PCAnywhere vs MS XP Pro's built it remote assistance function

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

TheNinja

Lifer
Jan 22, 2003
12,207
1
0
So for my company's laptop rollout is it worth it for PCAnywhere is they are all going to have Windows XP Pro on them? I am very used to PCAnywhere and is the remote control as well as the built in FTP function. I never use the Windows XP built in funtion. does it do everything PC Anywhere does?

Thanks!
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
PCanywhere is big, clunkly, intrusive, and expensive. But it supports scripting, file transfer between host & remote, has a good connection mangement section, and also supports the ability for the host site to see what is going on.

RDP is free, fast, and efficient. Doesn't support file transfer. Doesn't support scripting. Doesn't have a real good connection manager, and doesn't support interactive screens unless you are running a Terminal Server with administrative permissions to remote control a session.

VNC is a good compromise between the two. It supports file transfer. It's not bloated. It's free. It supports interactive sessions.

Each has it's own unique advantages with VNC being good on all fronts.
 
L

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
RDP does file transfer by sharing out your local drives to the host.

UltraVNC pisses me off sometimes it hits the CPU like a mofo for no apparent reason.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: werk
RDP does file transfer by sharing out your local drives to the host.

UltraVNC pisses me off sometimes it hits the CPU like a mofo for no apparent reason.
Click to expand...

How does the file sharing work over RPD? Got a MSKB article for that? Do you have to be on the same LAN for that to work well? Or can you RDP into say, your desktop at home from your work computer and drag and drop files via the shared drive?

I'm not following how you'd browse to the shared drive on the host from the remote computer.
 
SagaLore

SagaLore

Elite Member
Dec 18, 2001
24,036
21
81
Originally posted by: werk
PCAnywhere sucks. User remote desktop or UltraVNC.
Click to expand...

What he said - except for that I prefer TightVNC, combined with Remote Manager which pushes vnc to a machine that doesn't have it and starts it.
 
T

Tsunami982

Senior member
Apr 22, 2003
936
0
0
UltraVNC pisses me off sometimes it hits the CPU like a mofo for no apparent reason.
Click to expand...
for a second there i thought i was the only one that happened too. after a while i just switched to PCAnywhere.
 
L

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Originally posted by: werk
RDP does file transfer by sharing out your local drives to the host.

UltraVNC pisses me off sometimes it hits the CPU like a mofo for no apparent reason.
Click to expand...

How does the file sharing work over RPD? Got a MSKB article for that? Do you have to be on the same LAN for that to work well? Or can you RDP into say, your desktop at home from your work computer and drag and drop files via the shared drive?

I'm not following how you'd browse to the shared drive on the host from the remote computer.
Click to expand...
They show up as network drives on the remote computer. Just check off "disk drives" in the local resources tab of the options in the client. I've used it across VPNs, LANs, etc.
 
M

MrScott81

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,891
0
76
I use RemotelyAnywhere....It lets you do anything you want....you can connect via browser via java, active X (for IE), or they have their own client....plust it's not just remote control, it lets you do just about ANYTHING....view open files, active processes, browse/edit the registry, open a command prompt, file transfer, kill processes, restart the computer, run a ftp server, run scripts, etc....
 
T

TheNinja

Lifer
Jan 22, 2003
12,207
1
0
you can flame now...i posted in OT, then realize, wrong forum so posted in this software forum. then I thought i removed my post from OT but actually removed it from Software so it really is the wrong forum in the other forum....:confused:

Anyway i really appreciate all the responses. The 3 issues in this order of importance are:

1. Remote Control - using this I can obviously do anything as if I was sitting right in front of the end users PC - this is of utmost importance for troubleshooting and walking the user through the process.

2. FTP - I use it to transfer files quite ofter

3. Performane over DSL/Cable and Dial-up.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: TheNinja
you can flame now...i posted in OT, then realize, wrong forum so posted in this software forum. then I thought i removed my post from OT but actually removed it from Software so it really is the wrong forum in the other forum....:confused:

Anyway i really appreciate all the responses. The 3 issues in this order of importance are:

1. Remote Control - using this I can obviously do anything as if I was sitting right in front of the end users PC - this is of utmost importance for troubleshooting and walking the user through the process.

2. FTP - I use it to transfer files quite ofter

3. Performane over DSL/Cable and Dial-up.
Click to expand...

VNC client of your choice would be the best bet. As was mentioned, UltraVNC is the client of choice for many.

http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/
 
L

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
1) User won't be able to view session with RDP, so you won't be able to walk them through stuff.
2) File transfer is possible through either RDP or VNC.
3) RDP has the best performance of any remote admin software I've used.

I'd stick with Tight or Ultra VNC.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
If you guys *care* about licensing rights, VNC is free. PCanywhere is not. That's a major bonus in the VNC column.

Only *real* downfall of VNC is that it doesn't have a connection manager that stores all the usernames/passwords/ip's like PCA does.
 
T

TheNinja

Lifer
Jan 22, 2003
12,207
1
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
If you guys *care* about licensing rights, VNC is free. PCanywhere is not. That's a major bonus in the VNC column.

Only *real* downfall of VNC is that it doesn't have a connection manager that stores all the usernames/passwords/ip's like PCA does.
Click to expand...

So I could not setup a user/password on VNC like I do by default on PCA? I often set PCA to start as a service on startup and have it password protected and encrypted. Can VNC not do this?
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: TheNinja
Originally posted by: vi_edit
If you guys *care* about licensing rights, VNC is free. PCanywhere is not. That's a major bonus in the VNC column.

Only *real* downfall of VNC is that it doesn't have a connection manager that stores all the usernames/passwords/ip's like PCA does.
Click to expand...

So I could not setup a user/password on VNC like I do by default on PCA? I often set PCA to start as a service on startup and have it password protected and encrypted. Can VNC not do this?
Click to expand...

You can set up VNC as a service, just make sure you check that as an option on the install. It's still password protected, it just doesn't support multiple users/logins and it doesn't provide easy to use icons for each remote site that you can set up like PC Anywhere does. I also *don't believe* UltraVNC supports encryption. I think that TightVNC does though.
 
T

TechnoPro

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2003
1,727
0
76
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Originally posted by: TheNinja
Originally posted by: vi_edit
If you guys *care* about licensing rights, VNC is free. PCanywhere is not. That's a major bonus in the VNC column.

Only *real* downfall of VNC is that it doesn't have a connection manager that stores all the usernames/passwords/ip's like PCA does.
Click to expand...

So I could not setup a user/password on VNC like I do by default on PCA? I often set PCA to start as a service on startup and have it password protected and encrypted. Can VNC not do this?
Click to expand...

You can set up VNC as a service, just make sure you check that as an option on the install. It's still password protected, it just doesn't support multiple users/logins and it doesn't provide easy to use icons for each remote site that you can set up like PC Anywhere does. I also *don't believe* UltraVNC supports encryption. I think that TightVNC does though.
Click to expand...

UltraVNC does support encryption. See here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom