Q. How can I access my computer or family’s computer remotely without having to open up ports in the firewall?


A. Using a [free] third party app is the solution

Here are a few free* solutions to connect remotely and keep your home ip ‘stealth’. (*Free for non-commercial use.)

These work with Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux and likewise can remotely access any of those platforms. These work by having a ‘middle man’ central third-party server that the two clients talk to as an intermediary. No port forwarding is required from either connecting party.

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is more widely known as a technical support remote access app, though it can be used to access your own home or family’s PC as well. TeamViewer has great iOS and Android versions as well. I recommend TeamViewer for something easy to just install, run, and connect. You can create an account to easily manage multiple remote computers as well.

http://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/index.aspx

Hamachi

Hamachi is a long time favorite in the Linux world, and in fact many interfaces have been written to take further advantage of Hamachi in Linux. Hamachi has an arm Linux version as well. If you are primarily a Linux user, or want something like ssh through a VPN, you should use Hamachi.

https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx

https://secure.logmein.com/labs/

Here is Hamachi after a default install. You must first create your own mini-’network’.

Remobo

Remobo is another easy to use remote access app, though the free version is more limited that other above choices. Remobo offers a ‘pro’ version with more features that a geek may need.

http://www.remobo.com/download

Sweet!