Review: RDM+ version 3.7.6 Remote Control Your Desktop From Your Phone

I am on the road a lot. As a result, I cannot tell you how many times I've wished I could download file from my office to my phone or check on some other data not available in the field.

If you think that it might be handy, or just cool, to access and remotely control your desktop or laptop from your Windows phone, then you might want to take a look at RDM+ version 3.7.6. With it, you not only can control your computer, you can manage your files, access and run any program, manage the processes and services ... heck, it could simply be used to see what is happening on it while you are away!

I have spent some time with this one on the road. So join us after the break and I'll give you the full scoop on how it works, how easy (or hard) it is to set up and use, and answer the nagging question "Is it worth the $39.95 price tag?"

How it works

So you know that RDM+ version 3.7.6 can control your computer from your phone, but how does it do that? 

First, you install the software on your desktop. During installation you set up an account on their servers so your desktop can connect to them. You are given a computer number and computer ID. This process is very easy and fast. Then you set up a local account (login name and password) with your desktop software for your phone to connect to.

You then install the software on your phone and enter in your computer ID and the local account information. That's it. You can now remotely control your computer.

Why did I not have to adjust my router settings? Because their corporate servers are actually acting as a middle man between your phone and your desktop. See the diagram below. 

The first thought anyone should have here concerns personal data going through a third-party server. According to SHAPE Services (the company that offers RDM+), there are three dedicated servers connecting your phone and computer. All data is strongly encrypted with the 3DES algorithm using 128-bits key. RDM+ Servers cannot decrypt this data and don't store your computer accounts. RDM+ desktop on the remote computer initiates an outgoing connection. There is no need to allow direct access to the computer from the Internet, punch holes through corporate firewall, or make any special router settings. Since I have not seen their data center, I will have to take their word for it.

The bottom line is that you don’t have to understand any of this to get it to work. Simply install the desktop and WM software and follow the Getting Started PDF Guide.  The whole process from downloading the software to actually remote controlling my desktop from my cell phone was very straight forward and took under ten minutes. 

EASE OF USE

I found RDM+ very intuitive to use with a lot of powerful tools readily available. It is really cool the first time you start browsing your computer while out on the road. As you can see from this screenshot, you will generally want to zoom in to work as a full view of the desktop on your handheld makes everything much too small to effectively work with. 

 

SUMMARY