Remote Access To A Server From Home
In computing parlance, a server is any machine that receives requests from a user or another machine and serves up responses. It’s a somewhat broad definition, and you can access any number of servers from your home PC quickly and easily regardless of what task you need to accomplish. Accessing remote servers over the Internet can seem scary at first. However, you’ll soon find it’s not that complicated to do. Furthermore, it’s also relatively secure provided you follow a few simple guidelines. Below you’ll find a brief summation of the various procedures used to connect with remote servers in a variety of scenarios.
Accessing Your Website
If you want to access a website to upload content, you’ll have to connect with your web host’s server over a secure connection. Typically, an FTP client like FireFTP or FileZilla is used. Regardless of which client you use, the procedure is generally the same. Fire up the client and enter your login credentials. For the hostname, you’ll use the name of the website you’re connecting to. Enter the FTP login name you chose when setting up your website or the name given to you by your host, as well as your password. Then click ?Connect? and you’re done. It’s really that easy.
Using VPNs
A virtual private network is the preferred method for corporations and home users to allow access to machines within the LAN from outside the network by authorized users. Accessing a VPN with Windows 7 is easy to do, if you follow a few quick instructions. To begin, go to your Control Panel and find the Network and Sharing Center. Click on Set up a new connection or network?, followed by Connect to a Workplace. Then select Use My Internet Connection (VPN)?, and create a connection by clicking Create. The VPN connection is all set up, and will appear in your Network Manager tab on the Task Bar. Just click on it and enter your login credentials to log into a work VPN from home.
Third-Party Remote Service Providers
If you’d like to set up easy remote access to another computer from home or access your home computer from the road, the third-party remote service provider is just the ticket. Such services include GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, TeamViewer, and TightVNC. Generally speaking, such services require that you download and install a software program on the computer you want to remotely log into as well as the PC you’re using to access it. Aside from that requirement, they’re the most foolproof method for safe remote access over the web. They require little or no configuration, are reliable and fast, and are the easiest way to access remote PCs through firewalls and routers.
Final Thoughts
Remote connections over the Internet aren’t that much different than local connections within your own home network. The main difference is encryption. When you send private data over the web, you want to make sure it’s unreadable to outsiders. In order to do that, you’ll need to encrypt the connection you use so that anyone reading your data as it flies by sees nothing but a jumble of incomprehensible text. All the options detailed above use secure Internet protocols by default, so it’s not something you have to worry about or understand on a technical level. Whatever your remote access needs, there’s a secure method for remotely accessing any server over the web.