Remote Control of Computers on Your Network

If you're an administrator, one of the things that the iPad and iPhone are great for is taking remote control of computers from wherever you happen to be. Working on a small screen can be awkward, but most people find it far preferable to a midnight drive to the office to sort out the settings on a sickly server.

To connect remotely, use apps such as the following:

• VNC clients: If you set up a VNC server on the computer you need to access, you can connect to it by using a VNC client such as Mocha VNC or Jaadu VNC.
• RDP clients: Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) gives good performance even over relatively slow connections. If you need to connect to a Windows server or desktop, set up the Remote Desktop feature to accept incoming connections from your account. You can then use an RDP client such as WinAdmin to connect.
  NOTE: Of the desktop versions of Windows, only the "business" versions include the Remote Desktop feature. These versions are Windows XP Professional; Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate; and Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.
• Third-party solutions: If neither VNC nor RDP is an option, look at thirdparty solutions such as LogMeIn Ignition and DesktopDirect. These solutions consist of a remote-access server that you install on the computer and a client that you install on the iPad or iPhone. If you like using the command line, look at third-party SSH clients such as TouchTerm SSH as well.