Provide remote IT support to Windows XP/Vista users

Provide remote IT support to Windows XP/Vista users Organic Design procedure

Due to problems with receiving remote support connection requests on Ubuntu, the remote support needs to be performed on an XP machine running on a VirtualBox.

• Open a pinhole on the router to forward external port 5500 to the ip address of the Windows XP instance, e.g. 192.168.1.150

On Ubuntu desktop

Add dynamicdns script to crontab to automatically update vnc.peerix.org with current ip address.

sudo gedit /etc/crontab

Then enter the following line to crontab:

*/10 * * * * nobody wget -q --spider "http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=vnc&domain=peerix.org&password=OUR-DOMAIN-PASSWORD"

This will update the vnc.peerix.org domain to the current ip address in 10 minute intervals for when you are providing remote support from a dynamic ip address.

Note: There may be a connection error if someone requests remote support during a time when your ip address has changed and before it has been updated by the script, meaning that vnc.peerix.org will point to an invalid ip address for a few minutes

On VirtualBox XP machine

• In network configuration, change the ip address from DHCP to fixed, in this case to 192.168.1.150
• Prior to arranged time, start XP in VirtualBox
• Open a command prompt
• Follow shortcut to "vncviewer.exe" in "UltraVNC" folder
• Drop "vncviewer.exe" into command prompt
• Type "space" then "-listen" in command prompt after the text generated by dropping the .exe and hit enter
• You are now ready to receive remote support requests, the VNC viewer will show in the startup bar with status "listening on port 5500"

See also

• Request remote IT support on Windows XP/Vista