Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 About Access Remote PC

Access Remote PC is a computer program that lets you access your PC from another PC via any Internet, LAN, or phone connection and work on your computer remotely as if you were sitting in front of it. Access Remote PC works over any network which supports standard TCP/IP protocol.

1.2 Features

• Lightweight (just 1 MB in size)
• Transparently works through firewalls, routers, and supports dynamic IP addresses via our optional RPC subscription service.
• Fast screenshot updates without using driver technology.
• Fast response time on low latency networks including slow dial up connections.
• Full-featured secure file transfer lets you access files on the remote computer and securely transfer them between local and remote computers in any direction.
• Remote cursor shape support provides better feedback by letting you view the shape of the cursor on the remote host.
• Clipboard transfer automatically or manually syncronizes the clipboards of the remote and local computers making it easy to copy and paste text between two machines.
• Remote PC shortcuts let you create file-based shortcuts to remote computers. Double clicking a shortcut takes you directly to the remote computer.
• Full screen option lets you view the entire screen of the remote computer without having to scroll.
• NT service mode lets you access logon screen, and send Ctrl-Alt-Del to the remote computer.
• View-only mode lets you view the screen and mouse movements on the remote computer.
• Pause and Refresh lets you pause screen updates and manually refresh them one frame at a time.
• Command-line interface lets you automate such tasks as installing the software, controlling the server, or running the client.
• Drop down list of hosts available on the LAN automatically remembers host names and IP addresses and saves you from typing them manually into the address box. Automatically locates all computers available for remote control on your network within 2 seconds.
• Automatically stops screenshot updates when window is minimized thus reducing load on the remote computer and the network when the program is not used.
• HTTP/HTTPS proxy support (supports both GET/POST and CONNECT methods)

• Password protection lets you password protect access to your computer. Remote PC Access uses Secure Remote Passwords (SRP) technology for authentication and key exchange. See also RFC 2945
• Strong 160-bit RC4-compatible industry standard encryption ensures that no one else can view the information transmitted over the network. (RC4 is a trademark of RSA Security Inc)
• CRC integrity checking is applied to the data stream before encryption to ensure that no one can change the information while it is traveling over public networks. Any change is detected and results in an immediate disconnect.
• Unlimited user accounts let you provide remote access to a computer to any number of users with separate username/password combinations.
• Individual permissions for each account let you specify what each user can and what he cannot do on your computer.
• NT integrated authentication lets you use password management built into operating system.
• Logging writes information about every session to an MS Office-readable log file.
• Optional manual acknowledgement of incoming connections for selected user accounts.
• More about security...

• Well thought-out user interface will save you time, effort, and frustration.
• One button switch between file transfer and remote screen.
• Server icon in the system's tray provides single click access to the server window and all of its settings.
• Hide icon option lets administrators hide the server's icon from the system's tray so that the users won't accidentally or intentionally close the program.
• List of connected users lets you view the users connected to the server and forcibly disconnect individual users.

• Two-pane UI design
• Each pane can display either remote or local files
• Classic keyboard interface
• Supports drag and drop
• Supports cut/copy and paste
• Resumes broken uploads and downloads
• Safe authentication, encryption, and integrity checking
• Multiple user accounts
• Transparent on-the-fly file compression for faster transfers
• Access control lets you restrict access to a particular folder, and restrict operations to browse, upload, download, delete
• Ability to copy files between folders on the remote computer
• Transfer individual files or entire folders
• Displays progress while copying and lets you abort any lengthy operation
• Supports background operation
• File viewer
• Translates file times when copying between different time zones
• Calculates size of folders on the local or remote computer

1.3 Security

1.3.1 Authentication

Access to a remote PC is controlled by username and password. Access Remote PC uses Secure Remote Passwords (SRP) technology for authentication and key exchange. See also RFC 2945.

SRP provides the following security features:

1. SRP is safe against snooping. The password is never passed over the network, either in the clear or encrypted.
2. SRP is immune to replay attacks. None of the information exchanged during authentication can be re-used to gain access to a server using SRP.
3. SRP provides mutual authentication.
4. SRP securely exchanges a session key in the process of authentication. This key is used to encrypt the user's login session and protect it from both snooping and malicious active attack.
5. SRP resists offline dictionary attack based on exchanged messages. The traffic exchanged over the network is insufficient to verify a guess of a user's password.
6. SRP offers perfect forward secrecy. A compromised password will not allow an intruder to decrypt past sessions. A compromised session key will not allow an intruder to find out a password. This includes resistance to the infamous Denning-Sacco attack; a compromised session key will not permit an attacker to mount a dictionary attack against the password.

1.3.2 Encryption and Integrity Checking

The communication channel between connected parties is always encrypted with RC4 compatible algorithm seeded with a 160-bit key negotiated during SRP authentication process (RC4 is a trademark of RSA Security Inc). To ensure data integrity, CRC32 checksums are computered prior to encrypting the information and verified after decrypting.

