TightVNC

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Mods might want to move this post to wherever it may fit best.

Over the last four months I’ve been using WinXP Remote Desktop and got hooked. However, the moment came when I needed to connect to a Windows 2000 Server machine from my WinXP PC. There’s no way Win2000S supports incoming Remote Desktop connections, so I had to look for an alternative. Here’s what I came up with:[indent]

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TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer. TightVNC is:

– , GPL-licensed, with full source code available;
– useful in remote administration, remote customer support, education, and for many other purposes;
– cross-platform, available for Windows and Unix, compatible with other VNC software.

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Whereas it does not integrate quite as well as RD, TightVNC does its job alright. I’m open to suggestions from other loungers, though.

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Since I’m a regular user of Real VNC, I’m interested in finding out what the differences are between the products. Your link has further links to the VNC pages but I’m having trouble discerning that what the differences are in the two products. What am I missing on why I should (would) switch from Real VNC to Tight VNC?

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I’m new to VNC — either normal or Tigth. I happened to find opinions favoring Tight VNC somewhere, so I chose it, but without strong arguments as I was hurried. Somebody?

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Al,

I think sometime ago I mentioned SourceForge.net: UltraVNC. I’ve been using it at work for quite a while now. I really like the tabbed viewer where connections to multiple systems can be opened in the same UltraVnc instance. It also has a file transfer capability which we don’t really need at work. See UltraVnc: Remote Desktop Support Software, Remote Support tool, Remote Desktop Control, Remote Access Software, PC Remote Control, Pcanywhere Alternative, GotoMyPC Alternative for more details.

Joe

--Joe

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I use UltraVNC to connect to servers on other sides of firewalls and over WANs and such. Unlike my experiences with the Remote Desktop tool, I find UV very reliable.

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There’s no way Win2000S supports incoming Remote Desktop connections, so I had to look for an alternative.

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[/indent]I may be misreading the article, but have you tried using the Remote Desktop Client software, or do you know for definite that it doesn’t work on Windows 2000 Server?

In passing you might like to check for the later version of the RDP 5.2 software, which Microsoft hasn’t publicised, even a little bit, but is available from Daniel Petri’s website.

John

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Hello John,

The links you provided and other Internet resources offer the client portion of RD. What I need is to connect from WinXP to Win2000 Server. So, WinXP would play the client role (no problem, WinXP can be both client and server) and Win2000 Server the server one. I couldn’t find a server part of RD available anywhere, or maybe it’s me the one getting things wrong .

As I mentioned, I solved my needs with TightVNC. Now that Joe and Jim throwed in some comments favoring UltraVNC I’ll try to give it a whirl too when I have some time.

Thanks

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I use Remote Desktop to connect from one XP Pro PC to another XP Pro PC (and occasionally from there to our Windows 2003 server!). You’re right that I haven’t hunted for Remote Desktop on Windows Server 2003…

Would you consider trying to install the Remote Desktop software on your WIndows 2000 server “to see what happens”?

John

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Hello John,

> Would you consider trying to install the Remote Desktop software on your WIndows 2000 server “to see what happens”?

I try not to install more than necessary on our Win2000 Server machines, since they are brand new and very powerful when compared to the rest of the organization’s. I don’t want to be pointed at when someone asks “who the heck…?”
I needed to make a remote connection because these servers are in a refrigerated room and it’s Winter down here (as I type I’m down with a mild flu). When I first read the articles on the client RD software my first idea was to give it a try anyway to see what happens, as you say; but feeling it wouldn’t work I tried finding an alternative instead.
I was pretty hurried and didn’t have time to post here, so I made a quick search and came up with Tight VNC, which works. I like RD’s capability to send key combinations such as ctrl-alt-del or alt-tab directly to the remote computer, which TVNC lacks, but still I manage to do my job.

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A really nice feature of UltraVNC is the “SingleClick” feature, which allows a client to download and run a selfcontained version of the server which will initiate the connection with the viewer, thus bypassing the need to configure the remote firewall (handy for communicating with my dad’s computer – which I locked down in the first place!).

