VNC and DHCP

[Optical]

hey all,

I'm trying to manage PC's (using VNC) across the net and most the PC's are DHCP clients. Is there a way for me to get the IP address w/o calling the user on the other end and get this manually. Possibly using DNs or something... I think there was a problem that can do this.

It's abit of a pain to walk a low tech user to get the IP address everytime I need access.

Thanks.

 

[ojai00]

Not sure if you thought about this but you can use a DNS service like DynDNS. Install the client on the user's computer and sign up for an account. You'll get the option of creating a domain name (http://xxx.dyndns.org). Download a client that automatically updates the DynDNS server when the IP changes. That way, all you have to do is remember the user's DynDNS address. Hope this helps.

 

[buleyb]

thats a good solution, and unless they are leasing IP addressed via DHCP from you, it might be your best solution.

 

[Optical]

How would this work when the PC's are NAT'ed behind the dsl router?

 

[ojai00]

You'd just have to forward the correct ports on the routers to ports that you set up on the VNC servers.

 

[Optical]

gotcha. Thanks.

 

[buleyb]

Originally posted by: ojai00
You'd just have to forward the correct ports on the routers to ports that you set up on the VNC servers.

ditto!

 

[bex0rs]

Or look into using your VNC client in listen mode. The server would initiate the connection to your VNC client, making moot the problem of figuring out IP addresses and port forwarding on the other end.

 

[Optical]

How would the server know where to look for the client?

 

[JackMDS]

In order to use VNC you need to know the External IP of the client's Intrenet connection.

There are programs that can automataclly read the External IP in the client's System, and email it to you.

Link to: EzDNS - IP address uploader.

As far as internal IP, it is not necessary to know it.

You need one time to set the VNC Server on each LAN's computers using a different port on each computer.

As an example:

Computer One port 5850

Computer Two port 5860

Etc.

The port has to be open through the respective Software, and Router Firewall.

On your side you type into the VNC Viewer the External IP:5860 (Example 68.43.5.33:5860) and you will get the computer that uses port 5860 in its VNC Server.

If the Client system is On and the VNC Server is running on each machine, using this method yields the capacity to control the Network without any input from the client.

Using the Listen Mode might be a good solution under certain circumstances, but it is not a universal solution.

The Listen Mode requires the input of your Extrenal IP into each VNC Server of the client's computers (unless you have a static IP). In addition your Viewer can listen only to one port.

:light:

 

[Winchester]

There is a program I read about in either PC Magazine or Computer Shopper, or another. I will look tomorrow.

Anyway, it emails you when your IP address changes and includes the new IP address. Seems cool to me.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Winchester
There is a program I read about in either PC Magazine or Computer Shopper, or another. I will look tomorrow.

Anyway, it emails you when your IP address changes and includes the new IP address. Seems cool to me.

Solution 1 ? The ?Freeway?. Use one of the first two programs on this page.

The user can copy the WAN IP into email and send it to you.

Link to: Tell me the WAN IP Proggies.


Solution 2 ?The ?Automatic way? (Shareware). This program will Automatically email to you the IP of the remote location.

Link to: http://ipmailer.wappu.tv

:sun:

 

[Winchester]

IPMonster

It is in the March 2004 issue of MaximumPC, pg 58.

 

[WannaFly]

TCP Net View Link is a handy program to have on hand - I just realized you are doing this over the net, so you'll have to run it via VPN or locally on each network somwhere, but it will tell you IP addresses of all computers on a subnet.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Winchester
IPMonster

It is in the March 2004 issue of MaximumPC, pg 58.

Nice find.

This progarm only send email. But it is small and clean program, and only $10.

:sun: