Anyplace Control is a straightforward no-frills remote access solution.

Best suited to users who will always connect from the same PC, its clean and simple interface is dedicated to remote control and offers no file transfers or extras such as email integration or PDA support.

It uses a similar remote access approach as Symantec's PC Anywhere.

Software must be installed at both host and remote ends. This gives you the advantage of being able to connect directly between workstations on a Lan without having to go via Internet-based servers but has the drawback of a much more complicated setup procedure if you need to locate and access remote computers via the Internet.

To initiate a remote session you must install the client software on your local machine and set up a connection to the host.

If you're connecting over a Lan, connection is very simple - just select the desired machines on your network using the built-in network browser.

However, if you're connecting over the Internet and your host doesn't have a static IP address or domain name, you'll need to locate it using some sort of Dynamic Domain Name Service (DDNS).

Furthermore, if your PC is behind a router protected with network address translation (Nat), such as a home network router, you will have to configure port forwarding manually to enable remote connections from the Internet.

Full instructions are provided, but this is not the kind of configuration we would expect home users to want to perform.

Once connected to your host PC, you have the option to connect in either full control or view-only modes, transfer clipboard data or turn off the remote PC.

Even for a remote control-only solution, the features available with Anyplace Control seem rather thin: a remote file transfer utility would improve its usefulness by an order of magnitude, especially when you consider that file transfer is one of the main distinguishing features between the free and paid-for versions of competitor Log Me In, which offers remote control at no cost.

Strong encryption is included for all traffic, and IP filtering is provided at the host to grant access only from particular IP addresses or subnets, although there's no way to deny IP addresses on a similar basis. Full logging of connections is available too.

One major advantage of Anyplace Control is its price. Being based on a traditional licensing model, rather than an annual subscription, you can continue to use the software year after year for a low one-off fee.

The disadvantage is that both client and server applications are tied to the PCs on which they are first installed, although you can migrate the application to a new PC.

This affords you none of the flexibility of a web-based solution, where you can connect from any convenient browser, but conversely it means Internet access is not required when accessing hosts across a Lan connection.

This is both a more secure and autonomous solution. You'll still be able to use the software over the Lan if your Internet connection goes down and you're guaranteed not to be transmitting any sensitive information out of your home or office.

If you have well-defined requirements that involve static, point-to-point remote control connections, Anyplace Control will do the job admirably...

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