Mod:Rem

Remote access to College Computers

Instructions for connecting to a College Windows 10 Computer from a remote source can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/ict/self-service/connect-communicate/remote-access/remotely-access-my-college-computer

1. Those who are the custodian of a Windows system in College have always been able to connect to their own machine remotely using the instructions above.
2. Connection to other machines has required specific permissions set up. This has now been done for 7 units in the WC undergraduate computer room. It was not previously set up because the nature of the license College has with Microsoft only allows one concurrent user of any desktop machine. Since that user would normally be eg an UG student actually sitting at the actual machine (in room 109B), remote access to these machines was barred. Since there is currently no physical access to those units, that restriction was lifted today at our request.
3. Anyone requiring such a connection, and where their own office Windows machine may not be appropriate (e.g. its hung, it does not have the right software etc etc) can now connect to the following units: WCBC-109B-001 through WCBC-109B-007 Remember to specify your user name as ic\username and not simply username. All the users in the ch-allstaff-dl distribution list have now been granted such access. In the future SKCH-C266-001 to 020 may be added depending on demand.
   1. Another class of user is Mac owners wishing to access a Windows system for eg the software installed there such as the latest CCDC database etc. They can use Microsoft Remote Desktop to do so, and in my experience it works very well indeed. The Softwarehub does not work on Macs, or indeed on non-college owned Windows machines, so this is a (temporary?) way in from such machines. # If you connect and find someone already logged in, please do not go ahead and log them out (something that is possible). Instead try another unit.
   2. By the same token, do remember to log out when you are finished so that the next user does not need to confront item 6 above.
4. It is also possible to [1] connect from an Android or IOS phone or tablet using the appropriate versions of Microsoft remote desktop. You are strongly recommended to connect a Bluetooth mouse+keyboard to an iPad or Android tablet, since the built-in touch-screen cursor is tricker to use.
5. To connect a remote Mac to another remote Mac in College, go to Apple/System Preferences/Sharing and tick screen sharing (of course you have to have access to the remote computer, which may not currently be possible), then Computer Settings and then enter a password for the connection.
   1. You will also need to know the fully qualified domain name address of the remote Mac (analogous to eg WCBC-109B-001 above)
   2. Launch /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Screen Sharing.app (use the Finder search box to find Screen Sharing.app) and connect to your remote Mac using the fully qualified domain name address, providing your remote Mac's username and connection password set up as above. This will take you to a login screen where you now provide your Mac's login password (which may be different from your connection password).
   3. Once in, you can save the configuration file from Screen sharing.app as a .vncloc file and to re-enter, just double click that.
6. Connecting to a Mac from a Windows machine requires a client called RealVNC Viewer. Instructions can be found here.