Semi-OT: Need LAN remote access guru help please

[nikki-k]

Hi!
With all the cool technology available, I am now wanting to make life a little easier for myself

I currently have my house wired up with Cat5e, all points into NetGear 8 port wired, with cable WAN'd. I have outlets in every room, main panel in my studio, so I can config the 8 ports to feed the outlets that need it. Yep, sweet, and the way houses will be (are now to some extent)

I have Win XP Pro on my computers, no one els ein house needs admin capabilities. I imagine Remote Desktop would work well for most of what I want, but having prolems with it, and detailed tutorials/help are severely lacking

What I want to do:

Would like to be able to get on any of my Win XP Pro machines, power up (and down, plus reboot), and then log on remotely, or log on remotely to a machine already up and running, from any other machine. (I will have 3 Win XP Pro machines for myself soon, currently 2). Once logged on remotely, I want to be able to use the remote system as if I had the mouse, keyboard and monitor connected directly to it. Yes, Win XP Pro has Remote Desktop, but the one bad part is the severe lack of a tutorial or help info.

The reason I want this is: I am a paraplegic, and am bed ridden a good part fo the time. I am planning on getting GigaStudio, which will be on a dedicated system. With PT HD on one system, and PT LE (002r) on my bedroom system, I want to be able to exploit whichever PT system's power when I am not in front of it. This would allow me to use say, Kontakt, on my PT LE system when in the studio, and then have lightpipe routed between the two rooms, and then MIDI over LAN. With lightpipe run to a midi controlable digital patchbay, I can simply reroute as needed. I could then use the HD system for synths and such when I am on the LE system.

Additionally, I would be able to use FX Teleport, and then use a virtual rack (like V-stack) on the computer in the other room, and have the audio/midi going over LAN. However, I need to be able to see and control both systems, which is a royal PIA for me due to my handicap. I would rather not go the KVR Switch route, especially since all this shoudl be possible.

I am probably missing something obvious
Any help appreciated. Major points that would help most:

Network controlable Power On/Off
Win XP Pro Remote Desktop info/tutorials/troubleshooting

Thx!

[da BaSsTaRd!]

in order to use remote desktop connection, you need to have a user account WITH A PASSWORD on the machines you're trying to access. that's about all you need to know. just create user accounts and then go to start > programs > accessories > communications > remote desktop access and put in the computer name or IP. then log in as the user and you're off to the races. its really simple, especially if you're on a LAN (over the internet, you need to open up your firewall and blah blah blah...).

[Cliffy_Boy]

I remote desktop my office server and remote control from home so I don't hav eto go into the office to do routine maintenance such as check up on the status of the backup.

To do it, you need to enable Remote Desktop. Then you need to assign IP addresses ( names may work) to all the networked machines. Then you assign a login and password.

In Start - Programs - Accessories - Communications - Remote Desktop Connection.

Follow the prompts. You need to right click My Computer - Remote Tab - tick off Remote Desktop


Now you pray

[nikki-k]

Hi!
Yep- did all that, and half the time doesnt connect. Plus, if Windows is running, it needs me to be AT the computer I am trying to access remotely to log off. If I am logged off, if wont connect.

Driving me up a wall!

[Bastiaan]

I use "Tight-VNC" to control my server, wich is in the basement. No issues with ptle as far as i can see...

And te best thing its free: http://www.tightvnc.com/download.html

Its a GNU/GPL thing....

It does have a few quircks, but i never ever had to shutdowen the remote machine because of this program. The local side does stall every now and then, but relaunching usually fixes it.

[Basshead3606]

Try looking for a program called remoate administrator. It works really well and should allow you to do what you want very easily. Hope This Helps.

[nikki-k]

Hi!
Thx- checking those out

Oh- I oops'd- meant to say KVM switch, not KVR (vst on the brain I think...).

Has anyone tried any of the remote power on/off/reboot devices? I have found a few, and might go for one, due to my handicap and my blondeness

[Pro-Tools-User]

Hi Nikki, some of the functionality you're talking about is questionable, audio through Lan especially.

First off, everything you need to do, you will get much further ahead with the built in remote access component built into XP Pro, then you will with Remote Administrator, or 3rd party apps. under high functionality, most of those apps suffer in latency and stability, and are not driver integrated like the windows remote desktop component.

When you log onto another machine, you assume control of some of it’s hardware through remote desktop. I’m sure you’ve found all the advanced options in the remote connection dialog.

