Recommendation: TightVNC

Today I was trying to help out a relative in a different country fix up
their severely-screwed-up Windows system (thanks Microsoft for wasting yet
another 12 hour chunk of my life).

I eventually figured out that the only way I could actually help them fix
their problem would be with a remote control desktop, some kind of VNC. But
they're on a slow modem link -- I ended up using TightVNC which runs on
both Linux and Windows [ http://www.tightvnc.com/ ]

This software works beautifully, stable and very efficient on the slow
modem link. If you need top efficiency run with -compresslevel 9 -quality 1

Obviously the software is also simple enough to use that my aunt (who knows
very little about computers) had no problem launching the server side at
their end, with password and all.

--
Jem Berkes
http://www.sysdesign.ca/

Jem Berkes wrote:
> Today I was trying to help out a relative in a different country fix up
> their severely-screwed-up Windows system (thanks Microsoft for wasting yet
> another 12 hour chunk of my life).
>
> I eventually figured out that the only way I could actually help them fix
> their problem would be with a remote control desktop, some kind of VNC. But
> they're on a slow modem link -- I ended up using TightVNC which runs on
> both Linux and Windows [ http://www.tightvnc.com/ ]
>
> This software works beautifully, stable and very efficient on the slow
> modem link. If you need top efficiency run with -compresslevel 9 -quality 1
>
> Obviously the software is also simple enough to use that my aunt (who knows
> very little about computers) had no problem launching the server side at
> their end, with password and all.
>

Is it safe? I remember to have read somewhere it isn't

Sander

Sander Bosman <bosmans@hier_even_niet_spammen_nlr.nl> wrote:
> Jem Berkes wrote:
>> -- I ended up using TightVNC which runs on
>> both Linux and Windows [ http://www.tightvnc.com/ ]
>
> Is it safe? I remember to have read somewhere it isn't

I believe that whilst the initial password
authentication is encrypted, everything that
follows is not. So no snooper could *use* the
desktop, but they could watch what you are doing
on it.

Although not an option for the original use [slow
modem link], sticking it through an ssh tunnel
fixes it.

--
Michael

:: Is it safe? I remember to have read somewhere it isn't

: Michael Fyles <(E-Mail Removed)>
: I believe that whilst the initial password authentication is
: encrypted, everything that follows is not. So no snooper could *use*
: the desktop, but they could watch what you are doing on it.

Plus, port scanning followed by password cracking have been demonstrated.

: Although not an option for the original use [slow modem link],
: sticking it through an ssh tunnel fixes it.

I don't follow t his part. Why can't ssh be used over a slow modem link?


Wayne Throop (E-Mail Removed) http://sheol.org/throopw

>:: Is it safe? I remember to have read somewhere it isn't
>
>: Michael Fyles <(E-Mail Removed)>
>: I believe that whilst the initial password authentication is
>: encrypted, everything that follows is not. So no snooper could *use*
>: the desktop, but they could watch what you are doing on it.
>
> Plus, port scanning followed by password cracking have been demonstrated.
>
>: Although not an option for the original use [slow modem link],
>: sticking it through an ssh tunnel fixes it.
>
> I don't follow t his part. Why can't ssh be used over a slow modem link?

I think ssh would add overhead? I may be wrong about that.

--
Jem Berkes
http://www.sysdesign.ca/

Wayne Throop <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>:: Is it safe? I remember to have read somewhere it isn't
>
>: Michael Fyles <(E-Mail Removed)>
>: I believe that whilst the initial password authentication is
>: encrypted, everything that follows is not. So no snooper could *use*
>: the desktop, but they could watch what you are doing on it.
>
> Plus, port scanning followed by password cracking have been demonstrated.
>
>: Although not an option for the original use [slow modem link],
>: sticking it through an ssh tunnel fixes it.
>
> I don't follow t his part. Why can't ssh be used over a slow modem link?

I don't follow it either. I must have been
speaking rubbish.

--
Michael