Did you ever wish you could gain remote access to your computer?
Problem: You forgot a file on your computer that you desperately needed and no one is home to send it to you.
Problem: You need to give a friend access to your computer to help diagnose a problem.
Solution: Set up a way to access your computer remotely and make your life easier.
Some may think this technology is not accessible to them, but one company has made it easy enough for even the novice internet user. And the best part, they made it FREE (which is rare for remote access software).
In this article I will explain how to set up a logmein.com free account so you can feel good about accessing your files when you are away from work (or home).
Navigate over to http://www.logmein.com and click “Create an account”
Select the option on the left to “Access Computers Remotely”. Notice here there are three types of accounts there (Pro, Free, Ignition). We will be using Free. In the Pro account, you can access more than one computer and share files easier.
Fill out the Create Account Form and “Continue”
In order to access the computer remotely, a small application needs to be installed on your computer.
The next step will prompt you to download the application. Press “Download”. Make sure you save it to a familiar place on your computer so that you can open the file after it finishes downloading.
Run the Installer.
Enter a name for your computer and finish out the installation process.
The LogMeIn Application will run after installation. If it doesn’t go find it in your Programs Folder (Windows) or Applications (Mac).
The next step is to give the application your login information. So press the button on the Welcome screen “Choose account and subscription”
Put in the same login email and password you used to sign up the account with.
On the next screen, leave it as is but make sure your Available Subscriptions is on the Free account and press “Finish”.
You have now set up your computer to be accessed remotely. Now we want to try it out. You will need to go to another computer to test it. Once you are at another computer, navigate over to logmein.com and “Login”. Once you are in, you should see some information about your computer. If the “Remote Control” button is green that means you can get in, if it is grey, that means your computer is shut off or has gone to sleep, etc.
Press the green “Remote Control” button and you will follow a series of steps to gain access.
This next step can be a little tricky. Because of security reasons (which is a good thing) LogMeIn requires not only that you know the login and password of your LogMeIn account but also that you know the Administrator login and password for the computer you wish to access. if you do not know your computer login information.
And then you are in! It can be a bit tricky to setup but once you do so, its easy to use, and its free! (for one computer anyway). If you have more than one computer, you can upgrade by purchasing one of their pay plans. The pay plans also allow file sharing.
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FAQ:
How do I find my Windows username?
You can determine the Windows username as follows:
1. While sitting at the host computer with LogMeIn installed, press and hold the Windows key and press the letter R on your keyboard. The Run box will appear.
2. In the box, type cmd and press Enter. The command prompt window will appear.
3. Type echo %username% and press Enter.
4. Your current username will be displayed.
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How do I wake a computer that is in sleep mode or powered off?
Waking a computer
Use “Wake on LAN” on LogMeIn.com to switch on a computer that is in sleep mode (PC or Mac) or powered off (PC).
Confirm the following to ensure that you will be able to use the Wake on LAN feature.
Is Wake on LAN enabled on the host?
1. Open LogMeIn and choose Options from the left menu.
2. Click the Preferences button.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Make sure that Enable Wake On LAN from sleep and power off is checked.
5. Click OK.
note Important:
The Wake on LAN function requires at least one other LogMeIn host to be online and available on the same LAN. Please see the Pro² user guide (linked below) for more information.
Is your computer in a supported low power mode?
Stand-by, sleep, or hibernation mode (ACPI specification S3 or S4) are supported. Please consult your computer’s documentation to confirm compatibility.
Do you want to wake a PC that is powered off?
For a Windows PC that is powered off (but still plugged in), confirm that Wake on LAN is enabled in the computer’s BIOS. Consult the user guide of your computer or motherboard to locate the appropriate BIOS switch (usually Wake on LAN from S5).
Do you want to wake a Mac?
Enable the following setting on the Mac host: System preferences > Energy saver > Wake for network access.
Confirm that the Mac is on a wired network (Wake on LAN is not supported for Mac hosts on a wireless network).
You cannot wake a Mac that is powered off.
All set?
When these conditions are met, any computer in your account that is ready to be woken up will show the Switch on this computer button. Click the Switch on this computer button to wake the computer. Please allow time for the computer to wake.
For more support, visit the logmein.com support section.