Remember that any security chain is only as strong as its weakest link. While the cryptographic technologies used by Access Remote PC are very secure, the weakest link in the security chain will always be your password. When choosing a password, avoid the use of any word or words that can be found in a dictionary. If you must use words, use nonsense words or intentionally misspelled words. Change your passwords on a regular basis.

1.3.3 Access Control

You can grant access to your PC to any number of users. For each user you can create a separate account with a separate username and password and specify one or more of the following access rights:

• View screen
• Control keyboard and mouse
• Access file system, which can be further restricted to:
  • Specific folder
  • Upload
  • Download
  • Delete
• Require a live person on the host computer to accept a connection

You specify access rights for each user when you create user accounts. You can change the access rights at any time by editing a user account on the Users and Passwords page of the Remote PC Server window.

Note: if "Access file system" permission is granted but Upload, Download, and Delete permissions are denied, it would allow the connected party to browse the files on the entire system or within the specified folder without being able to take any other action. This can be useful if you want to allow only browsing but should be avoided otherwise.

Note: if you check the box "allow access ONLY if accepted by live person on this end of the connection" then a popup window will be displayed that would allow you to manually accept or deny a connection to your computer.

Live connections to your PC are listed on the Active Connections page of the server's window. You can forcibly disconnect an active connection by selecting it and pressing the Disconnect button.

1.3.4 Logging

The following information is logged:

date-time	Date and time when the session started
c-ip	Client's IP address
s-ip	Server's IP address
s-port	Server's port
sc-status	Authentication status: 0 - authorized; 4 - wrong username; 12 - wrong password
cs-username	Client's username
cs-method	Client's permissions
sc-bytes	Bytes sent
cs-bytes	Bytes received
time-taken	Length of the session in milliseconds

1.4 Licensing

By installing and using the Access Remote PC, you agree to the terms and conditions of the End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Access Remote PC.

You can freely use and redistribute both server and client. The free license does not expire. Both client and server have limitations that can be removed by purchasing a paid license. The license needs to be purchased for only ONE of the computers (either server or client, but not both). Please note that you get FREE LIFETIME UPGRADES with the purchase of any license of Access Remote PC.

When a free version of client connects to a free version of server, the server accepts the connection in the trial mode. In the trial mode, the server decrements a 30-use counter every time a trial connection is established. When the counter reaches 0, the free server will stop accepting trial connections.

If you want to use Access Remote PC beyond the trial period you need to buy a paid license. We offer three licensing plans: per server licensing, per client licensing, and subscription service. You can find more information about licensing and pricing on our Web site www.access-remote-pc.com and over the toll-free phone in the US: (800) 959-2096.

2. Installation

2.1 Installing Access Remote PC Software

Access Remote PC (ARPC) consists of two programs:

• Remote PC Server - this program must be running on the remote system to be able to control it remotely.
• Remote PC Client - this program must be used on the connecting computer to view the screen of a remote system and control its keyboard and mouse.

By installing and using the Access Remote PC software, you agree to the terms and conditions of the End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Access Remote PC software.

Both server and client are distributed in a single installation package in a form of an executable Installation Wizard which is available for free download at access-remote-pc.com. Additionally, we provide a standalone free client (packaged as a single executable) that does not require installation.

Important: On NT/2000/XP operating systems if you want to be able to access your computer remotely after restart, to perform log off, or send Ctrl-Alt-Del you must run the Installation Wizard under an account with administrative privileges. Installing ARPC from a non-administrative account may fail or install the program without these features.

Important: Setup Wizard does not create a user account on the server. In order to remotely connect to your computer you must create a user account on the Users and Passwords page of the Server window. Remote PC Server always requires a password to access your computer. If you don't create an account after installing the program, nobody (including you) will be able to access it remotely. You can learn more about security features of the product in the Security section.

If you want to install Access Remote PC silently, you should use the following command line options:

rpcsetup.exe -server -silent -hideicon -user USERNAME -pass PASSWORD

This will automatically install ARPC and create a user account with a full set of permissions.

These command line options are useful when deploying Access Remote PC Server across network.

To learn more about command-line options, see the Command Line Interface section.

2.2 Deploying Access Remote PC across LAN

The fastest way to install Access Remote PC on every PC on a local area network is to run the Installation Wizard on every computer with the following command line options:

rpcsetup.exe -server -silent -hideicon -user USERNAME -pass PASSWORD

All command line options are described in the Command Line Interface section.

2.3 Uninstallation

Uninstall shortcut is added to the Programs group in the Windows Start menu at installation. Access Remote PC can also be uninstalled from the Windows Add/Remove Programs Control Panel.

Alternatively, you can use command line interface:

rpcsetup.exe -uninstall

To uninstall silently use the following options:

rpcsetup.exe -silent -uninstall

Uninstallation process removes the Access Remote PC files from disk and settings from the Windows registry.

2.4 Command Line Interface

Usage: rpcsetup.exe <switches> <optional path to .rpc file>

A switch must begin with / or -. Path is valid only when used with the /client switch to connect to computer referred to by a Remote PC Shortcut file (.rpc).

