Using VNC (More) Securely...

[Peter Bunn]

Sean:

Thanks for the additional detail...

The tunnel setup appears reliable after additional testing and I think I 
will leave it be for the moment, rather than rock the boat.

Yes, CopSSH was extremely easy to install and though there isn't an awful 
lot of (readily intelligible) companion documentation included there is a 
web forum and the developer appears to respond to help requests.  As a 
complete novice, I didn't understand the needed private/public key 
arrangement and (as mentioned) screwed up the port redirection, but 
otherwise setup was simple and straightforward and would be a snap for 
someone with a bit more experience than I have.

(Actually, I was not trying to use 23456, but a different, unassigned 
port.  Still don't understand why it didn't work, but I'm not concerned 
at this point.)

By the way, a standalone RealVNC Enterprise viewer for Mac is available 
free, is not time limited... and works fine with the free version of the 
Windows server.

Indeed, the -v or (multiple vvv's) in the SSH command gives a better idea 
of what might be wrong than simply "Connection refused".

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Finally, offered for what it's worth, I'm on a ridiculously slow (24K 
max) dialup connection... and initially attempted VNC doubting whether it 
would be usable at all at my connection speed.  It's slow, and SSH adds a 
bit more latency, and anyone used to broadband would probably find it 
unacceptable, but I'm just relieved I can do anything at all on the 
'target' machine, and the slowness tends to make me a bit more methodical.

Point being, that others on dialup should not be discouraged from trying 
VNC / SSH... it works.

Peter B.

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