Access QB from remote location?

[giovanni]

Does anyone access Quick Books remotely? Our data file lives on a desktop computer in the office and I would like to be able to work in QB while out at project sites or on the road. We're running QB Pro '03 w/ a 5 user license on our 3 computer peer-to-peer network in the office.

Thanks for sharing your experience/advise
Giovanni

[Oleg]

QB Promier has the Remote Access functionality. And usually it costs $14.95/mo. However, you get a free year of remote access when you buy QB Premier. At least it used to work that way.

[gibbo]

I have just been made aware of a program called VNC. See it at www.realvnc.com
This is FREE software that connects computers over the net. I would not be surprised to find that Webex (what is behind the $14.95 Intuit facility) is based on this. You do need a fast connection to make it work well, but we did a presentation from a 64k connection to an ADSL connection and it worked extremely well.

[giovanni]

Thanks for your help, I'll check out the site. Giovanni

[markgoodall]

We set up VPN's into our customer's networks.
We install a firewall with client VPN capabilites.
There are other ways but this is the most reliable and secure way of doing it.

Regardless of how you do it, the most important thing to consider is your internet connection speed. It makes a big difference.

What is your internet connection speed at the office? DSL? What is your connection speed when you're away? 56K dialup?

We have alot of experience with configuring remote access for our customers and quite frankly even DSL to DSL is often not fast enough for most customers.

[Amy2102]

If I wanted to set up Real VNC as a remote access, can I do this with DSL internet service to cable internet service? Still trying to figure out how to set it up, if this is even possible. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[kjknorris]

We have DSL connection at the office, and I would be connecting from home using cable.

Is this service secure?

Judy

[markgoodall]

To Amy: We're talking about Apples and Oranges here.

Real VNC is a program that allows one computer to control another computer. It is similar to PCanywhere, except it's free.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure link between two private local area networks over the the public internet.

They work together.

It's a little like your web browser and your internet connection. They are different animals.

Your internet connection, either 56K modem, DSL, cable, T1 or whatever, is your way to CONNECT to the internet.

Your Web Browser, either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, are the programs that you use to look at the web pages that on the internet.

They are different.

Your internet connection is how you contact or talk to another computer or network over the internet. A VPN allows you to establish a private encrypted link between those two computers, so that no one else on the internet can eavesdrop, or hack in. Real VNC, or PCAnywhere are simply two programs that you have running on each PC and allows one PC to control the other PC remotely. You can run Real VNC, or PC anywhere, between two PC's sitting next to each other, or in different rooms, or in different cities or countries. Those programs don't care HOW the two PC's connect, they simple one control the other. But if you choose to use them over the internet, you must make sure that the connection is secure. That's where a VPN comes in.

And for clarification, Real VPN or PC anywhere are you two things that you can do using a VPN. There are many other things.

It's like your DSL internet connection, once you have it you can do many different things, like Web Browsing, sending/reciving email, plus many other things that the majority of people never need.

A VPN is simply a way to establish a SECURE connection between two computers (or networks) over the very insecure internet.

Hope this helps.

[markgoodall]

To Judy:

Read my message to Amy for more info.

A plain connection to the internet is NOT secure. Never has been, never will be. That is why we put firewalls, either software on your PC, or a piece of hardware, or a program built into your DSL modem. A firewall simply lets you go OUT to the internet and stops people from the outside getting IN.

Your DSL connection in the office is probably secure, if has a firewall and it probably does.

Your cable connection at home is probably secure secure, if it has a firewall and it probably does.

So in your office you can get out to the internet and no one can get in. That's secure.

At home you can get out, but no one can get in. That's secure.


But in order for you to get INTO your office from HOME, you must tell your office to let you in. But how do you let yourself in without letting everyone in? That's what a VPN is for.

VPN can be complicated and this is just a very basic explaination.

[Amy2102]

I didn't explain myself as well as Judy did. I want to do the same thing Judy is asking about, working from my home computer (I have cable internet and Windows XP) with access to my client's office computer (he has DSL and Windows 98). I am a Virtual Assistant doing bookkeeping for a client and he is fine with me working from my computer at home however, I was told that Real VNC was the way to do this. If a VPN is better, how complicated is it to set up and is there a cost to do so?

[hartford]

Hi
I have ADSL in the UK (the equivalent I think of your DSL) and use the Remote Desktop feature of XP Professional. It works very well with Quickbooks and other programs that I remotely access from my home to my office PC. It's fast enough to do Quickbooks entries but I would not recommend large data entries at each session - say over 50. There is a slight delay when using Word for example but sometimes I like that so my brain can catch up.
Sorry I'm not a techie and this was all set up by my PC support supplier who said it was easy. The cost was good value for money considering the facility I now have.
I get confused with VPN and all the jargon & would appreciate if Mark could explain how what I have fits in with his posts.
Also Mark with Remote Desktop I now worry more about security and whether I should use the more secure passwords I read about etc. What do you suggest?

[tc2004]

I upgraded a client to QB Premier Prof Services 2004 in order to use the remote access feature. I found the information about the feature and how to install/use it very sketchy and sometimes conflicting. The free remote access for 1 user/12 months is limited and does not support remote printing. If you want to use QB from a remote site and print reports at your remote location, you must upgrade to the Gold or Platinum service. Remote printing of precision reports such as checks, is NOT supported at all. This came as quite a surprise.

For more complex configurations, multiple machines, multiple remote users do your research carefully. You might need the Platinum remote access service and possibly the Enterprise version.

I have only used a 1 remote user - 1 machine, QB Premier configuration. The Webex Access Anywhere Agent must be installed on the host machine and appears to register only one user account. A special qb team supports the feature at Webex.

Big hint not avialable on help or doc-----To use/install the remote access feature, open a company in Quickbooks and go to the Company menu, Remote Access. To install the Access Anywhere Agent - after you have registered and have the My Computer display there is a small link at the very bottom of the page that says something like "Download Manual Installer" :)

Do PCAnywhere and/or the other options mentioned in the thread support remote printing including "precision" forms/reports?

[LCP]

I also have the need for approximately 5 employees to be able to remotely access QuickBooks (and our network) from home. I do not want to use pcAnywhere or Windows XP remote feature as this implies that I have a corresponding pc here at the office which can't be used by anyone here while they are remotely accessing our network. It sounds like setting up our own VPN is the way to go. I'm having trouble finding the exact steps, software/hardware options available, to accomplish this. We're running XP and have DSL.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.