Modified VNC software enables remote access on iPhone

Granted, Telekinesis is fine and all if you're dealing with a Mac at home, but for those trying to get a little remote access to their PCs through the iPhone, this solution ought to do the trick. Natetrue -- who was apparently frustrated by the mobile's inability to talk to his Wintel remotely from day one -- has taken the TightVNC client and apparently modified the application to play fairly nicely with Apple's handset. More specifically, you can use the iPhone's zooming and panning capabilities to move around your desktop, and all the clicking, typing, and drag 'n drop actions you'd expect from such a program are all being reported as fully functional. Best of all, all the code and insight you need are available gratis, so be sure and hit the read link to get your download on. Oh, and do share how things work out, wouldya?

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

[Lewis @ Jul 12th 2007 7:14AM]

Is it using Web 2.0?

[Charles Tips @ Jul 12th 2007 7:35AM]

I have tried and tested, works awesome!

[GaryF68 @ Jul 12th 2007 8:16AM]

Jilie=uninformed hater

[KevinJ @ Jul 12th 2007 8:22AM]

This might change things for me then. VNC on a phone! I'll have to see if Windows Mobile can do this as well before I get all excited. If you could add programs to the iPhone like telnet, ftp, in addition to VNC, this would be a tech dream phone for me. I would like to see more widget's on the iPhone like Yahoo widgets and GPS is key for me.

[cmonkey @ Jul 12th 2007 9:12AM]

Windows Mobile can do VNC, telnet, ssh, ftp, and much more with third party software.

It's still nifty how much people are getting done on such a closed platform, though. If people manage to break enough of it to get third party software running outside of the browser, I might even go for one.

Re: MEAT! I've used VNC over Wifi on my 640x480 Pocket PC, and even that was painful. I imagine 480x320 on 2.5g would be near unusable. Still pretty cool though.

[Scott @ Jul 12th 2007 9:27AM]

Windows Mobile can do it, but do you really want to use scroll bars on a 320x480 screen controlling a 1600x1200 desktop? With the multitouch zoom, this becomes somewhat bearable.

[TempusFugit @ Jul 12th 2007 9:17AM]

Re: cmonkey - Perhaps you're not using a good client? I use PTVNC and it works great over 802.11b wifi, even fast enough to reasonably play non-3D games, and lightspeed for the desktop. At 640x480 resolution on my phone, it's great to use. It's not so good at higher resolutions, but z2's remote2pc is brilliant at high resolution and scaling it while maintaing near full speed.

[MEAT! @ Jul 12th 2007 8:49AM]

That sure is a small screen. Given the resolution, one would think even illegible. Is it usable?

[Jon @ Jul 12th 2007 9:28AM]

"More specifically, you can use the iPhone's zooming and panning capabilities to move around your desktop.."

[Alan Strangis @ Jul 12th 2007 9:29AM]

I'd think so. I've used VNC on the Palm TX, and it was actually pretty useful. The iPhone is the same res and size screen so it should be just as good.

Though it does make me wonder why Palm didn't put a phone in a TX 2 years ago, like many of their (former) fans were asking. :)

[Jason @ Jul 12th 2007 9:23AM]

@MEAT! - "More specifically, you can use the iPhone's zooming and panning capabilities to move around your desktop"

[KevinJ @ Jul 12th 2007 5:02PM]

I agree but some servers for example are 640x480 and others are smaller when your talking about only for ftp or tenet, you don't use the full screen anyway. When your talking about a PC or laptop, no way would I use VNC or any other remote client at 1600x1200 on such a small screen unless I had to. I agree the zoom makes it "ok" but even today when I have to use 640x480 computer to remote to a 800x600 can even be annoying.

[joey @ Jul 12th 2007 9:48AM]

I use the built in terminal service in wm5 but after the giggles wears off it is really hard to do any decent amount of work on a phone, even with a slide out qwerty.

So its cool enough to say your phone can do it but can you actually do real work that way? No.

[tiuk @ Jul 12th 2007 10:28AM]

That's certainly true, but there is at least some benefit to being able to log in to your PC from anywhere. Even if it's too slow to do serious work on, most of the time in an "emergency" situation you only need to find a url you had saved, restart a service that crashed, etc. Those situations are where something like this really shines, IMO.

