REMPC FOR DOS/WINDOWS ========================= Remote control of a DOS/WINDOWS PC is made possible by loading a program resident in memory. This chapter explains how to install and load resident the RemPC program, so your PC running DOS or WINDOWS can be remote controlled. For remote control of PCs running WINDOWS, please also refer to the special section on WINDOWS. Installation ================== RemPC is loaded via the REMPC.BAT file which should be loaded from the same directory in which all programs starting with REMPC are stored. The RemPC program is a tiny program, small enough to fit on most computers. We suggest that you: 1. Copy all programs starting with REMPC from the diskette to a NetOp directory on the computer's hard disk. 2. Add a line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order to run REMPC.BAT right after you have loaded your Novell IPX/SPX protocol or your NetBIOS interface. In this way, problems during the start up procedure can be investigated from the Master Station. REMPC.BAT will itself determine whether you are running on a Novell network using the Novell IPX/SPX protocol, or you are running on a Network that provides a NetBIOS interface. If both the NetBIOS interface and the IPX/SPX protocol are available REMPC.BAT choses IPX/SPX as default. Instead of REMPC.BAT you may use REMPCIPX.COM on Novell networks or REMPCNB.COM on networks with a NetBIOS interface. By doing that you can overrule the default of REMPC.BAT. RemPC does not use the CPU when it is not in contact with the Master Station. In a Network with a NetBIOS interface it occupy one NetBIOS name and one NetBIOS session. In a Novell IPX/SPX network it uses 3 SOCKETS. Loading RemPC =================== As a minimum, you must identify the remote PC by specifying a unique name as parameter. Eg.: REMPC PETER RemPC will now load resident using default parameters, and you can begin to remote control the remote PC. Parameters to RemPC ========================= When loading RemPC, several parameters are available. By using the command REMPC /?, RemPC will list the available parameters: RemPC Name [#Password] [*Groupname] [/K:n] [/B:n] [/S:n] [/L] [/C] [/M] [/Q] [/U] [/G] Name ---- This parameter identify the remote PC. If this is the only parameter given, RemPC will use the default settings of the other parameters. These default settings may be changed using the Setupwin.EXE program. #Password --------- The ability to access any PC on the network may create certain security problems. Therefore, it is possible to load RemPC along with a password. This password must be typed in correctly by the operator at the Master Station before remote control is possible. Please note that the character # is not part of the password, but is used only to identify the following characters as a password. Entering incorrect passwords will after 3 attempts result in the inability to contact the remote PC. In such cases, the RemPC program must be removed and re-installed before another attempt is possible. This procedure prevents unauthorised persons from finding the password through trial and error. Default is NO password. Using the SETUPWIN.EXE program you can define a password to be hidden in the RemPC program. Thereby the password can not be seen from the command line when RemPC is loaded. *Group name ----------- Each RemPC can also be dedicated to a group. This means that only Master Stations loaded with the group name can contact these remote PCs. Please note that the character * is not part of the group name, but is used only to identify the following characters as a group name. The default setting allow all Master Stations to contact the remote PC. /K:n - Keyboard control ----------------------- Some programs prevent us from passing key strokes to the remote PC. If you experience problems, please experiment with other keyboard routines than the default. n = 1 Advanced Keyboard 1 (Default) n = 2 Advanced Keyboard 2 (+ 0.6K) n = 3 Standard Keyboard n = 0 No keyboard or mouse control /B:n - Buffer size ------------------ This parameter defines the number of buffer blocks (each 516 bytes), where n is a number between 1 and 40. Default is 4. Normally you will not need to change the default buffer. If you work across a wide area network, you can experiment with this buffer to obtain a better performance. /S:n - Stack size ----------------- This parameter defines the size of the local stack used by RemPC, where n is a number between 100 and 10240. Default is 200, meaning RemPC reserves 200 bytes for stack. If n is 0, RemPC will not reserve any memory for local stack, and RemPC will require 200 bytes less memory. Use this parameter only if you experience problems remote controlling specific applications. Too little stack may cause the remote PC to hang or loose the connection to the Master Station. Increasing the size of the stack might prevent such problems. /L - Allow keyboard lock ------------------------ This parameter permits a NetOpPM user to lock the remote keyboard and mouse click. /C - Enable chat ---------------- This parameter enables chat mode. This will cause RemPC to use additional memory (appx. 1.6 Kb). /M - Remote DOS mouse support ----------------------------- This parameter will allow the Master Station to remote control the mouse on a PC that runs a DOS application (not WINDOWS, for which special mouse support is provided). /Q - Confirm access ------------------- The remote user will be prompted to accept remote control before the Master Station user can view and control the screen. /U - Make name public --------------------- Use this parameter if you want the Master Station to include this PC when it builds its list of Remote PCs. /G - Enable SVGA support ------------------------ Use