General switches:
/silent	Run silently. When this switch is used the program does not show dialogs and message boxes. Use command line switches to control the operation of the program. You can use the /log switch to log all events generated by the program to a text file.
/log PATH	Log all events to the file specified by the PATH. Paths with spaces must be enclosed in quotation marks. If path is omitted, log file will be created in the same directory as rpcsetup.exe with the name <ComputerName-DateTime>.log
Setup switches: (used only when installing or upgrading existing installation)
/installdir PATH	Install to the specified directory. Paths with spaces must be enclosed in quotation marks. Default is "Access Remote PC" in the Program Files directory.
/ntserviceoff	Do not install NT service. By default, the service is installed. Note that NT service can be installed only under account with administrative privileges. This switch is ignored on non NT platforms.
/autostartoff	Do not start server at Windows startup. Valid for all Windows platforms. By default the server is installed with autostart turned on.
/noshortcuts	Do not create program group in the Start menu. You can also exclude individual shortcuts from the Start menu using the following command line switches:
/noclientshortcut	Exclude client shortcut from the Start menu
/noservershortcut	Exclude server shortcut from the Start menu
/nouninstallshortcut	Exclude uninstall shortcut from the Start menu
/nodocshortcut	Exclude documentation shortcut from the Start menu
/uninstall	Run uninstall. To uninstall silently, use in combination with the /silent switch.
Client switches: (client switches cannot be mixed with server switches)
/client	Run Remote PC Client. You can optionally specify a path to Remote PC Shortcut file (.rpc) to automatically connect and login to a remote system.
/fullscreen	Start Remote PC Client in fullscreen mode
Server switches: (server switches cannot be mixed with client switches)
/server	Run Remote PC Server.
/port PORT	Use specified port number.
/autostart	Start server at Windows startup. On Windows NT platforms (NT4.0/2000/XP) this switch is ignored if NT service is not installed and the program is started under account without administrative privileges.
/autostartoff	Do not start server at Windows startup.
/win32	This switch is valid only for Windows NT platforms (NT4.0/2000/XP). It instructs the server to run as Win32 application. Without this switch the server starts as NT service provided the NT service was installed.
/hideicon	Do not show the tray icon in the Task bar. This setting is preserved across sessions. To show the icon again, use the /showicon.
/showicon	Show the tray icon in the Task bar. This setting is preserved across sessions.
The following switches can be used to create a user account from the command line (the order of the switches is not important):
/user USERNAME	Mandatory
/pass PASSWORD	Mandatory
/userdir DIRECTORY	Optional. Defaults to "unrestricted".
/perm PERMISSIONS	Optional. Defaults to 127 ("all permissions"). Permissions is a number that can be calculated by adding the numbers corresponding to individual permissions: View screen 1 Control keyboard and mouse 2 Upload files 4 Download files 8 Delete files 16 Browse files 32 Allow connections to unattended sessions 64 All permissions 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = 127
/ntauth	Use NT integrated authentication for the created account.
/ntgroup	When used with /ntauth, specifies that the username is NT security group name.
The following switches control RPC Service settings on the server:
rpc-number RPC-NUMBER	Set RPC Number to be used to connect to this computer
rpc-password PASSWORD	Set password provided with the RPC Number when signing up for the service
rpc-enable	Enable the RPC service
rpc-disable	Disable the RPC service

3. Using Access Remote PC

3.1 Connecting to a Remote System

3.1.1 Connecting to a computer on the same LAN

Type in the name of the remote computer into the "Remote computer" box of the client's window and press Connect button. You can also use the IP address or RPC Number (if available) of the remote compurter instead of the computer's name. Typicaly you should know names of computers on your LAN. In case you don't, the name is displayed on the Addresses page of the server's window running on the computer you want to access. If you have trouble connecting by name, use IP address.

3.1.2 Connecting over the Internet

We recommended to use RPC Subscription Service to connect over the Internet. RPC Subscription Service is an exclusive optional feature of Access Remote PC. It provides seamless, hassle-free connectivity even if remote computer cannot be accessed directly via its IP address. It lets you access any PC regardless of firewalls, routers, and dynamic IP addresses.

The rest of this section and entire section 3.1.3 describe IP connectivity over the Internet. If you have signed up for an RPC number, you may skip this.

The remote system which is running Remote PC Server can have one or more network addresses. Network address must be known prior to connecting to a remote system. Access Remote PC can connect to any PC which has an accessible IP address. IP addresses of a computer are listed on the Addresses page of the Server's window. In most cases the IP addresses used on a LAN and on the Internet are different. If a remote PC is connected both to LAN and directly to the Internet it will have two IP addresses. Please note that IP address numbering used within LANs and on the Internet are different. Addresses beginning with 192.168. 172.16-31. and 10. are used exclusively on LANs and cannot be used on the Internet. When listing IP addresses on the Addresses page (server window), ARPC marks them as either Internet or Local network. You should use an Internet IP address to connect over the Internet.

THE FOLLOWING MAY PREVENT YOU FROM CONNECTING TO A REMOTE COMPUTER VIA IP ADDRESS.

