Remote computer shut off

[Tony Sade]

Is there any way to turn off a computer from a remote location? I usually turn the PC (WinXP) on in the morning and leave it on all day. No problem for most of the year, but during the summer, we get a fair number of power outages and down goes the computer. It would be nice if I could somehow log on remotely and turn it off. Doable? Without sacrificing the kids' college fund? Thanks,

[John Miliunas]

Tony, XP has a feature on it called "Remote Desktop". You can log on to the remote machine from another location, pretty much from anywhere in the World. It's been a while since I've played with it, but I do think, that if you have it setup that way, you can do *anything* on the remote machine. Of course, the remote machine needs to be accessible from the Internet. If the remote machine is on dial-up, it could be painfully slow, but still do-able. Do some research on "Remote Desktop" and I think you'll find the answers I can't give you off the top of my head. The beauty part of it, if you can indeed physically power the destop "off", it won't cost you a penny!

[Jim Becker]

XP has a feature on it called "Remote Desktop". You can log on to the remote machine from another location, pretty much from anywhere in the World.

A very scary thing, indeed...especially since you'll need to leave a hole open in your firewall, etc. A better solution might be a small UPS with software that will automatically shut down the computer if mains power is gone more than a certain amount of time...just like servers are handled in data centers. It deals with the problem without any intervention and there is less security risk. Even brown-outs and brief outages are dealt with, too!

[John Miliunas]

A very scary thing, indeed...especially since you'll need to leave a hole open in your firewall, etc. A better solution might be a small UPS with software that will automatically shut down the computer if mains power is gone more than a certain amount of time...just like servers are handled in data centers. It deals with the problem without any intervention and there is less security risk. Even brown-outs and brief outages are dealt with, too!

No arguments on the security issue, Jim. It was just a low-cost/no-cost suggestion. I too use a UPS with software which allows for a soft shutdown. On the flip side, if you've got an "always on" connection and don't have a hardware firewall, you're already at risk, 'cuz as you well know, if they *really* want "in", they'll do it!

At any rate, there are a number of UPS units which are now quite reasonbly priced, so Junior's college fund should stay intact!

[Tony Sade]

Any specific recommendations on UPS units? (I always thought it was APS-maybe you guys have been getting too many visits from the brown truck lately?) I think I'll give one of those a try. Boy, this is a useful place. Cheers!

BTW-I use both hardware and software firewalls, and I have zero inclination to compromise those.

[John Miliunas]

(I always thought it was APS-maybe you guys have been getting too many visits from the brown truck lately?)
BTW-I use both hardware and software firewalls, and I have zero inclination to compromise those.

LOL! Well, I think most of Jim's most recent acquisitions are just a tad too big for UPS to handle! UPS, as in: Uninterpted Power Supply. And yes, APC is a good brand. There are several out there, actually, though whatever I picked, I'd make sure it has a user-replaceable battery(s) and is enough to cover your main box. I've used an APC 500 for quite some time, though I have an old, heavy-duty Best, as well. My buddy bought a "Minuteman" and he's not complained about that one, either, and I think it's at a good price-point. I think one of the best advantages of using one is that most of them also offer some of the best surge protection, in addition to the black/brown outs. One thing to keep in mind when searching is, if you have a CRT type monitor, you may consider turning it "off" before leaving, as that will drain the UPS faster than the main PC will.