When you have “Bring sound to this computer” it will try to stream any audio routed to the default windows wave mapper at a much lower quality audio, to the system that you are working on, this excludes pro-tools, and does NOT work.

When I log on to Machine 1 downstairs (with a digi 001), from my lap top in my bedroom, I’m technically working on my machine downstairs, when I hit the space bar on the lap top, and see the pro-tools screen, and my desktop from downstairs, on my lap-top, which has no pro tools installed, if I’ve left my studio monitors on, I can hear the music playing from down stairs, I cannot get any pro-tools audio to my lap-top through the LAN, I generally run a long headphone out of the 001 to the bedroom upstairs where I’ve got the lap-top, and hopefully I’ve shut my monitors off downstairs !!!

At the house here, I’ve got 4 machines on the network, 3 audio DAW machines, and my laptop, and I can control any 1, from the other, as long as the hardware remains completely associated with the machine that it’s on.

In remaote desktop connection, under sound, select – Leave at remote computer
Leave all local devices unchecked

Select Broadband as your connection speed. Disable themes.
Display 16 bit…. I know you already know all this, but I’m being thourough.

System properties – computer name – name every computer a unique name, in the computer description, and in the “rename this computer –or join a domain” Change dialog.

Under network places – Microsoft Windows Network – there should be ONE network, if there is 2, like “workgroup” AND “mshome’ you are going to have problems… if you have 2 networks established, delete one of the networks, and join all of the computers to the same remaining network, make sure in system properties, all 3 computers have remote desktop checked under the remote tab, and that all 3 computers have an admin account with a password.

In control panel – network connections on all 3 machines, right click “local Area connection” select properties – Advanced Tab – and UNCHECK Internet connection firewall.

Re-boot all 3 machines – make sure they are ALL on 1 single network, share some drives and files between all 3, you can un-share later, just make sure all 3 machines are communicating over the 1 network that’s showing up.

Log into your router - 192.168.1.1 is most likely the standard, could be different
I don’t know the dialog of your specific router, however, you want to view the DHCP client’s table.

There you’ll see a list of machines by their unique names and their assigned IP addresses by the router.

You’ll want to make your main internet machine a DMZ host if it’s not already – for FTP – messenger – http: - etc….. standard port communication with the outside world.

These IP’s in the DHCP clients table are what you’ll use to connect to the machine it’s IP represents.

I’ve even found conflicts with an IPCONFIG /all where my machine stated that it was 192.168.1.100 however the router had that machine listed as 192.168.1.105 and I still, could always connect with that address, the address on the DHCP client’s table in your router.

This sounds like a bit of a horror rant, but it’s all pretty auto configurable. If you start from scratch, and create 1 network, you should be fine.

I’m not sure what kind of internet service you are on, if you’re using Mac address cloning to log onto the server, be Careful not to disrupt that service, do not renew IP, when you're flitting through the advanced router settings. I’ve just had allot of trouble requesting an arp table flush from my ISP in the past, and was without internet for a while, listening to tech support fumble around trying to get a level 2 tech support authorization… ahhhh rogers cable… gotta love em !

Wow... this is a really LONG post - e-mail me if you can't get your network configured properly - i'll see if I can poke around some more things with you.

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!
David

[nikki-k]

Hi!
Appreciate all that, but have already done it.

As far as sound- I know about that as well. What I will be doing is a bit different. I just need to be able to choose which app to launch from any computer.

If I use FX Teleport for instance- I need to be able to interact with the computer running it.

If I run GigaStudio, I will have audio routed between the two rooms via lightpipe, and then use midi to switch the digital patchbay accordingly.

I know, a bit out there, but technically, it should work.

What I cannot get the Remote Desktop to do is log on without having to roll into the other room and log the user off. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of Remote Desktop!
If I dont have a user logged on, it wont connect. If I try to connect with a user other than the one already logged on, it wont connect.
All users have passwords (no blanks).
All users have Admin privs for trying this.
No software firewall.
Router configured correctly, which is obvious since I AM connecting under certain circumstances.

I'll keep trying to fix it tomorrow I guess.
Thx again.

[Sugarnutz]

Has anyone tried any of the remote power on/off/reboot devices? I have found a few, and might go for one, due to my handicap and my blondeness

My motherboard has "Power up by PCI Device" listed in the BIOS and the manual says this is acheived via modem or LAN. I have seen "Power up by LAN" in the BIOS on other computers before. I have never used this function, so you might want to research it a bit.