1. If the server computer is behind a firewall you should configure your firewall to allow incoming connections on port 34012 (or the port which you specified on the General page of the server's window) or disable the firewall. Additionally, software firewalls installed on the same computer as ARPC may allow or deny Internet access to specific programs. You should make sure that ARPC is listed among these programs. Please see your firewall's documentation on how to configure your firewall.

2. If the server computer is connected to the Internet through a NAT router (a router which uses Network Address Translation) you should configure your router to use port forwarding on port 34012. Please see your router's documentation on how to configure port forwarding on your router. Note that when connecting to a computer behind a router you should specify the router's IP address. If you set up Remote PC Server to use a different port, you should specify this port when connecting with the Remote PC Client this way: ip:port (example: 192.0.2.15:80). Otherwise, the client will try to connect to the default port 34012. See Router Configuration Guide for more details.

3. Most ISPs assign dynamic IP addresses to computers. This means that IP address can be changed at any time by the ISP. You should ask your ISP for a static IP for your server computer or use our RPC Subscription Service.

4. If your server computer is connected to the Internet via HTTP proxy server you should specify the proxy address in Network Settings on the server (Internet page) AND use RPC Subscription Service.

5. If your client computer is connected to the Internet via HTTP proxy server you should specify the proxy address in Network Options on the client (Tools menu). In this case, RPC Subscription Service is not required by the client but may be required by the server.

3.1.3 Connecting to Computers Located Behind a Router

1. Routers that let you specify both external and internal ports. Packets that arrive to the router at port X are forwarded by the router to port Y at IP address N.
2. Routers that let you specify a single port number. This router type cannot forward between different ports. Packets that arrive to the router at port X are forwarded by the router to the same port X at another IP address N.

3.1.4 Configuring ARPC to work with HTTP/HTTPS proxies

Regardless of whether you use RPC subscription service or not, you may have to configure ARPC (either client, server, or both) to work through HTTP proxy if this is the only route to the Internet on your local network. On the client, HTTP proxy settings are available under the Tools/Network Options menu. On the server, they can be accessed from the Internet page as Network Settings.

To specify HTTP proxy address, check the box "Connect through HTTP proxy" and type in the address of the proxy. HTTP proxy port may be specified in the separate Port box or (which may be more convenient) in the Address box this way: COMPUTER_NAME:PORT_NUMBER or IP_ADDRESS:PORT_NUMBER.

Starting from version 4.5 ARPC supports HTTP protocol regardless of whether you connect through HTTP proxy or not. ARPC server software and our online RPC Proxy Service now act as specialized Web servers and can accept both TCP and HTTP connections on the same port. We recommend to use TCP protocol. In case of connectivity problems you may also try HTTP protocol.

RPC Proxy Service can accept TCP and HTTP connections on 3 different ports (80, 443, and 34013). By default, the connections are made to port 80 (the standard HTTP port). TCP connections via HTTP proxy are made using the CONNECT method. CONNECT method is used by HTTP proxies for secure HTTP (HTTPS). The default port for HTTPS is 443. If you are connecting via HTTP proxy and use the recommended TCP protocol, use should set the RPC Proxy port number to 443 because most HTTP proxies do not allow CONNECT to ports other than 443.

3.1.5 Connecting via Phone

To be able to dial in to a remote computer you should set up remote computer to accept incoming calls (see instruction below for each OS) and create a dial-up connection on your local computer (see instruction below for each OS). Both computers should be equipped with modems. If you set up everything properly then you can leave the remote computer waiting for a call on a modem and connect to it from anywhere you can find a phone jack. After dialing, select Connect to Dial Up Server from the Connection menu on the client.

Accepting incoming calls on

• Windows 95/98
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP

Creating a dial-up connection on

• Windows 95/98
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP

Accepting incoming calls on Windows 95/98

I. Install the Dial-Up Server

To install the Dial-Up Networking Server component, follow these steps:

Windows 95:

NOTE: These steps assume that you have already installed Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs tool.
2. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Plus! For Windows 95.
3. Click Add/Remove.
4. Click the Dial-Up Networking Server check box to select it, and then click Continue.

Windows 98:

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs tool.
2. On the Windows Setup tab, double-click Communications.
3. Click the Dial-Up Networking Server check box to select it, and then click OK.

II. Enable the Dial-Up Server

To configure a computer to be a Dial-Up Networking server, follow these steps:

1. In My Computer, double-click the Dial-Up Networking folder.
2. On the Connections menu, click Dial-Up Server.
3. Click Allow Caller Access.
4. If you want to require remote users to enter a password when they connect to your computer using Dial-Up Networking, click Change Password and enter the password you want to use.
   - OR -
   If you are using user-level security for peer resource sharing, select the users who have access to this dial-up server. Then click OK.
5. Click OK.

NOTE: Windows 98 and 98 (SE) users can install Dial-up Networking 1.4 (DUN 1.3 update package ) that improves the performance, reliability, and security of Windows-based communications.

