Chrome Remote Desktop (As a LogMeIn Replacement)

[aeblank]

My beloved LogMeIn is no longer free, and my trial of LMI Pro expires in a few days.
I've also decided to switch from Firefox to Chrome (mostly due to FF performance on my phone).
Anyway, this lets me "play with" Chrome Remote Desktop.

It seems to work fine. Though I can't seem to connect to a computer using my phone (not an emergency yet, LMI Free will still work with my phone app).

But, the reason I'm posting........
I have LMI on all my parents computers. To them, it's just an icon in the task tray. I don't need them to give me a PIN, just make sure the computer is on.
How can I mimic that with Chrome? I don't want them signed into my google account, at least not with Chrome (just with Chrome Remote Desktop). I do want their computers to show up in my computer list (like LMI).

Any thoughts as to how I can do this?

[barnabas1969]

What's wrong with the built-in Windows feature called Remote Assistance?

[aeblank]

Perhaps nothing. I haven't used it. I used logmein because it was router independent. All of us (me and my parents) get 10.x.x.x addresses, so some sort of "middleman" is required.

[aeblank]

Ok, watched a video on it.
I used LMI because, like I said, I didn't need any intervention from my parents. They only had to make sure the machine was on (and online) and I could hop on it right then, or whatever. Getting them to email a file/password each time would be exceedingly tedious.

[mdavej]

I've used Chrome remote desktop a couple of times with my parents. It does require some intervention on the client side but not much. I tell them to click Apps - Chrome Remote Desktop - Share and give me the code. On my end I pick Access and enter the code. Then I'm in.

You can use MS RDP without any intervention on the client side if you set up your parent's router to forward the right ports and they have a static IP.

[Doctor Feelgood]

Only because it was the free App of the day at the Amazon store - I replaced LMI with Jump Desktop. I really like it. Easy setup and non router fiddling. The Android App works well, but it normally sells for $10, which I doubt I would have ever considered. I think PC to PC connections are free, as the Windows client/viewer is a free download - just not sure if my App license is what makes it work.

This App has come in handy a few times when WMC is "stuck" at home according to my wife or kids, and I can just reboot the whole thing from work on my phone.

[barnabas1969]

If a person cannot figure out how to allow you to assist them via Windows Remote Assistance (even with your guidance over the phone), they should not own a PC. Plain and simple. It does not require any special router configuration. I am able to help my children... who live at their mother's house (who likes to feign incapability to do anything)... via Windows Remote Assistance... without issue.

[dotto55]

I have LMI on all my parents computers. To them, it's just an icon in the task tray. I don't need them to give me a PIN, just make sure the computer is on.
How can I mimic that with Chrome? I don't want them signed into my google account, at least not with Chrome (just with Chrome Remote Desktop). I do want their computers to show up in my computer list (like LMI).

Any thoughts as to how I can do this?

I too was in the same position as you and looked for alternatives. I found Windows' own remote assistant too slow, and just got frustrated. Then I found a product called NoMachine. It's not exactly the same as LMI in that, you don't log in via the logmein website (apparently that service is coming soon with NoMachine too). Just install NoMachine on your computer and on your parents' computer and make sure there computer is always on. You will need to know their IP address which is a pain if the computer doesn't have a fixed one and the computer turns off or the network goes down. But it did the job for me. And it's fast. I can now access my mum's computer in the next town and sort out her email and accounting on her PC.

[aeblank]

@Doctor Feelgood - I think i have jump, and it's an RDP client. Works well within the network (or VPN if desired) but doesn't work for me because my parents have a non-public IP (Verizon data card).

@dotto55 - same problem as above. Non-public IP address.

@ barnabas1969 - I have nothing against you, you've certainly helped me in the past. However, I found your last post unhelpful and insulting. You use remote assistance - got it. It works for you - got it. I had never looked into it and you prompted me to do so. If I'm ever in a bind, it may come in handy. Thank you. Your PC owning criteria is entertaining. You should note that I said "tedious" not impossible.

So, anybody with any thoughts on Chrome Remote Desktop? I did see where you can have multiple users of Chrome itself on one machine. So maybe I set up two users, me and them. Then I can leave mine signed in and delete the icon for it, and turn off all syncing. Then leave an icon for them, in the case of an emergency needing the user-initiated help. They usually use firefox. Not perfect, but perhaps workable.

[Doctor Feelgood]

@Doctor Feelgood - I think i have jump, and it's an RDP client. Works well within the network (or VPN if desired) but doesn't work for me because my parents have a non-public IP (Verizon data card).

RDP and VNC

[barnabas1969]

I found your last post unhelpful and insulting.

Sorry about that.

[mdavej]

So, anybody with any thoughts on Chrome Remote Desktop? I did see where you can have multiple users of Chrome itself on one machine. So maybe I set up two users, me and them. Then I can leave mine signed in and delete the icon for it, and turn off all syncing. Then leave an icon for them, in the case of an emergency needing the user-initiated help. They usually use firefox. Not perfect, but perhaps workable.

I think once you set it up, Chrome doesn't even need to be running, nor do you need to use your account on their end. I only chose to make it interactive in my case because I'm paranoid.

Have you read this? https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1649523?hl=en

[krothman]

I use teamviewer, http://www.teamviewer.com, it is free for personal use.
It is similar to logmein that you need to install the "client" on the target PC and it always runs in the background. No need to know an ip address, configure a router, etc.
You can then access the target PC via the teamviewer website, or you can install the same software on your Client machine and access through that. In addition it also works on macs.

The one annoying thing is after accessing the target PC, it leaves a pop-up message after you log off.

[tletourneau]

Another vote for TeamViewer, I use it at several locations. It is reliable, fast and supports several advanced functions.

[aeblank]

I will have to re-look at teamviewer. I don't even remember why i didn't like it....

[aeblank]

I ended up with TeamViewer. It is quite similar to LMI. I looked at it previously, but I must not have been clear on the un-attended aspects of it. Seems like it tries to be the jack of all trades (un-attended, ask for permission, client that doesn't need to be installed, presentation, and more), which I'm not the biggest fan of. But......oh well. It works. Probably just a matter of time before it's not free.

Chrome remote desktop was flaky with media center, too. It was pure black, and you could guess where the "X" was in order to close it. T.V. handles MCE better. Actually, I can watch TV over it (though it's choppy and bumpy). It lets me, for example, go through tv setup remotely though, which I've done in the past.

So anyway, thanks.

[tzr916]

...Chrome remote desktop was flaky with media center, too. It was pure black, and you could guess where the "X" was in order to close it....

ALT + ENTER works just fine. I use Chrome every day with my wmc HTPC. Don't have to "get a code" from the HTPC in order to start the session if you put in the the list of "my computers" (why is that a bad thing). Don't use it to watch Tv on remote end. Worked great when I was on vacation for a week and wanted to keep an eye on WMC machine, no port forwarding or config needed...