[Jules @ Jul 12th 2007 10:06AM]

Has anyone tried to access their Mac/PC via Logmein on the iPhone?

Interested to know if that would work.

[Mike @ Jul 13th 2007 10:01AM]

I've tried LogMeIn on the iPhone to connect to a Windows XP machine. I must say the setup was really quick and easy. The picture it sends to your iPhone is much more clear than the VNC version, however I coun't get the special keys part of the app to work properly. Everytime I select the special keys drop down box it brings up the options for just a few seconds before dissappearing. So far I get better results using the VNC version on the iPhone, although it doesn't look as good.

[Comacozi @ Jul 12th 2007 10:09AM]

stfu about the iphone already

[GaryF68 @ Jul 12th 2007 10:27AM]

You'd definitely need to be on wi-fi, I'd think

[Shahid @ Jul 12th 2007 10:28AM]

I can't get this to work on my office computer. I guess IT is blocking the neccesary port. Everyone at my office is able to use GoToMyPC, but for some reason the remote desktop programs I want to use don't work.

[Nick @ Jul 12th 2007 10:38AM]

There's an easy way around that.

Set your router at home to forward from port 443 (SSL) to port 5900 (VNC) to the computer you're trying to remote into.

When you input your ip in the VNC application, add :443 to the end of it to direct it to connect using port 443 (which almost NO corporate firewall blocks). That'll tunnel you through almost anything.

Additionally, if you AREN'T using a router at home, but connect directly to the internet, simply change the VNC port in the application itself FROM 5900 TO 443. Make sure your firewall isn't blocking it.

[Ryan Sharif @ Jul 12th 2007 12:06PM]

I got it to work, but when you try it internally even using the internal address it's painfully slow. However outside on EDGE or WiFi it works okay... Still not up to speed like a real remote desktop connections though. Good Work but we need a real app here Apple!

[MJ @ Jul 12th 2007 12:26PM]

Neat application, does it support file transfer?

I just downloaded TightVNC planning to setup for my computer later on, wondering anyone have experience with that and is it complicated to setup.

[TrueDis @ Jul 12th 2007 1:35PM]

Wow, pretty hardcore, writing his own AJAX VNC server. This is definitely useful for more than just iPhone users. I hope TightVNC integrates it into their code.

[brian @ Jul 17th 2007 11:30PM]

Hello I just downloaded logmein.com on my home computer windows xp and then tried to access my home computer from my iphone and can not get anything to appear other than a black screen. Can you please tell me how you got it to work. I would appreciate it. Thanks

[brian @ Jul 17th 2007 11:39PM]

Hello Mike
I just downloaded logmein.com on my home computer (windows xp) and then tried to access my home computer from my iphone and all I get is a black screen. Can you please tell me what I am doin wrong? Thanks a million.

[DelSolSea @ Jul 19th 2007 3:27AM]

VNC on a mobile OK that only half the equation.
Can you establish a secure VPN software encryption on these mobiles if that be iPhone or Windows Mobile Smart Phone like the HTC mobiles?

I suppose if not on the iPhone a person may be looking more at a Sony Vaio UX Micro PC as its a fully supported XP platform.

I also have to say I still like the tactile fell of a full QWRTY real button keypad.

I have to agree that its painful at best on such small screens to be jockeying around with the zoom, pan and scroll features to navigate a full remote desktop session.

I suppose for the 20% emergency status checks of your server it makes technical person ponder especially when you can tote these mobiles around with ease.
Nothing like logging into your system when your out in the field sitting on the "john" taking a dump!

[petieg @ Aug 22nd 2007 9:24PM]

I thankfully got rid of my Treo 700p for an iPhone but I do miss not having to ever sync over a cable or use rdesktop (I forget the palm app I purchased to accomplish that). As discussed above, it really came in handy in a pinch. ie: on the train ride into the city when you simply had to restart a service or server. I feel free an 3rd party app/connectivity standpoint i may have taken astep back, but you have to keep the faith (& hope!)