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    #16
    bwally, what kind of management hassles are you having with VNC/RD? I have yet to see an application which offers the same functionality as RD, and is faster (which is hard to beat since RD is part of the OS). I usually enable RD when possible and configure VNC as well, not to mention RD/UltraVNC is free.
    HSPRO 2.4 (ESXi 4.1) | my.Alert NEW | my.Trigger | HSTouch | ACRF2 | UltraM1G | BLWeather | BLLan | Rover
    (aka xplosiv)
    Do You Cocoon? Home Automation News, Tutorials, Reviews, Forums & Chat

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      #17
      I installed KaVoom - here's my take on it...

      $30 license.
      User login/password is passed along to Windows. Does not have an option to use its own login/password independent of Windows as does VNC. I suppose there's an argument for this. But on my unattended PC which has no password on the one user account (an auto-login thing I have), KaVoom could not get Windows to authenticate me. I did get it to run using the Administrator login/password. (For VNC, I do have a mandatory password - but it's embedded in a desktop icon on my remote pc so I don't have to enter the password each connection).

      Most importantly, KaVoom uses a hardware KVM emulation paradigm - that is, the session to the remote is NOT windows-based. It takes over the full desktop screen for the ONE window to the remote. This, I don't care for at all. I have to toggle between the local and remote machines like I would if I had a KVM box.

      It does seem about 30% faster than UltraVNC in scrolling 800 x 600 full color.

      I'll pass on it.

      Probably good in an enterprise and NT domain environment.

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        #18
        in my application, i have Homeseer and MainLobby running on a dedicated XP Pro box.

        I have 4 clients that access the MainLobby interface. In my house, there is just myself and my wife and there would never be a reason for any two clients to have individual sessions.

        2 of the clients, ProGear touchscreens, are dedicated to displaying/controlling the MainLobby Xp Pro box. the 2 others are our personal PC's and we switch to the MainLobby PC when we want to. Switching back and forth is as easy as a Ctrl-F1 (local) Ctrl-F2 (remote PC)

        so, the advantages i see (for me anyway):

        -dedicated clients, touchscreens, always connected (hardwired or wireless).
        -single/central installation of ML for all clients (others may not want this).
        -faster than VNC. I must admit though, with some tweaking i did get UltraVNC working very well. it is very good.
        -i have none of the RDP disconnection problems i have read about here when using Airpanels. i have not tried this setup yet. but i think i will get one so that i can give an honest opinion.
        -before the RDP "hack" this was an excellent solution/workaround for more than 2 clients.

        there were a couple other reasons i liked this over RDP but i forget. when i get back home i will setup RDP again and see what it is like. when i tried RDP before i had ML/Homeseer running on my 2003 Small Business Server.

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          #19
          Are those ProGear webpads?
          $1500 each?

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            #20
            Hey, guys, I feel I have to chime in on my favorite remote program: Take a look at Remote Admin at www.radmin.com. It's wonderful. I've been using it for years, and it is very fast. I especially like being able to cut 'n' paste between my local and remove clipboards. No, it's not free ($35), but I'm cheaper than Rupp and thought it was a great deal.

            --David

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              #21
              David,
              Just in case you didn't know, you can also cut and paste from the local machine and RDP as well and it FREE and you know how happy that makes me.
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                #22
                steve,

                i picked up my ProGears for around $300 US on eBay.

                steve.

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                  #23
                  Originally posted by Electron
                  That statement just doesn't make sense, if you truly feel that way, then you shouldn't be running Windows at all, as far as I know, it has a perfect security track record.
                  Are you saying RDP has a perfect security track record or Windows (LOL)? AFAIK RDP with XP/etc uses username/password from the local windows auth scheme (SAM). I feel a hell of a lot safer NOT having to use windows username/password pair to grant a remote desktop. Holes are found in windows ALL the time ... correct me if I'm wrong.

                  I can say using UltraVNC is a lot better than VNC. plus, and this is a big plus : it's OPEN SOURCE software.. every line of code for me to analyze. this matters a lot when it comes to the security of machines I dont even own....

                  .02

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                    #24
                    Remote Desktop

                    I have a dedicated weather machine which is using autologin. I also have a script which locks the screen as soon as the autologin occurs. RD works ok for me. When I login as a different user, the autologin principal is apparently NOT logged off. I'm sure that if the weather box had a keyboard, monitor, etc. that the console would not let concurrent usage by different or the same user. The weather application continues to run. When I logoff the weather application also continues to run uninterrupted.

                    If I RD as the autologin principal I get the same screen that I would at the console. When I leave RD as the autologin prinipal, I disconnect (not logoff).

