LogMeIn Free is gone, but don’t panic: You can find alternative remote-access tools that cost the same low price of nothing at all. Whether you need to access a document, collaborate with a colleague, or support several PCs, try one of these free tools to get back into the game.
TeamViewer
I’ve been using TeamViewer for years to help out family and friends, and it has always been reliable. Simply download the program from the company’s website, and then install it (or run it without installation, if you desire) on both of the PCs you want to connect. During installation, you can also set the program for unattended control.
LogMeIn Client desktop app for Mac. LogMeIn Client desktop app for Windows. LogMeIn Hamachi for Linux. LogMeIn Hamachi for Mac. LogMeIn Hamachi for Windows. LogMeIn host software for Mac. LogMeIn host software for Windows. RemotelyAnywhere for Windows. RemotelyAnywhere Network Console version 8 Installer. LogMeIn Free includes: access from any Internet-connected Web browser; access to a Windows PC or Mac, remote control and desktop viewing, copy and paste between computers, Wake on LAN, reboot/reconnect (including safe mode), basic reports (remote access sessions and user access), Chat, AES 256-bit encryption, SSL/TLS intrusion detection, IP address lockout. LogMeIn by LogMeIn, Inc. Get secure anytime, anywhere access to your computers from your Android device. Remotely access your PCs and Macs with LogMeIn for Android. Works with an account subscription of LogMeIn Pro on your computer, which also includes access from your desktop and web browser, so everything you need is always at your fingertips.
For ad hoc use, simply run the program and log in from the controlling computer. The two components will connect, and up will pop a window containing the desktop of the computer to be controlled. TeamViewer installs as both a server and a client, so you can use it to take control or to allow control.
TeamViewer 9’s cooler features include the ability to open multiple remote sessions in tabs (as in a browser), cut and paste between computers via the clipboard, and drag and drop files from your desktop to the remote desktop. It’s a mature, stable, practical tool for anyone’s remote-control needs. Note that you’ll get the occasional message about upgrading to the pay version if you use TeamViewer regularly to connect to a lot of different PCs. You’re on your honor for that one.
Windows Remote Desktop
Although Windows Remote Desktop doesn’t support true screen-sharing (the screen of the controlled computer goes black instead of staying live) the way services such as Join.me and TeamViewer do, this built-in tool is free and fast, and it allows complete remote control over PCs. There’s even Microsoft Remote Desktop for the Mac, so you can remotely access your more artistic acquaintances’ Apple products.
The basic concept behind Windows Remote Desktop is to let users control their office computer remotely so that they can work from home. Hence, although all versions of Windows (Basic, Home, and so on) can establish a Remote Desktop connection and control a PC, only the Professional, Business, and Ultimate versions of Windows can be controlled.
As most office computers are one among many on a network, you need to have the office router tweaked to forward a port (3389) to the PC you want to control. You can edit the Registry to allow control of more than one PC by adding more ports, but that’s a very techie task.
Windows Remote Desktop works great once you’ve set it up, but if you want to control multiple PCs on a regular basis, the next option might be better for you.
VNC
VNC, or Virtual Network Computing, isn’t itself a product, but an open-source remote-control and display technology that’s implemented by Tight VNC (free), Ultra VNC (free) and RealVNC (free and pay), among other parties. VNC isn’t hard to use, but it’s not as simple as Join.me and TeamViewer, which don’t require user knowledge of IP addresses.
To use VNC, install it on both the PCs you want to connect and then set them to listening. To control another PC, simply open the VNC viewer (client), enter the PC’s IP address, and have at it. You may also have to open port 5900 on your firewall and router, and to direct said port to the PC you want to control.
You can use VNC to connect to multiple PCs behind a public IP by opening and using more ports. Most VNC implementations install both the server and viewer software by default, so (as with TeamViewer) you can control in either direction.
Though it’s a tad difficult to set up, VNC is cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), and it works extremely well once installed.
Join.me
![Logmein Desktop App For Mac Logmein Desktop App For Mac](https://cdn.igeeksblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LogMeIn-Remote-Desktop-iPad-App-Screenshot.png)
Join.me is a meeting service (free and pay) from LogMeIn that also provides remote control. It’s convenient for impromptu support in that all you need on the controlling PC is a Web browser. The user with the computer that will host the meeting (and offer control) simply surfs to the Join.me site, selects Start Meeting, and downloads a file.
