Home / ubuntu / Questions / 203433
Accepted
Naveen
Asked: 2012-10-21 01:07:15 +0800 CST

How to control an Ubuntu PC from another Ubuntu PC over Internet, using mobile broadband connections?

  • 772

There are two Ubuntu PCs called A and B.
A and B are connected to the Internet using two separated Internet connections. (In my case, two mobile broadband connections ppp0 x2 )
Each connection has a unique & static public IP address.

What I need is to control A computer's cursor, using B computer's mouse, over the Internet.

  • In both computers, I have allowed other users to control my computer in Desktop Sharing preferences, as below:

    enter image description here

  • When I try to connect to A from the B using Remmina Remote Desktop Client, it refuses to connect after trying for a while.
    These are my settings:

    enter image description here

I expect this to be done from an available open source software, not from TeamViewer.

I found this guide harder to understand.
Please provide me clear instructions...

Thanks for having a look!

networking

6 Answers

  1. Install Team Viewer application on both Ubuntu systems. You can view and control systems in bidirectional.

    TightVNC is a opensource remote control software package. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it. You can get it here. You need to configure router

    • 5
  2. Best Answer

    Summarizing from comments

    The two computers are connected to the Internet by mobile (cell phone) data network. I will refer to the cell data service provider as the "Internet Service Provider" or ISP. There are two issues:

    1. The ISP is providing the NAT (Network Address Translation) service such that the computer has an internal IP address and an external IP address with no apparent way to forward the ports of the external IP address to the internal IP address.
    2. The ISP is also blocks all the useful ports of the external IP address.

    I have no knowledge of the specific ISP in question. However, generally ISPs take these actions to prevent mobile data connections to be used to connect servers and for the security of the customers. Sometimes ISPs prohibit the use of mobile data for servers in their service agreements.

    Under these circumstances, specifically if the ISP service agreement prohibit the use of mobile data for servers, the ISP is unlikely to open the ports needed to connect the two computers and forward the specific ports from the external IP address to the internal IP address.

    Your connections will work If the ISP:

    (a) opens the ports

    (b) and do either of the two following:

    1. forwards the open ports from the external IP to the NATed internal IP, or
    2. provides you with a real IP, not a NATed one (See the quote from superuser below)

    Without these from the ISP it is impossible to use the native solution to remotely connect from computer B to computer A.

    About conversion from NATed setup to real static IP setup from Superuser:

    The problem lies on what address you are given, most of the time it's already a NATed IP. However, many carriers can switch you to a real "external" IP - which is generally used for VPN because sometimes NAT can interfere with VPN (assuming you can get past the CSRs). However, even though this would be a publicly addressable IP - I imagine that they would still put in restrictions/firewall to prevent you from doing exactly what you are trying to do.

    If the ISP is agreeable to opening and forwarding ports, the I recommend using VNC over ssh tunnel for the following reasons:

    1. VNC over ssh will require opening (and forwarding) of port 22 only (or some other port set by the user).
    2. VNC over ssh is a more secure method where the data transmitted over the mobile system is encrypted.
    3. ssh can be set up to use public/private keys instead of passwords, which is much more difficult for hackers to crack.

    To try this in Remmina, go to the ssh tab and check the two checkboxes, (a) use ssh, and (b) use tunnel. You may have to install ssh in both the computers.

    However, this solution is not available without port forwarding in NATed IP setup or a setup with direct access to the external IP.

    Hope this helps.

    • 3

  3. Forgettaboutit! You've done nothing wrong. You are just geting NATed by your mobile providers. On both ends. with no control over the routers. That's the worst case imaginable.

    I recommend splitting your question in two:

    1. How can you get any connection running between the machines.
    2. If you got that far, you can see how to get a desktop connection.

    I recommend starting out with ssh. Connecting these two Computers is probably going to involve some ssh tunneling. It would be very good to have a third party with a public internet address. I.e. some cheap 2€/month VServer.

    Best would be to have a vpn solution. This is a bit tougher for starters, but more convenient in the long run.

    Sorry. There is no easy answer for you. You either have to dig network tunnels or get a serious internet connection. Choose one. This may sound rude, but believe me, I'm just the messenger of bad news here. Please don't vote me down.

    Here is some lecture for further reading about your problem: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation#Drawbacks

    Note the phrase: Hosts behind NAT-enabled routers do not have end-to-end connectivity and cannot participate in some Internet protocols.

    Any solution anyone can come up with here will involve a third party. Be careful about using proprietary web services.

    • 2

  4. If someone is interested in helping to friend the easiest way to remote someone ubuntu desktop is to install google chrome remote desktop extension. Link to extension

    video tutorial

    • 1

  5. I use KRDC/KRFB (Client/Server) to use VNC-related stuff. Searching for VNC software (both clients/viewers and servers) will help you find other free alternatives (like TightVNC, I think).

    EDIT: Searching for VNC software is easier with Synaptic Package Manager than it is with Ubuntu Software Center, but both should yield interesting results.

    EDIT #2: You must keep the preference windows open! These also hold the server online as far as I can tell, but this may have been fixed since I last used the software screenshotted above

    • 1

  6. You can try installing the Hamachi Beta client from Log-me in on both Ubuntu machines and connect them to your Hamachi network.

    You can then use VNC to achieve remote control over VPN. This is not open source though.

    • 0