Connecting PC and Laptop

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Vikki Sixx

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Hi All,

I have a wifi network at home using a router. I work from home but have a PC for personal use and a Laptop for work use. I would like to be able to access my laptop via my PC - is this possible?

Both machines connect to the wi-fi at the moment but I want to be able to work on one keyboard and one screen and alternate between the two machines.

Please provide how-to instructions

Thanks
Vic
 
BTW: Home PC = WIndows 7 (64 bit) and work Laptop = Windows XP 32 bit
 
If you have Windows XP Pro on the laptop, you can use Remote Desktop to access the laptop from your PC.
 
Vikki Sixx said:
BTW: Home PC = WIndows 7 (64 bit) and work Laptop = Windows XP 32 bit
Click to expand...

depends on the kind of activities you want to do? If it's just work related you could set up a remote desktop session for one pc. or you can just turn on file sharing and access all documents from either pc or laptop.
 
ok, I have XP pro on the Laptop ... never used Remote Desktop so how do I do this?

I would like to have full access to the laptop but via the Pcs monitor and keyboard ... and then " switch over" to the PC without hving to sgut down the machine and restart
 
Vikki Sixx said:
ok, I have XP pro on the Laptop ... never used Remote Desktop so how do I do this?

I would like to have full access to the laptop but via the Pcs monitor and keyboard ... and then " switch over" to the PC without hving to sgut down the machine and restart
Click to expand...

On the laptop enable remote desktop connections (computer/properties)
from the desktop start remote desktop connection to laptop.
Firewall, if enabled on laptop may, block you if at all
 
On the laptop, right-click on My Computer -> Properties. Click the "Remote" tab and tick "allow users to connect remotely to this computer". On the PC, type remote desktop in the search bar (should give you a shortcut to the client), open it and enter your laptop's name (or IP address) and click Connect. You will then be asked for your XP username and password.
 
LPCPT said:
On the laptop enable remote desktop connections (computer/properties)
from the desktop start remote desktop connection to laptop.
Firewall, if enabled on laptop may, block you if at all
Click to expand...

This asks me for the computer name ... when I enter that info, it cannot find the laptop
 
does the laptop have to be setup in any specific way?

The laptop is connected to my wi-fi. It also connects via a VPN to my work network. Does this cause any issues?
 
ok, I think I figured this out ... I went onto my router website and used the IP address that the laptop has via the wi-fi and it works. Does this mean that any file I use on the laptop now (via the router) eats up my bandwidth - even if it is a local (on it's hard drive file?

Also, will this IP address always remain the same, even if I take my laptop off the wi-fi and connect it again later?
 
If both the computers are on the local network, and you're using the local IPs you shouldn't be using in internet bandwidth, it should all go directly between the two computers.

Quite often the IP addresses won't change, but you can generally specify on the router that they always get assigned the same IP address.
 
Hi Vikki
Sorry only just came across this one. It seems like you have it solved but just to confirm you will not be using your bandwidth between the PCs.
You can assign fixed IP address for the devices in your router so connection will work each time.

Regards

Tim
 
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