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I use a mixture of linux and windows machines at my office. I've got logmein running on my windows machines, and VNC setup on the linux ones. The linux logmein browser plugin works great. However, I'm confused as to why there are no services like logmein or gotomypc for linux where you just install the program and you're good to go because there's no port forwarding to setup in your router. Is this because those services use port 80 to handle their communications which would be open? Is there a need to setup servers to handle the redirection so it wouldn't be cost-effective to create an open source RDP client/server suite that didn't require port forwarding?

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Apps like TeamViewer are [Client--Server--Client]: they depend on using a server external to both parties' local networks. Each end is a client and initiates its own connection to the external server. Firewalls and NAT routers generally pass outgoing connections quite freely, and NAT enables the replies (coming from the external server) to reach the right internal nodes (PCs).

True [Client--Server] services require the server to have a routable address. A PC providing a service from behind a NAT router doesn't have a routable address, only the router nearest the internet has one. So an incoming connections for a given IP and port# has to be routed to the specific local-network node (PC) known your router to serve that particular port -- i.e., Port Forwarded.

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  • @JRobert Is this server running a specific software, or it's just a Web server (running PHP and MySQL), that passes ip's and available ports to both clients?
    – FlashDark
    Feb 6, 2013 at 2:57
  • @FlashDark: In the case of Team Viewer, it's their own physical server, and I have to assume, their custom software services to handle logging me (a helper) in and letting my "clients" (helpees) know that I'm online and authenticating each of us when we try to set up a connection, etc., billing services to professional users, etc.
    – JRobert
    Feb 6, 2013 at 21:23
  • @JRobert Great, that makes my position even worse :) Anyway, thanks for the answer.
    – FlashDark
    Feb 8, 2013 at 6:53
  • @FlashDark, what is your use-case? My first thought is Jabber is FOSS; it connects two clients who may be behind firewall / NAT routers. I don't know whether the clients then talk directly or continue through ejabberd, but you might find some useful information in that direction. Also, see what a search on peer-peer server connection returns.
    – JRobert
    Feb 8, 2013 at 17:59
  • @JRobert Well, i have a terminal/doorlock/etc connected to the PC via LAN, and a WinForms application to control this peripherals and collect data from it. So, I wanna be able to directly send a query/command to PC, and get the results I need. Whether it's some information from the localhost server, where logs are stored, or just to lock the door, so no one gets in or out :) Of course, I can do this through Web server, just send a command from a mobile app, but the application on the PC should constantly check for updates on server. I mean if I wanna shut the door...right...about...NOW!?
    – FlashDark
    Feb 9, 2013 at 0:07
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You bet!

Indeed, most of the "plug and play" apps (if you will) have a negotiation server in between you and the other machine which help connect you together via an ephemeral port. TeamViewer is a good example. It has native builds for Windows and Mac, and will run under Wine on Linux.

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  • I can't get Wine to work out of the box. It always fails to install the .net framework (but that's another thread!) Thanks for the quick reply.
    – slim
    Mar 26, 2010 at 3:43
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I would be surprised if such software for Linux didn't already exist. Have looked for that functionality for Linux outside of Logmein and gotomypc? If very little does exist my guess would be for security concerns.

Is there a reason why you couldn't use SSH? I would recommend using it for security reasons and getting that port to be opened by security people isn't hard to do once security mechanisms are in place.

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    Thank for you suggesting SSH. I ended up going with that on my linux machines for now. Thanks for the reply.
    – slim
    Mar 26, 2010 at 3:45

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