Review: NTRconnect Pro - Easy Remote Access from Around the Corner or Around the Globe
Introduction
NTRconnect Pro is an online service that enables you to remotely access and control your home or office computer from any Internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. NTRconnect works with multiple platforms. The computer that you want to be able to access remotely (“the host”) can be either a PC or a Mac; the computer from which you want to access the host (“the client”) can be a PC, Mac, or Pocket PC. NTRconnect supports all versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows Vista, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, and Windows Mobile Pocket PC versions 5 and 2003, including the Phone Editions. You’re not tied to accessing a Mac from a Mac or a PC from a PC–you can access a Mac from a PC, a PC from a Mac, or either from a Pocket PC.
NTRconnect supports multiple platforms so, of course, it supports multiple browsers, too. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, and Camino can all be used. Such broad support means that you can use almost any computer - running almost any operating system and browser - to access your home or office computer.
Traditional remote access solutions, such as VPN products, require that an application be installed and configured on the client–and this can make remote access difficult when you are using a public-access computer in an Internet café, airport kiosk, or hotel. NTRconnect, however, requires no client-side application; instead, it’s installed on the host. To access the host, you simply visit the NTRconnect website and enter the name of the host and the password–both of which you are prompted to create during installation.
Unlike other remote access solutions, NTRconnect does not require you to adjust your firewall settings or invest in special hardware–it’ll work through just about any firewall without the need for additional rules to be created.
Product Features (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot: 
NTRconnect enables you to provide another person with access to your computer, and you can specify whether that person is to be able to remotely use the computer or simply observe.While most people will probably use this feature to obtain technical support from a knowledgeable friend or colleague, it can also be used to work collaboratively or to run online demonstrations.Another useful feature of NTRconnect is its remote start capability. If your computer supports wake on LAN, you can start it remotely. This means that you do not have to leave your home or office computer on 24/7. You can access it from anywhere and at any time–whether it’s powered on or not.While many remote access solutions enable you to access a PC from a Mac, NTRconnect is the only product that lets you access a Mac from a PC, which is really cool if you run a mix of operating systems.What’s Not: NTRconnect does not support remote printing.
Installation & Setup (4 out of 5)
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Installation is a snap. During it, you will be prompted to create a name and password for your NTRconnect account. Next, you’ll be asked to specify whether you wish to use the Normal or the Advanced Protection System.
Performance (5 out of 5)
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NTRconnect enables you to perform almost any task on the host computer. You can use whatever applications are installed on the host, send email, install or uninstall software, and copy files between directories on the host and client computers.
Like other remote access solutions, NTRconnect works by passing mouse movement and keyboard stroke information from the client to the host–and screen information from the host to the client. To pass screen information in True Color can impact performance–especially when a session is conducted over a dial-up connection.
In order to overcome this problem, NTRconnect allows you to adjust its display options. By default, NTRconnect displays the host’s screen in 256 colors, but this can be increased to either 65,536 colors or True Color, or decreased to either 16 colors or two colors. This enables you to adjust the display settings to match the speed and quality of your connection in order to ensure optimal performance. With the display set to 16 colors, NTRconnect performs well over a 56k dial-up connection; with the display at its default setting of 256 colors and using a broadband connection, the experience is similar to being in front of your own computer. It really is that good.
Because all applications are run on the host–and so use the host’s processing power–the client’s specification is unimportant, and you can run resource intensive applications from even a low-powered client, such as a Pocket PC.
Security & Privacy (4 out of 5)
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In any remote access solution, security is of primary importance, and NTRconnect provides a range of options to help ensure that remote sessions remain safe and secure–even when you are using a public-access computer as the client.
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Suggested Features
Adding the ability for remote printing would be nice!
Conclusion
NTRconnect does have a couple of minor shortcomings. First, unlike some other products, it doesn’t support Linux. For most people, this will not be a problem–but if you do need to be able to remotely access a computer running Linux or access your home or office computer from a Linux system, you’ll need to look to an alternative solution. Secondly, NTRconnect does not support remote printing–a feature found in some other products which enables you to easily print a document on the host using the printer connected to the client. While there is an easy workaround–you simply need to transfer the file from the host to the client–some people may prefer the convenience of one-click remote printing.
Despite its minor shortcomings, NTRconnect is an excellent product. It’s as easy to use as it is to install, and in tests worked perfectly across a range of platforms. NTRconnect is competitively priced and costs between $7.81 and $9.95 per computer per month (the more licenses you buy, the cheaper the price of each license), making it an excellent value for money.
