Why I use WIMI

[doubledave]

I'm always having to fix my grandpa's computer, but he lives 70 miles away.

So I set up Windows XP with remote desktop for him, and on the desktop, I put a shortcut to open an Internet Explorer window that goes to www.whatismyip.com

When he calls me for help, he looks up the IP address first and tells me what it is so that I can remote desktop into his computer.

[AboveTheLogic]

good stuff

if you want to get tricky, you can set yourself up with a hostname through a dynamic dns service and get him VNC

you can listen on your side, program his side to connect to your pseudo-domain name, and with a simple click he can connect to you and you can take control of his stuff

[doubledave]

Yeah.
Thanks for that.
I am in fact part of the way there.
I have installed a VNC host on his computer for 2 reasons:
1) He forgets his windows profile password; using Win XP remote desktop locks his screen
2) So when I explain over the phone, he can watch what I am showing him on the screen

I will bring over an old Netgear router that works with dyndns.com and set up him a dynamic DNS "pseudo" domain name so he doesn't have to look up the IP address first.

I do already have a dynamic DNS service for my side, but I don't know how to set up VNC in the kind of way you described.

[AboveTheLogic]

at least with tight vnc viewer, you would start the exe with a switch like this:

vncviewer \listen 444

then it runs listening to port 444

then when your grandpa wants to connect you, he right clicks the V on the systray, clicks "add new client" and puts in your domain info with port number "yourdomain.com::444" and it will connect you to him

im sure there is a way to make it so he doesnt have to right click and do that, rather, a shortcut to the vncserver app that will auto connect to you...