this parameter if you need to remote control PCs that runs applications which uses SVGA (+ 0.3 Kb). Please refer to the readme file for information on what SVGA modes and adapters that you can remote control. /R - Remove RemPC ----------------- You may remove the resident RemPC program by using the parameter /R. Options for RemPCs Running DOS ==================================== Confirm Access -------------- If you have enabled the confirm access feature (e.g. by starting RemPC with the /Q parameter) the RemPC will beep whenever a master station attempts a connection. To accept remote control press the confirm access hotkey (default value CTRL+ALT+A). To deny control press any other key. Request Chat ------------ The RemPC user can request chat at any time by pressing the request chat hotkey (default value: CTRL+ALT+C). The master station will then be notified and can initiate the chat. Note that chat must be enabled on the RemPC (e.g. by starting RemPC with the /C option). Hotkeys ------- Both hotkeys can be redefined by running the Setupwin program. Choose options and activate the Hotkey button. Changing RemPC default settings ===================================== By using the DOS program SETUPWIN.EXE, you can change the RemPC default settings. Thereby you can tailor your RemPC program so you minimize the number of parameters you need to add when RemPC is loaded. The setupwin program will modify your RemPC program, so please work only on a copy of RemPC and not on your original files. Load the setupwin program and select REMPC SETTINGS. Options ------- Choose Options and you will be prompted to select which RemPC you want to modify. Then the Options screen will appear. Use the TAB and/or the arrow keys to move between the available options, the Space Bar to change a selection and the ENTER key to accept changes. The options available from this screen correspond to those which can be chosen from the command line. In addition you can choose NetBIOS adapter. Normally this setting should be primary. In the case where you have multiple physical or logical network adapters it might be necessary to change to alternate adapter. Please refer to your network documentation for further information. You can also modify the RemPC's hotkey combinations by activating the Hotkey button. A dialog box appears where you can change the hotkey combinations for Request chat and Confirm access. The RemPC programs are modified according to the choices made in this screen. Note however that if a setting is specified from the command line, it will override the setting specified in SETUPWIN.EXE. Password -------- Choose password and you will be able to define a hidden password. When you define a hidden password, you must re-enter this password when you later want to change it, so please remember the password. Protocol -------- Here you can select which RemPC to modify. Choose between RemPCnb.exe for NetBIOS or RemPCipx.exe for Novell IPX/SPX. Windows support ===================== NetOpPM provides support for remote control of PCs running WINDOWS 3.0 or 3.1, including remote keyboard support and remote mouse support. Installation ------------ 1. Load RemPC as explained previously, before loading WINDOWS in Real, Standard or Enhanced Mode. 2. On the remote PC, start the program SETUPWIN.EXE. Select the WINDOWS option and installation of mouse driver. The file RPCMHOOK.DRV will be copied to the directory: ..\WINDOWS\SYSTEM The [boot] section of your SYSTEM.INI file will be modified with the following line: MOUSE.DRV=RPCMHOOK.DRV. 3. You will be asked if you want to automatically load the REMPCWIN.EXE program when WINDOWS is loaded. If you accept, RemPCwin.exe will be copied to your WINDOWS directory. Your WIN.INI file will be modified to automatically load REMPCWIN.EXE. Please note, the RemPC program must be loaded before REMPCWIN.EXE can load. 4. If you confirm installation of full support for Windows in enhanced mode, the file VNHD.386 will be copied to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, and the line: DEVICE=VNHD.386 will be added to the [386enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file. This virtual device driver will allow you to remotely control windowed and non-exclusive DOS boxes, also it will allow you to control non-standard keyboards. RempcWIN -------- The REMPCWIN.EXE program is a Windows program which will provide you with a fast and responsive mouse. The REMPCWIN.EXE icon is an eye. You will see the eye open when the Master Station connect to the PC and you will see the eye closed when you are not being remote controlled. De-installing Remote Mouse -------------------------- You can use the SETUPWIN.EXE program to de-install remote mouse support. This will remove the modifications made to your SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files by the SETUPWIN.EXE program. Chat facility ------------- To have access to the Chat facility when running WINDOWS, the REMPCWIN.EXE program must be loaded on the remote PC. Remember also to enable Chat when loading RemPC (use /C). Confirm Access -------------- You can set-up your remote PC so you will be prompted each time a Master Station attempts to connect to the PC. You will then have the option of permitting or rejecting access. To enable this feature, load the RemPC program with the parameter /Q and make sure the REMPCWIN.EXE program is loaded. Please note ----------- In order to remote control the WINDOWS keyboard and mouse, make sure NetOpPM's advanced keyboard feature is ON. To remote control WINDOWS in a SVGA mode, please make sure REMPC is loaded with the parameter /G. Please also check that REMPC provides support for your specific SVGA adapter and the SVGA mode you are using (see the readme file).