remote RDP session does not log the local user back in, therefore the display cannot be used to monitor live video until a local user physically logs back in again.

 

Another issue with RDP is the way that it uses the remote session's PC screen resolution - this makes it hard to use software that has a fixed size GUI (like Geovision), and can risk that you end up saving a window layout or window position that is not appropriate for the local session's screen resolution. (when the local user logs on, a window might open off-screen for example, or the fixed size gui may not be the correct one for the local screen size, resulting in a need to restart the computer)

 

VNC (and its variants) in contrast just shows a copy of the local display, and allow the advantage of 'leaving everything as is' when you log in & out, while also allowing the local user to see exactly what you are doing.

 

I use both RDP & VNC, depending on what I need to do. If privacy of the remote session is important, or I have a low bandwidth connection, or I need to do a lot of configuration/install type work, I will use RDP. But If I want to preserve the local screen and allow the remote user to see what I'm doing, I'll use VNC.

 

But if using RDP, I always end my session by rebooting the local machine, so that all the local settings are restored. I usually use Microsofts "TweakUI" utility to configure PC's so that they always automatically log on a limited rights user (not a local adminitrator) at boot time, and set the Geovision software to load automatically on reboot.

[Thomas 0]

Never tried it.

[cctv_down_under 0]

Do you have time to have a peek?

[rory 0]

Do you have time to have a peek?

 

I already mentioned on another thread port 443 and 80 are open for the Installed Logmein server software, and doesn't seem like there is a way to change those ports.

[john.steel 0]

There are some pretty cool ways of doing this if your server is linux.

Just Google "no machine".