After running said file, the meeting originator passes the provided nine-digit passcode to the user or users on the other end, who in turn enter the passcode in the Join Meeting field on the Join.me homepage. The meeting originator’s desktop will appear in the browser. Once remote control is granted, you can chat, send files, and more. Easy-peasy, but note that Join.me isn’t suited for unattended remote control, which makes it only a partial replacement for LogMeIn.
WebEx Free
![Logmein desktop app for mac windows 10 Logmein desktop app for mac windows 10](https://secure.logmein.com/products/pro/img/desktopapp1.png)
Most users think of WebEx as a tool for multiuser boardroom meetings, but it’s also perfectly suitable for small-scale, live (not unattended) remote control and support. WebEx works a little differently from Join.me in that installing software is required at both ends, but that’s a relatively painless procedure.
Once users have joined the meeting, initially they can only view the originator’s desktop, but the originator can make another person the presenter, pass control over the mouse and keyboard, and share files, chat, and utilize webcams for face-to-face interaction. There’s a bit of a learning curve if you stray from the main features (available from the usual drop-down panel at the top of the display), but overall WebEx is quite easy to use. https://barnew588.weebly.com/mac-app-uninstaller-for-106.html.
Don’t get spoofed
Because of the popularity of remote-control and remote-meeting services, the Web is rife with spoof sites (those that look very much like the correct one, but aren’t) that will attempt to lure you in if you don’t type the URL correctly. Downloading software from these sites can be dangerous to your computer’s health, as well as to your wallet. Sometimes the bad guys will try to sell you support.
The correct site addresses for the services I’ve mentioned are:
- TeamViewer—http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx
- RealVNC—http://www.realvnc.com/
- Join.me—https://join.me/
- WebEx Free—http://www.webex.com/
Thanks to the growth in distributed and mobile workforces, the ability to access and control a PC remotely is a must for workers and IT administrators alike. That’s why we’ll all miss LogMeIn Free. But if you really love one of these free alternatives, consider throwing a few bucks to the developer. Who knows: Your contribution could help to keep the program going for everyone.
Currently the 10th Top Grossing iPad application on the App Store, LogMeIn Ignition always seems to spark a bit of curiosity with iPad owners. For $30, what exactly are you getting with your remote application? I spent some time at home and in the real world testing LogMeIn Ignition for the past couple of weeks, and I have to say I’m pleasantly impressed with the quality of LogMeIn’s application, and I think it’s just about perfect for anyone who needs to access their desktop computer while mobile.
Before we go any further, let me introduce the application, its online interface, and what you can expect from LogMeIn Ignition. LogMeIn Ignition is essentially the main alternative to iTeleport (or vice-versa), which Federico reviewed some time ago with excellent results. I didn’t exactly want to be the copy cat, and I figured readers would be interested in the latter. While I won’t be providing any comparisons in the course of this review, you’ll get the full scoop on LogMeIn Ignition if you’re on the fence about a purchase.
There is a misconception that LogMeIn Ignition requires a Pro² account to use, which costs $69.95 a year for a single computer. For personal use, you most likely won’t need to pay for a Pro² account, which provides remote to local printing, file transfers, and advanced IT management features in combination with LogMeIn Central between computers. These are basically features that would be valuable to business men and women working away from the office, or IT support kiddos. With LogMeIn Ignition on the iPad alone, you won’t be able to take advantage of the additional features a Pro² account offers (though it’s a great mobile supplement if you already have an account), and you can instead opt for a free account.
Before we run out to buy LogMeIn Ignition on the App Store, let’s make an account with LogMeIn. Simply visit https://secure.logmein.com/ from the computer you plan to remotely access to get started. After creating an account, you’ll be presented with a list of your computers. Simply click “Add this Computer” and download the client to continue.
LogMeIn’s client sits in your Mac’s menubar or your Windows taskbar. At any time, you can easily turn LogMeIn on and off to accept remote connections. While a free account can’t take advantage of these features, you’ll also have an interface available so that you can remotely share files between computers, though you’ll probably never need to access this panel. From the console you’ve downloaded, you can also change a myriad of connection and security settings if more than one person will be accessing the computer.
Logmein Desktop App For Mac Download
LogMeIn Subscription Status (View full size)
Once installed, you’ll need to return to LogMeIn’s web management console, where you’ll see your now added computer. Via the properties, you can change your general settings and your subscription status. You’ll automatically be enrolled in a trial of LogMeIn Pro, but you easily can change your subscription to Free. Now that we’re set up, let’s dig into the iPad application.
