how to remote access in-law wXPhome PC

Hi, test coming up, so I'm sorry, didn't browse for your many good answers first.
In-laws live 1 mile away, have old HP 300 MHz XP-homeSP2 desktop w/DSL which is adequate for now. It would save me a lot of time to remotely access their PC to fix things like their thunderbird email settings. Can I do that from my XPproSP2 client at home or from w2KAS file server (at my home too, also DSL)? Can I do that with built-in MS tools (either PC, as above, at my home, & also on in-laws PC), or would I need to by something like PCanywhere? If I've got all the tools, your experience & advice especially appreciated. Note, my savvy is moderate. I have set up the client to remotely access the server, so I prob. could figure out this too (?). Note too, this is a routed home true client/server network, if that matters for this. Thank you.

 

Remote Access PC

It can be done easily and cheaply via

VNC - There are various flavours

Here is a one - real vnc
There is a free version:

http://www.realvnc.com/download.html


You install the server on the remote computer ( it is only 800 k or so- smaller than a disc)

the viewer only needs to be installed on the viewing computer ( do not need server). It is only 200 k can easily run in ram

You enter the ip address of the remote computer

If it is on dial up or dsl the ip will change on every log in.
You can use a dns tracking service such as no-ip info to let you easily follow the ip and even give it a name to remember it by


suppose you had given it a name


remotecomputer100,no-ip.info

all you would have to do is enter that ip
either by number or remotecomputer100,no-ip.info into the viewing software ip address bar.
A password can be set in the remote computer vnc


If you want to share files and create a larger network for sharing you can try Hamachi as well:


http://hamachi.cc/

 

thank you for all the replies! I will review/try them when time, about 2 weeks from now.

My only concern, Arie, in your answer, is that the host is the XPhome PC, & I've not read anything that says home flavor can be a host. I've read that VNC can overcome this, but we'll see later.