One tool that I use that always seems to amaze people is LogMeIn. It is free software that you can use to remotely access your computer.

I’ve used it for a couple years now, so I’ve ceased to be amazed. Looking back on what I used to do to achieve remote access, I understand the wow factor.

In the past, I had to set up VPN (virtual private network) routers, which cost $175 a piece, in order to connect my home and office computer. That’s $350 plus help from someone who knows about computer networking!

On top of that, I could only connect between those two locations. If I traveled, no dice.

The videos below are the same. If you have a slow Internet connection, I suggest going with Youtube as it tends to do better, otherwise go with Vimeo as I find the quality higher.

A Quick Demo of LogMeIn

With LogMeIn, as long as you have an Internet connection and a computer (or mobile device), you can connect to your computer. In fact, you can install the software on multiple computers.

There are many advanced options that I won’t get into, such as file sharing and remote printing. What I did want to with this piece was introduce you, in case you hadn’t been already.

Other Resources

Two of my other favorite access-from-anywhere pieces of software that I use are:

They are also both free.

Google Docs lets you upload any document you want to Google’s online server. You can than retrieve those docs from anywhere as well as share them with others. It also has the ability to edit spreadsheets, written documents, drawings, and presentations.

Dropbox is essentially a file folder on your desktop in which you drop your files into. Once you do this, the files can again be accessed online in a browser or with another computer where Dropbox is installed. You also have the ability to share these files with others.

There are a lot of other free remote access and sharing tools out there. I featured these three as I do use them on a regular basis. If you know of some superior tools, or have questions about LogMeIn, Google Docs, or Dropbox, feel free to drop me a line.