Remote Desktop on client sites

[Spacecadet]

If you're using POP3 for your business mailbox, be sure to configure your at-home email client to not automatically delete emails from the server after downloading them - maybe delete after a week, or deal with it manually. Then you can add that POP3 account to your GMail account (make sure that GMail, also, doesn't delete after downloading) and your mail will be downloaded to both GMail and your home system.

WHS

I've got the ISP's webmail (which is crap) so use gmail when I need a webmail client. Emails are set to download but NEVER delete from the server. gmail is also configured to send through my isp so emails get the proper sending address (rather than the "on behalf of..." bollocks)
Phone also harvests emails via POP3, again that is set to never delete and is handy when even accessing gmail on the client site is an issue.
Outlook on the laptop downloads via POP3 and that deletes after 10 days.

[VectraMan]

I use Googlemail for everything, and with IMAP it syncs between Thunderbird on two PCs, my phone, and the web interface.

For my last gig, I bought a new phone expressly to get my email without going through the client's internet connection, and then discovered I couldn't get a signal in the office.

[cojak]

It's because my 'business' email is downloaded to my machine at home rather than accessible webmail. I've got a bit stuck this week, with a locked machine and no RDP. The client is happy for me to use webmail. I can do RDP with my iPhone, but it's a bit of a pain. Might see what i can rig up with Google Mail..

Then forward your business mail to your webmail, you can normally do it if you log into your provider of your business mail and amend the settings.

That's what I do...

[gadgetman]

Can't sleep??

[NickFitz]

It's because my 'business' email is downloaded to my machine at home rather than accessible webmail. I've got a bit stuck this week, with a locked machine and no RDP. The client is happy for me to use webmail. I can do RDP with my iPhone, but it's a bit of a pain. Might see what i can rig up with Google Mail..

If you're using POP3 for your business mailbox, be sure to configure your at-home email client to not automatically delete emails from the server after downloading them - maybe delete after a week, or deal with it manually. Then you can add that POP3 account to your GMail account (make sure that GMail, also, doesn't delete after downloading) and your mail will be downloaded to both GMail and your home system.

I used this method for most of last year, given that ClientOrg precluded the use of webmail generally but for some reason allowed HTTPS access to GMail.

If you're using IMAP then you can just configure GMail to access your IMAP account, and get the same view from everywhere. Just remember that in that case, deleting mail when viewing it on GMail deletes it from the remote mailbox, which means that it's really deleted - you won't be able to see it when you get home. (Well, there's probably a "Deleted Mail" folder, but that can fill up rapidly and cause your mail hosting to exceed its limits.)

[gadgetman]

Do you mean directly from the phone ie. with an iphone app? If so then I agree.

The way I am using it is with the iphone as a modem and the standard Windows RDP client. Works fine, with a 500k connection speed.

I can do RDP with my iPhone, but it's a bit of a pain..

[oversteer]

Why do you need to connect to your home PC to use webmail? If it's because your client won't let you access webmail, then that probably tells you what you need to know about their attitude to this sort of thing.

It's because my 'business' email is downloaded to my machine at home rather than accessible webmail. I've got a bit stuck this week, with a locked machine and no RDP. The client is happy for me to use webmail. I can do RDP with my iPhone, but it's a bit of a pain. Might see what i can rig up with Google Mail..

[Cliphead]

A great many have restrictions and rightly so.

If you were caught even attempting to circumvent firewalls at most of the places I've worked you would be lucky to get away with only being frogmarched off site instantly without a signed timesheet.

WHS +1, I've seen it happen more than once.

[jim2406]

cant you just get a fancy mobile phone?

[VectraMan]

Why do you need to connect to your home PC to use webmail? If it's because your client won't let you access webmail, then that probably tells you what you need to know about their attitude to this sort of thing.

[TykeMerc]

A great many have restrictions and rightly so.

If you were caught even attempting to circumvent firewalls at most of the places I've worked you would be lucky to get away with only being frogmarched off site instantly without a signed timesheet.

[RichardCranium]

On the public sector sites I have worked on, the desktop has usually been locked down so you cannot install anything. And if you did, you'd fall foul of the agreement they made me sign on day one about not installing ANY software on their desktops.

[jmo21]

do most places allow this or is it usually restricted?

Some do, some don't - in my experience, it would mostly be the latter.

[gadgetman]

I'm currently doing it periodically using a tethered iphone. I have to disable the client LAN connection temporarily for it to work though.

[oversteer]

Instead of lugging a laptop around I'd quite like to use Remote Desktop to connect to my machine at home for webmail or to use certain apps - do most places allow this or is it usually restricted?

With some combination of custom ports / SSH tunnel / VNC web server I can get around most firewalls, but would imagine some IT depts could get a bit snotty about me doing so.