Accepting incoming calls on Windows 2000

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
2. Double-click Make New Connection, to start the New Connection Wizard. Click Next.
3. On the Network Connections Type dialog box, click Accept Incoming Connections, and then click Next.
4. On the Devices for Incoming Connections dialog box, select your modem device, and then click Next.
5. On the Incoming Virtual Private Connection dialog box, click Do not allow virtual private connections, and then click Next.
6. On the Allowed Users dialog box, select or add all users for whom you want to enable access. When dialing to this computer you will be asked for username and password. These must match the user accounts you specified on this page. Click next.
7. On the Networking Components dialog box, make sure the TCP/IP protocol is checked. Remove other components because they are not necessary for Access Remote PC but may have associated security risks if you enable them.
8. On the Completing the Network Connection Wizard dialog box, the connection name is "Incoming Connections" by default and the name cannot be changed.
9. Click Finish.
10. Make sure dial-up services are started. If they are not started already, start the "Remote Access Connection Manager" and "Routing and Remote Access" services from within the Services applet found in the Start Menu > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.

Accepting incoming calls on Windows XP

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
2. In the Network Connections window, click Create New Connection to start the New Connection Wizard.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. On the Network Connections Type dialog box, click Set up an advanced connection, and then click Next.
5. On the Advanced Connection Options dialog box, click Accept Incoming Connections, and then click Next.
6. On the Devices for Incoming Connections dialog box, select your modem device, and then click Next.
7. On the Incoming Virtual Private Connection dialog box, click Do not allow virtual private connections, and then click Next.
8. On the Allowed Users dialog box, select or add all users for whom you want to enable access. When dialing to this computer you will be asked for username and password. These must match the user accounts you specified on this page. Click next.
9. On the Networking Components dialog box, make sure the TCP/IP protocol is checked. Remove other components because they are not necessary for Access Remote PC but may have associated security risks if you enable them.
10. On the Completing the Network Connection Wizard dialog box, the connection name is "Incoming Connections".
11. Click Finish.
12. Make sure dial-up services are started. If they are not started already, start the "Remote Access Connection Manager" and "Routing and Remote Access" services from within the Services applet found in the Start Menu > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.

Creating a dial-up connection on Windows 95/98

To create a Dial-Up Networking connection, follow these steps:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon and then double-click the Dial-Up Networking icon.
2. Double-click Make New Connection.

   Notes:
   

   • If you have not created a connection previously, the Make New Connection Wizard starts automatically.
   • If you have not installed a modem in Windows 95, the Install New Modem Wizard appears. Follow the instructions to install a modem.
3. In the Type a name for the computer you are dialing box, type a name for the connection. Verify that the correct modem is selected, and then click Next.
4. Type the area code and telephone number for the connection, select the appropriate country code for the remote server you are dialing, and then click Next.
5. Click Finish to add an icon for this connection to the Dial-Up Networking folder.

Configuring the Connection

To configure the new connection, follow these steps:

1. Use the right mouse button to click the new connection, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
2. Click Server Type and configure the settings to match the remote server.

   NOTE: It is usually best to leave the Advanced Options settings alone. Change these settings only if you are having problems connecting to the server.

3. Select the network protocols in use on the server. TPC/IP checkbox must be checked.
4. Click OK, and then click OK again.

Creating a dial-up connection on Windows 2000

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
2. In the Network and Dial-up Connections window, double-click Make New Connection.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. On the Network Connection Type dialog box, click Dial-up to private network. Click Next.
5. Select your modem device and click Next.
6. Enter the phone number you are dialing. Click Next.
7. If you wish to make this connection available to all users of the computer, click For all users (Default). If you have different logon profiles for each user of the computer and do not wish other users to use this connection, click Only for myself.
8. Type in a name for this connection. Click Finish.
9. See notes below for additional steps required to connect to a Windows 95/98 system.

Creating a dial-up connection on Windows XP

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
2. In the Network Connections window, click Create New Connection to start the New Connection Wizard.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. On the Network Connections Type dialog box, Click Connect to the network at my workplace, and then click Next.
5. On the Advanced Connection Options dialog box, click Accept Incoming Connections, and then click Next.
6. Click Dial-up connection, click Next, and then follow the instructions in the New Connection Wizard.
7. Make sure dial-up services are started. If they are not started already, start the "Remote Access Connection Manager" and "Routing and Remote Access" services from within the Services applet found in the Start Menu > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.

NOTE: to be able to connect 2000/XP client to 95/98 dial-up server and you MUST do these additional steps on a 2000/XP system:

1. Right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
2. Right-click the connection you just created and then click Properties.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Select Advanced (custom settings) and click Settings.
5. Check Allow older MS-CHAP version for Windows 95 servers.
6. Select OK to save settings.
7. Click OK again to close the dialog.

Additional notes about dial-up networking

1. Windows NT/2000 computer, you must enter a non-empty User Name and Password. The User Name must match an existing user account with a valid password. The account must have a dial in permission.

   For systems authenticated via Windows NT/2000 Domain Server the user must have an account with a dial in permission at the Domain Server.