Upon opening LogMeIn Ignition, you’ll be asked provide the same username and password you used to create your LogMeIn account. This gives you access to all of the remote computers associated with your account so you can easily select which computer you’d like to access. Cant find download for mac photo app. You can also use the information button at the top right to submit feedback and clear saved passwords. Tapping on your computer will provide you with a login page where you’ll enter your computer’s credentials, while the blue arrow will guide you to a page where you view your machine’s details.
Successfully logging into your computer you’ll be greeted with some remote control hints that can be disabled now or later in the in the preferences. I leave them on for quick reminders, but you may be a bit more savvy than I. Pay attention to them though: they teach you how to navigate via the touch interface.
So what’s the remote desktop experience like with LogMeIn Ignition? It’s absolutely wonderful, if not almost perfect. Panning around the screen and moving the mouse is incredibly precise no matter the resolution. Everything feels incredibly snappy, and vary rarely did I initiate an action that I didn’t intend to. Clicking, right clicking, and even the more difficult dragging actions can be pulled off with a few simple taps.
Using the magnifying glass in your toolbar, you can certainly zoom in and out of your desktop. You can also pinch to zoom, and the resolution will snap in place on the screen to accommodate for your changes. At all times you can switch to a “world-view” of your desktop, then you can zoom in to type or to manage files in a folder. It’s really great.
1280 x 800 Mac desktop? Small, but no problem. You probably won’t need to zoom in here, but if you’ve got a bigger monitor…
Ignition Windows (View full size)
1920 x 1080: You’ve got a lot of space to work with, so your “world-view” might not be appropriate here. Though zooming in on my Windows desktop allows me to navigate Firefox with ease.
With a simple tap, you can click an object on the screen. Not once when I placed my finger on the screen to pan around did it register as a tap, which I figured would be happening constantly. Nuh-uh. Double-taps register as (you guessed it) a double-click. The two finger tap dictates your right-click, though if you’re a lefty, you can use mouse button in your toolbar to end the initial mixup (your controls may be reversed).
Though not all gestures are happily executed. What’s somewhat annoying is that scrolling on LogMeIn Ignition and the Mac trackpad is reversed. So while you may scroll up to navigate up in a webpage on your Mac, scrolling up in Ignition navigates down. It takes some getting used to.
Ignition Keyboard (View full size)
Keyboard entry is fair with a slew of modifier keys always available in the top right if you want to initiate Spotlight or something. Using the keyboard button at the top of the screen, you can cycle between the iPad’s keyboard and the function keys, which aren’t exactly useful on a Mac; the functions keys don’t initiate the dashboard or expose like you’d expect them to. I asked the LogMeIn team if they could accommodate for this in a future release, while adding a much needed FN key. Otherwise it works fine on Windows, and most likely you won’t be needing these features.
Outside of the keyboard you have access to shortcut keys: CTRL-ALT-DEL & ALT-TAB on Windows, with CMD-TAB and CMD-’ available on the Mac. The Mac shortcut keys in comparison aren’t as powerful as you’d find with CTRL-ALT-DEL default on Windows, but they’re useful if you want to quickly switch between your open windows. Setting custom shortcuts would be a welcome feature so I could better access something like Quicksilver or Spotlight.
The last very cool feature is if you shake the iPad, you’ll be able to switch between monitors. If you’ve got a three monitor workstation at home, LogMeIn Ignition will accommodate it.
Ignition Settings (View full size)
Lastly we can dig into the settings, where you can adjust for the color quality you see, resolution (which we’ll talk about in a minute), network speed, blank screen & keyboard lock settings, your pan controls, whether shaking switches screens, hints view, and notifications.
Setting your color quality and network speeds to “auto” should suffice, but I thought resolution was the most interesting setting here. If you’re working with a computer that has a rather large resolution, you have the ability to tone it down a bit. You can set the resolution to 1024x768 (a standard 4:3 resolution) so you can get a full screen iPad experience, but you’re not simply changing what you see. The resolution you select will change the system settings on the remote computer, meaning what’s displayed on your monitor at home will change as well. Keep this in mind if you’re using a Pro account to remotely control someone else’s computer.
Logmein Desktop App For Mac
LogMeIn Ignition for the iPad is an excellent purchase if you’re looking to remotely manage a Mac or PC. Whether you’re an office type or a college student, I can’t say enough about how consistently impressed I am at both the performance and the recognition of gestures on-screen. For $30 with minimal setup, LogMeIn Igition provides you with everything you need to access your desktop machines on the go. Plus it’s a universal application, so you can have it on your iPhone or iPod touch too.