It’s a bit tricky to get going if you want to use one of the encryption plugins, but does eventually work if you include the plugin in the uploaded zip file (contrary to the instructions), and include the full path to the plugin in the viewer command line (the significance of these comments is clear in conjunction with the instructions on the site) – http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/addons/singleclick.html%5B/url%5D

I should add, the worst thing about UltraVNC is the documentation.

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diegol,

Sorry this is so late, but I’m learning all this stuff now, and thought I’d throw some added knowledge out for you. I’m assuming you’re running an active directory environment…There is an add-in available for your purpose called Terminal services. If you install terminal services on your servers and clients (add remove windows components), you’ll be able to remote in and perform administrative tasks. You won’t take over any currently connected user session (that’s what Remote Assistance is for), but if the room is as cold as you say, most people won’t be at machine anyways. After you install terminal services, you’d have to set the permissions on the server to allow incoming remote connections, and you can then type http://localhost/tsweb in IE and you will be brought to a screen that asks you to type in the server name. You type in the local server name, and it will establish a remote session from there. You can log in with your administrator credentials and administer as you please

This is a solely Windows© solution, but was made specifically for the purpose you want to use it for.

MS KB start point for W2k server Terminal services

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Yes, Remote Desktop is a variant of the MicroSoft Terminal Services Client software (the partial giveaway is that you run MSTSC.EXE!).

I checked our Windows Server 2003 this morning and you can Remote Desktop from there to (say) a Windows XP PC as well as the more usual vice-versa.

John

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Thanks for the confirmation I’m still learning about the in’s and out’s of AD and Windows server environments….I just passed my 70-290 exam today

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I just passed my 70-290 [Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment] exam today

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[/indent]Congratulations! But you know you shouldn’t have said that — I now know who to ask when I get problems!

John

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Thanks…wait until after I get 291 out of the way . I look forward to helping where I can; it will make me learn more…

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Hi, Jeremy!

Excuse my taking so long to reply. I’ve barely had time to check mail these days.

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this! I couldn’t check it out yet, but if the GUI is similar to RD’s then you’ll have made some people very happy!

I haven’t written any exams so I’ll tell you what I know in my rudimentary words. We have three Win2000 Server machines, one of which is acting as the domain controller. The other two are the ones I need to remotely connect to from XP workstations.

I hope I can get hands to this some time next week. I’ll post back as soon as I do.

Thanks!

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It’s exactly like RD, except that there’s no user on the other end losing control of the machine or watching what you’re doing. Good luck

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What you describe is more like a TightVNC connection — when I make a RD connection, things are more or less like this:
a) If there’s no user logged on in the remote machine, I log on with my user and locally shows a “computer locked” screen;
If my user had locked the remote machine, it unlocks it for me to work remotely (stays locked for local use);
c) If there’s another user working there (remotely or physically) I get prompted that I’m about to kick them off. If I proceed, their session is closed and I log on.

At no time would anyone be able to see what I’m doing or lose control… partially, that is, because they either work comfortably or get kicked for good. So your description makes me think Terminal Services works a whole lot like RD!

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Terminal services allows you to make an additional connection to the server; transparent to any user locally logged on. I believe terminal services will only support two active connections in such a manner (don’t confuse active connections for terminal services with active connections for shared files)…

RD should only lock a computer that is currently in use; not kick them off. No warning or anything of the sort, but it doesn’t kick them off. HTH

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Hi Jeremy,

I’ve just installed the client part of Terminal Services (I found TS were already configured in the Server). It looks good so far, except for the fact it won’t capture keystrokes such as Alt-Tab such as RD does.

BTW, I followed this article to get things working, because as usual MS resources seem to lead nowhere or take much more time than one is able to devote.

Thanks!

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Diegol,

That’s a good article…MS doesn’t always document their work as well as we’d like, but it’s fairly intuitive once you’ve established the connection. If TightVNC works for you, by all means. I was just bringing light to RD and Terminal Services, that’s all.

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> I was just bringing light to RD and Terminal Services, that’s all.

And I appreciate it. What I like about TS over TVNC is that when you establish a connection it’s transparent to the server machine, ie, you open a separate connection/session. With TVNC you kind of use the same connection, thus leaving the server side open for occasional marauders’ intrusion after logging on. It’s hard to explain why, but our physical security leaves a lot to be desired.

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Solution here

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