    

2. Windows XP computer, you must enter a non empty User Name and Password unless the "Allow remote access to local user accounts without passwords" under the Dial-Up Options/View panel is checked, in which case you will not need a Password. Your User Name must be a user account (with Dial in Permission) on the Windows XP computer you are dialing into. By default, Windows XP accounts do not have passwords and remote access for these accounts is disabled. You must therefore either set a Password for the accounts you wish to use remotely or check the above-mentioned setting.

   If the Windows XP computer you are dialing in is on a network and if a Windows NT/2000/XP Domain server authenticates user accounts on that network, then your User Name must have a user account with matching Password (with Dial in Permission) on that Windows NT/2000/XP Domain server.

    

3. Windows 95/98/Me computer, you must have a User Name. What name you put in does not matter, any name works. Whether you have to specify a password or not is dependent on the following conditions:

   (a) If the Windows 95/98/Me computer has no Dial-Up Networking Password then DO NOT put in a password in your phone book.

   (b) If the Windows 95/98/Me has a Dial-Up Networking Password then put that password in your phone book.

   If the Windows 95/98/Me computer you are dialing in is on a network and if a Windows NT/2000/XP Domain server authenticates user accounts on that network, then your User Name must have a user account with matching Password (with Dial in Permission) on that Windows NT/2000/XP Domain server.

   Also you must make sure that the user who logged into the Windows 95/98/Me computer you are dialing, has Read/Write or Full access privileges to any folders on the File Server you want to access.

    

3.2 Remote PC Client Reference

3.2.1 Remote PC Shortcuts and Their Uses

Remote PC Client remembers addresses of the last 15 PCs you connected to and lets you choose them from a drop down list instead of typing them over and over again in the Address box. But if you have more than 15 PCs to control, want to organize the PCs in folders, or to arrange them on your Desktop, you need to create Remote PC Shortcuts.

Remote PC Shortcuts are small files that can be placed on the Desktop, in a Windows Start Menu, on the Quick Launch bar, or in disk folders and let you launch a window with a screen of a remote PC by just double-clicking a shortcut. Each shortcut file contains address of a remote PC and may optionally contain the username and password.

To create a Remote PC Shortcut, connect to a remote PC and save the connection info into a file by choosing Save As.. from the Connection Menu.

Remote PC shortcuts are text files with the .rpc extension. You can create them manually. An example of a shortcut:

Host: 192.168.0.17         // address of a remote PC: network name, IP, domain name, or RPC number
Port: 34012                // optional (ignored if Host specifies RPC number)
Login: username            // optional
Password: password         // optional
Type: view                 // optional (possible values: view, control, file)
HostName: my home computer // optional (any name to be dispayed instead of the host address)
BPP: 16                    // optional (possible values: 4, 8, 16, 32)
ShowCursor: 0              // optional (1 - show remote cursor, 0 - do not show)

3.2.2 File Transfer

 

Key	Command
Tab	Switch between panes.
Alt-F1	Select drive for the left pane.
Alt-F2	Select drive for the right pane.
F2	Rename selected file or folder. No action if multiple files are selected.
F3	View file.
F4	Edit file in notepad (edit and upload for remote files).
F5	Copy selected files to the opposite pane
F6	Move selected files to the opposite pane. Works similar to F5 but deletes the source file when copying is finished.
F7	Create folder in the active pane (the one with the blue selection in it).
Ctrl-A	Select all files in the active pane.
Ctrl-R	Refresh the active pane.
Ctrl-D	Show used size, free size, and total size of the current disk in the active pane
Ctrl-S	Toggle active panel between local and remote view
Backspace or Ctrl-Page Up	Return to parent folder.
Delete	Delete selected files.
Alt-Enter	Show properties of the selected files.
Space	Calculate size of the selected folder.
Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Ins	Copy selected files to internal clipboard.
Ctrl-V or Shift-Ins	Paste files from internal clipboard to the active pane.

Tip: You can copy and move files between folders on the remote computer using cut and paste keyboard shortcuts. All file operations on the remote computer are performed without downloading them to the local computer.

When transferring files between local and remote computers the program automatically compresses files on the fly to achieve faster transfer rates.

3.2.3 Remote Printing

1. On the remote computer select Start Menu > Settings > Printers and Faxes > Add Printer to display the Add Printer Wizard.
2. Click Next.
3. Click Local Printer attached to this computer. Uncheck the box Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer. Click Next.
4. On the Select a Printer Port dialog box, click Use the following port and select FILE: (Print to File). Click Next.
5. On the Install Printer Software dialog box, select your printer from the list or install the printer software from disk if your model is not listed. Click Next.
6. On the Name Your Printer dialog box, type a name for your printer or choose the default name. Click Next.
7. On the Printer Sharing dialog box, choose whether you want to share the printer on the remote LAN and click Next.
8. On the Print Test Page dialog box, select No and Click Next.
9. Click Finish.