                    This has worked good for me

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                      #25
                      There have been more security bulletins for VNC than for RDP (eventho I can't think of any when it comes to RD, and I checked my regular sources to be sure), we aren't talking about holes in Windows, but security issues with the RD application, but you are very welcome to prove me wrong, I love learning something new. As for the open source statement, most people who claim open source is so much better (so they can supposedly look at the code themselves) never even look at the code. I seriously doubt you have looked at every single line of the VNC source code, and/or do this for every application you use. FYI, VNC transmits the username and password unencrypted, while RDP doesn't, but I am sure you knew that about VNC since you have had the opportunity to analyze the source code for yourself

                      Originally posted by tel0p
                      Are you saying RDP has a perfect security track record or Windows (LOL)? AFAIK RDP with XP/etc uses username/password from the local windows auth scheme (SAM). I feel a hell of a lot safer NOT having to use windows username/password pair to grant a remote desktop. Holes are found in windows ALL the time ... correct me if I'm wrong.

                      I can say using UltraVNC is a lot better than VNC. plus, and this is a big plus : it's OPEN SOURCE software.. every line of code for me to analyze. this matters a lot when it comes to the security of machines I dont even own....

                      .02
                      HSPRO 2.4 (ESXi 4.1) | my.Alert NEW | my.Trigger | HSTouch | ACRF2 | UltraM1G | BLWeather | BLLan | Rover
                      (aka xplosiv)
                      Do You Cocoon? Home Automation News, Tutorials, Reviews, Forums & Chat

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                        #26
                        Originally posted by Electron
                        FYI, VNC transmits the username and password unencrypted, while RDP doesn't, but I am sure you knew that about VNC since you have had the opportunity to analyze the source code for yourself
                        My point is this: If there are countless windows security vulnerabilities then why use something that utilizes the security mechanisms of windows?!

                        I use ssh and port forwarding to fully encrypt my session(s) at both ends.. this can be done with RDP as well...UltraVNC also supports plugin(s) for encryption too.

                        As for OpenSource versus Closed, you're right: I haven't poured overy every line of code BUT since its out in the open I gaurentee you _someone_ has and _someone_ would make a huge stinking fuss if there was a backdoor, etc....with a Microsoft application/code we just have to sit back and wait til someone finds a hole and _hopefully_ notifies the author and then twiddle our thumbs for a patch.

                        Choice seems simple for me.

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                          #27
                          Exactly my point, open source has its advantages and disadvantages, if professionals can scan the code for flaws, so can the black hats, but I understand your point of view.

                          Originally posted by tel0p
                          My point is this: If there are countless windows security vulnerabilities then why use something that utilizes the security mechanisms of windows?!

                          I use ssh and port forwarding to fully encrypt my session(s) at both ends.. this can be done with RDP as well...UltraVNC also supports plugin(s) for encryption too.

                          As for OpenSource versus Closed, you're right: I haven't poured overy every line of code BUT since its out in the open I gaurentee you _someone_ has and _someone_ would make a huge stinking fuss if there was a backdoor, etc....with a Microsoft application/code we just have to sit back and wait til someone finds a hole and _hopefully_ notifies the author and then twiddle our thumbs for a patch.

                          Choice seems simple for me.
                          HSPRO 2.4 (ESXi 4.1) | my.Alert NEW | my.Trigger | HSTouch | ACRF2 | UltraM1G | BLWeather | BLLan | Rover
                          (aka xplosiv)
                          Do You Cocoon? Home Automation News, Tutorials, Reviews, Forums & Chat

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                            #28
                            Well, these new AMD and Pentium CPU chips FINALLY re-discovered the concept of protected memory - marking memory as Data versus Code segments - you know, like the Harvard Architecture (two address spaces) that embedded chips use. The early minicomputers had this in their virtual memory controllers. I guess Intel decided we didn't need it in PeeCees.

                            These new CPU chips have an XD bit which XP Sp2 knows how to use. That bit is used to prohibit executing code in RAM that's allocated for data - to stop the buffer overrun hacks.

                            Of course, the buffer overruns happen because of sloppy software engineering and Q/A practices at MS.

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                              #29
                              ah, i see now why the topic of security.

                              i don't understand why anyone with issues about security would put their home on the sewer-net and open it up with RDP or VNC (or IM or P2P or ...). it doesn't matter what you're running. it's all the same risk if its exposed.

                              i thought we were all talking about our secure home network. outside of my network, i cannot speak for the security of KaVoom. nobody has ever raised a security issue with it, but who knows. i mean, i hear that even winamp raises security issues. some people find security in the fact that if the majority does run a particular piece of software it must be more secure.

                              i buy more into the theory that the less you expose, and the less population you expose it to, the more secure you might be. but it always seems that when someone starts a thread about how they manage their internal home client/server network it always turns to a discussion about software security.

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