How to access your work computer from home

First of all: tell IT

It sounds like red tape, but it saves real trouble. Many companies have a written policy on remote access, and installing something yourself can be a disciplinary matter even when your intentions are good.

In practice the request is usually approved once you explain what you will use, that the access is password protected, and that only your own machine becomes reachable. If the company already has a VPN, ask first whether that is the preferred route.

Step 1 — Install the program on the office machine

This is the only installation required. The program sits in the Windows tray, next to the clock, and shows an identification number. Write that number down — it is what you will type from home.

Step 2 — Set a strong password

This deserves care that many people skip. That password is the only thing between the internet and your work computer.

Step 3 — Stop the computer from sleeping

This is the number one cause of "it worked yesterday and not today". A suspended computer answers no connection at all.

On Windows, go to Settings → System → Power and set:

• Screen: can turn off freely, it does not affect access.
• Sleep: change to Never.
• Hibernate: turn it off, if it is on.

On a laptop, check both tabs — "on battery" and "plugged in". And leave the machine connected to power.

Step 4 — Test before you need it

Test the same day, from home, without pressure. Finding out it does not work at 10pm on a Sunday, with a deadline on Monday, is an experience worth avoiding.

One test is worth even more: use your phone's mobile data, not your home wi-fi. That exercises the hardest path through the network, and tells you now if something gets stuck.

The four most common problems

"It will not connect, it says offline"

Almost always the computer went to sleep or was switched off. If you have nobody in the office to turn it on, the answer is to set the BIOS to power back up automatically after an outage — the option is usually called Restore on AC Power Loss or After Power Failure.

"It connects but keeps stuttering"

Usually it is the office connection, not yours. The video is sent from there, and upload speed tends to be far lower than download on business plans. Lowering the resolution of the office screen helps more than any other adjustment.

"The antivirus blocked it"

Common on corporate networks. It needs clearance from IT — one more reason to tell them beforehand.

"Someone in the office needs to use the machine"

Worth agreeing in advance: when someone is physically at the computer, you can see it and step away. Good tools show on screen that a remote session is running, which avoids a fright.

Security: the minimum you cannot skip

• A password used only here, long, and nowhere else.
• Lock the screen when you leave the session, so whoever walks past the office does not see what you left open.
• Do not save the password on a shared computer.
• Review the access when you change jobs or machines — a forgotten access is somebody's access.

What it costs

For reaching your own machines, entry plans are enough. Worth knowing before you compare: TeamViewer and AnyDesk both bill annually only, and their entry tiers cover a small number of devices. The PCReach Personal plan is $2.90 per month, for 3 computers, billed monthly or yearly as you prefer.

If your case is reaching other people's machines — clients, for instance — no personal plan will do, and it is worth reading about the commercial use warning before choosing.