3.2.4 Clipboard Transfers Between Computers

Access Remote PC lets you transfer clipboard between PCs. By default, the clipboards of connected PCs are synchronized automatically: when the clipboard changes on one PC it is automatically transferred to the other. You can change this behavior in the Options dialog window (located in the Tools menu). The Options window lets you turn on/off automatic transfers from server to client and from client to server independently. Regardless of these settings, you can always transfer clipboard manually: the Get Clipboard and Set Clipboard commands are available from the Tools menu.

Get Clipboard transfers clipboard from remote PC to local PC.
Set Clipboard transfers clipboard from local PC to remote PC. Client-server clipboard transfers are always performed without visual or audio feedback.

3.2.5 Keyboard And Mouse Issues

Mouse clicks and movements within the client window are translated to remote PC coordinates and transfered to the remote system.

Most keys (with some exceptions described below) typed while the client window is active are sent directly to remote system. Some keys require special handling such as Ctrl-Alt-Del. The Send Ctrl-Alt-Del command can be found in the Tools menu.

3.2.6 Screen Quality Vs. Speed

Access Remote PC can achieve real time updates (25-100 frames per second) on fast (over 512 Kbps) low latency connections such as LAN. On dial-up connections (3-6 Kbps) the frame rate can also be relatively fast with 1-2 frames per second.

By default (automatic mode setting in the Options window), Access Remote PC Client favors picture quality over the speed but if speed is really slow (e.g. a very slow dial-up connection) Access Remote PC Client can automatically lower picture quality. But you can control it. The Options window, which can be reached from the Tools menu, lists several options:

• Use settings of the remote host: the picture quality will be exactly as on the remote system (set in the Display Settings in the Windows Control Panel).
• 16-bpp mode (maximum 32768 colors): this is the recommended option if you want the picture quality to be high but not excessively high (which can slow down the frame rate by 30%). Note that if the remote PC's display is set to 256 color mode, Remote PC Access will operate in 256 color mode even if the setting is 32768 colors.
• 8-bpp mode (maximum 256 colors): a relatively good picture quality with a 30% or more faster transfer than 16 bpp mode.
• 4-bpp mode(maximum 16 colors): poor picture quality but fastest transfers.

3.2.7 Full-Screen Mode

If the remote PC's screen is larger than the screen on the controlling PC, scroll bars will be shown. This is very inconvenient so we recommend to lower the resolution of the remote PC's display to the screen resolution of the local PC or even lower.

If the Remote PC screen does not fit in the client window, maximize the client window. If the remote PC's screen is the same size as on the local PC, you can switch Access Remote PC Client to full-screen mode by pressing the full-screen button on the toolbar. To return back to the normal screen mode, press Ctrl-Esc key combination.

3.2.8 Connection Properties and Statistics

Some properties and statistics about the active connection are displayed in the Statistics window. To bring this window up, select Statistics from the Connection menu. This window displays average speed, BPP, frames received, bandwidth consumed, and many other properties.

3.2.9 Registering the Client

See the Licensing section for information on various licensing options. One of the options lets you license the Access Remote PC Client. Licensing the client will let you connect to free copies of server without having to buy licenses for them. After purchasing a client license you have to register the client by entering the license information into the program.

To register the client, select Register menu item from the Help menu and enter your registered name and key. To avoid any typing mistakes, copy the key from the email you received from us after registration and paste it into the Register window.

3.3 Access Remote PC Server Reference

3.3.1 Tray Icon and Server Window

3.3.2 NT/2000/XP: Application and Service Modes

On NT/2000/XP operating systems, the server can be run in either Application or Service mode. If the server was installed under an administrative account, it will automatically start as Service, otherwise the server will start as ordinary application. Remote PC Server can start at boot time and execute the Ctrl-Alt-Del command only in the Service mode. If the server is running as Service, it will show this on the General tab of the Server's window. If you installed Access Remote PC under non-administrative account but want the server to start automatically at boot time you do not need to reinstall the software. Instead, run the server under administrative account and check the box "Automatically start when Windows starts".

On Windows 95/98/Me the server always runs in the Service mode.

3.3.3 TCP/IP port setting

3.3.4 List of Active Connections

The list of active connections is the second tab in the Server Window. It lists all clients connected to your PC or just attempting to connect (in which case they will be listed as Authorizing). You can view the duration, bytes received, and bytes sent for each connection. The "Disconnect All" button lets you disconnect all currently connected clients. The "Disconnect Selected" button lets you disconnect selected clients. To select a single connection, click on it. To select several connections, hold Ctrl key while selecting individual connections.

3.3.5 List of Users and Passwords

Users and Passwords is the third tab on the Server Window. It lists all users authorized to connect to your PC. You can add new users, change user passwords, privileges, and delete users from this list. For each user account you can specify a username, password, and permissions. A user that has a View desktop permission but not the Control mouse and keyboard permission will be able to see the screen of your PC but will not be able to control keyboard and mouse of your PC. You can also allow or deny access to files on your computer. If the "Access file system" box is checked but all other boxes are clear, the user will be able to view file names on your computer. To let the user upload, download, or delete files you should check corresponding buttons. You can restrict access to a specific folder. If the folder is not specified, entire file system will be visible to the remote user.

