Connect to your PC from anywhere with LogMeIn Free

LogMeIn's browser-based connection screen

(Credit: Rick Broida)

A perennial Cheapskate favorite, LogMeIn Free lets you connect to your PC from any other PC. This comes in impossibly handy when you're working offsite and need to access files, run programs, check your e-mail, and so on. It's like sitting at your PC when you're not actually sitting at your PC.

All you do is download and install the free LogMeIn utility on your primary PC; it runs quietly in the background until needed. When you want to connect to your system from somewhere else, just fire up that PC's browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.), head to the LogMeIn site, and sign in. A few clicks later, you're remotely connected to--and in control of--your PC.

LogMeIn is available for Windows and Macintosh. The only downside is that it doesn't allow you to transfer files between PCs; for that you need one of the paid versions of LogMeIn (or a remote-control program like TeamViewer, which does support file transfers). But I've found I very rarely need to transfer files anyway, so the free version suits me just fine. I can't recommend LogMeIn highly enough.

[dp273-condor]

Agreed!

I use the free version almost daily, and it's fantastic! If you need to occasionally transfer files, just use the Gspace addon for FireFox - works great.

[tarrantm]

Why not just use UltraVNC server on your PC? You can use a web client from anywhere to connect to it. If it's the name lookup you need, just register with no-ip.com or dyndns.org.

[rickbroida]

Sure enough, there are several open-source alternatives like UltraVNC, but I think in terms of simplicity, LogMeIn is hard to beat.

[rron82]

What about security? Everything on your computer goes through LogMeIn? Is it encrypted? Stored? Backed-up? What if access your bank account or are working on the secret recipe to Coca-Cola?

[rron82]

[techoftheday1980]

I'm pretty sure all these services are secure, however the big industry names such as LogMeIn, Citrix, Teamviewer are just way to expensive for a small business such as the one I run. Come on? $120 a month? I found this service, Techinline Remote Desktop (www.techinline.com) which is about 4 times cheaper, very easy to use since it requires no installation, and it's the perfect cost-effective solution basd on these factors alone. Although it's not as fully-featured as LogMeIn Rescue which I used to use, it's more than enough for what I do

[neorouterteam-2271668348721195]

Yeah. Expensive! I found a cool software NeoRouter - Free, No limitation, Simple (www.neorouter.com). With portable version, you don't even need to install it. e.g guest user can run it. It can do remote access, copy files, shared printer and more.

[uber_tech_geek]

I know that this is anathema to the cheapskate's modus operandi but I wanted to offer up a different perspective here. I wanted to recommend Proxy Pro 6, which my company has used quite well. You can find it here: <a href="http://www.proxynetworks.com">remote control software</a>. We used to use GoToMyPC but we found this was much more secure and offered a wider swath of features. Yes, it costs more - but in my opinion it's worth it. Any thoughts?