Remote Logging In Without Auth

[Methical]

Hey guys
I've got a problem here hoping someone might be able to help.

When me and the partner are at home, her laptop is plugged into the TV, and my laptop is usually sitting on the arm of the couch beside me; so I can watch TV/Movies and still refresh TechNibble every 10mins or so =)

What I'm wonderin' is, because I'm lazy, I would like some way to remote log into the laptop that is connected to the tv from the one that is setting next to me on the couch; without anything required from the other laptop like authentication or approval or anything like that. I just want to be able to dive into her computer, so I can switch movies. Whilst still being as secure as possible from being remoted in by outsiders =) Is this possible?

The laptop connected to the tv is XP SP3, and my laptop is Vista Home Basic SP1.

[frostbyte5014]

Methical,

I would use remote desktop (terminal service). You can create an rdp connector and save the login info. Then all you have to do is double click the rdp icon and your connected. This would be the easiest way although their are numerous other ways.

[abe]

i dont understand the setup, but rdp is the way to go, IF you have a network setup.

[Methical]

Yeah we are on a network sorry. Just installed the new wireless network bout 3 weeks ago. Behind a Netgear router.

[LunchBox]

if you want a tool other than RDP you can still logmein. However, like frostbyte5014 said, you can save the login information and upon double clicking it you will be connected. Although, if you are doing RDP it will log out the person that is on the laptop there fore you will be in a different windows session. That is why I mentioned logmein.

[Omnicef]

I think VNC is a better solution in this case. If you use RDP, it will lock the screen on the TV. I do this all the time.

[dhrandy]

You can also give Teamviewer (http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx) a try. You can setup a login password to the computer that you want to remote into and that's it. When ever you want to log-in simply enter the ID and password and your in.

I have this setup on my HTPC and had it setup on my server before I combined it with my HTPC. It worked great.

[SOHO-NZ]

Remote Desktop (rdp) is only standard with XP Pro, not home, and yes, the screen (TV) will go blank whilst you are connected to the remote host.

For this setup, I would normally choose UltraVNC.

[gadz00ks1]

I would use UVNC...and save the connection info. This way all you have to do is double click the connection icon. I use this setup at home on my wifes laptop.

[studiot]

my laptop is usually sitting on the arm of the couch beside me;

One of my customers runs a carpentry business.

Every night for about a year he came home and sat in his well upholstered armchair. He typed his days work into his shiny new laptop, perched on the arm of this chair.

After a year he brought it to me with the GPU burned out through overheating.

Needless to say he had not backed up his years accounts either.

Result: new motherboard.

[Doctor Micro]

I'm not sure about Vista Basic, but I do know that Vista Business, Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 RC all have RDP. If your partner's laptop is XP Pro, you can create an RDP session and save it to your desktop for easy connection later.

XP does not natively support Link Layer Topology, but you can download a hotfix from Microsoft so the XP machine is discoverable on your Vista machine. You can download it from Microsoft here (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4F01A31D-EE46-481E-BA11-37F485FA34EA&displaylang=en).

[Kenhelms]

easiest would be ultravnc
http://www.uvnc.com/

or www.logmein.com

its free as well(just choose the free) as long as your station is connected to the web.

ultravnc does not care about Internet however.