3.3.6 Broadcasting

3.3.7 Registering the Server

See the Licensing section for information on various licensing options. All licensing options except one let you license the Remote PC Server. Licensing the server will let you use a free redistributable copy of the client to connect to a licensed PC running a registered copy of Access Remote PC Server. In other words, licensing the server will let you connect to a licensed PC from any computer (using Access Remote PC Client software) without having to pay for client licenses. After purchasing a server license you should register the server by entering your license information.

To register the server, press Enter Registration Key button on the General page of the server's window and enter your registered name and key. To avoid any typing mistakes, copy the key from the email you received from us and paste it into the Register window.

3.4 Helpdesk Functionality

3.4.1 Itroduction

If you provide computer support, you can log into your customer's computers from anywhere in the world and fix their problems remotely! Your customers don't have to install software, purchase licenses, or learn complex procedures.

This functionality is packaged as a small standalone utility Helpdesk.exe. It is a single executable file that does not require installation. The utility can be downloaded for free from our Web site. You should send this utility to a remote user (or the remote user can launch this utility from disk if it was saved to disk earlier) along with an access code that you generate using your standard ARPC client software.

When run, Helpdesk.exe displays a small window with a text box and the Go button. The remote user should paste the access code into the text box and press the button. If successful, you will see the remote user's desktop in your ARPC client software.

This procedure is extremely easy and simple for the remote user. For higher volume users we can even provide a single-button helpdesk.exe without the text box which is even simplier. However, this requires some configuration on the ARPC client side.

3.4.2 Direct TCP connectivity

If there is a direct TCP/IP connectivity between the remote user and you, you can purchase a software license (as opposed to purchasing a subscription). You can license either the server (helpdesk) or the client side. The liceses are exactly the same as for the non-helpdesk uses. The helpdesk.exe can also work in a trial mode which is implemented similarly to the server trial mode.

To initiate a helpdesk session, select Listen from the Connection menu on the ARPC client. Make sure that "Listen over helpdesk proxy" is unchecked, and press OK. The client will start waiting for a call from helpdesk.exe and display the access code that should be specified in the helpdesk.exe's text box by the remote user. By default, the client displays the computer name as the access code. The computer name will work only on the same LAN. However, you can use any IP address associated with the computer, including Internet IP addresses, as the access code. Only make sure that the IP address you choose is accessible from the remote user's computer.

3.4.3 RPC connectivity

In case direct TCP connectivity is not available or is not practical, you can purchase a Helpdesk Subsription service to get a Helpdesk number (similar to RPC number used in RPC Subscription Service). Refer to our Web site for a full list of licensing options.

Upon receiving your Helpdesk number and password, you should enter it in the ARPC client by selecting Helpdesk Setup from the Tools menu.

To initiate a helpdesk session, select Listen from the Connection menu on the ARPC client. Make sure that "Listen over helpdesk proxy" is checked, and press OK. The client will start waiting for a call from helpdesk.exe and display the access code that should be specified in the helpdesk.exe's text box by the remote user.

3.4.4 Security code

The security code is optional. You can choose anything as a security code. It is a kind of password that is used to ensure that nobody except the remote user can connect to your ARPC client while it is waiting for a call. Even if you don't specify it, it won't pose any security risk to your computer because it is the remote computer that is sharing its desktop and file system with you.

When specified, the security code is included in the access code generated by the ARPC client before the address and separated from it with a @ sign.

4. End-User License Agreement (EULA) for Access Remote PC

This End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between Access Remote PC, Inc. and an individual or a single entity who agrees and accepts the following terms and conditions by installing, copying, or otherwise using the software product identified above ("SOFTWARE PRODUCT").

The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold. This EULA does not give you any license to the copyrights or other intellectual property rights. All rights not expressly granted by this EULA are reserved to Access Remote PC, Inc.

DISTRIBUTION

You may distribute this program in unmodified form via electronic means or on CD compilations. You may not sell this program.

LIMITATIONS

You may not alter, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation. You may not rent, lease, lend, sell, or sublicense the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

This SOFTWARE PRODUCT is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The Access Remote PC, Inc. assumes no liability for damages, either direct or consequential, which may result from the use of the software product.

TERMINATION

Without prejudice to any other rights, Access Remote PC, Inc. may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

5. Contact Information

The official Web site for Access Remote PC is www.access-remote-pc.com

Technical support: support@access-remote-pc.com

For general enquiries or sales, call a toll-free US number (800) 959-2096 or send email to sales@access-remote-pc.com

6. Copyright Notices

This product uses the 'Secure Remote Password' cryptographic authentication system developed by Tom Wu (tjw@CS.Stanford.EDU).

This product uses portions of the CryptoLib library. The authors of this software are Jack Lacy, Don Mitchell and Matt Blaze. Copyright (c) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 by AT&T

This product uses ZLIB compression library. (C) 1995-1998 Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler.