By Hester / Last Updated April 11, 2023

How can I access someone's laptop remotely over the Internet?

 

I may need to access my office laptop from home across the Internet in the next week or so. How can I access my computer remotely? I am looking for a minimal setup. Thanks."

- Question from a user

Remotely Accessing My Computer

Often when you are working at home, you need to connect to your office computer to run software or check data on it. Remote access software lets you remotely control the computer from anywhere. This post will discuss how to access another laptop remotely over the Internet from your PC or mobile device for different situations.

How to access another laptop remotely from your PC [2 cases]

There are two remote desktop tools to remotely access another computer from your PC with or without the IP address.

Case 1. Remotely access another laptop from PC without IP address [easy setup]

By far, the easiest way to access another computer is to use the professional yet powerful software AnyViewer.It allows over-Internet connections between Windows PCs without port forwarding or VPN, and you can perform one-click remote access without entering the IP address. You need to install it on your devices, but overall it's pretty simple to set up and has many excellent features, as follows:

Unattended remote access.Users can connect to a remote computer without accepting requests on the other side.
File transfer. Users can transfer files between deviceswith ease.
Remote lock/reboot/shut down. Users can remotely lock, reboot, or shut down the host device.
Instant chat. Users can send and receive instant messages via the chat box in a remote session.
Multi-monitor switch. Users can connect to a device with multiple monitors simultaneously, and easily switch between one or more monitors.

Download AnyViewer on your devices:

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

Let's move on how to remotely access another computer over the Internet via AnyViewer.

Step 1. Start AnyViewer on the host computer, and click Sign up to create an account.

Log in Anyviewer

Step 2. Start AnyViewer on the client PC, and log in to the account you just created.

Free Editions

Step 3. Go to the Device interface, select the computer you want to connect to, and click One-click control.

Connect to My Devices

Now you can control the remote computer as if sitting in front of it, and there are many considerate options in the upper toolbar.

Remote Access Operations

Notes:✎... AnyViewer also has advanced plans for businesses. We recommend you upgrade to the cost-effective Professional or Enterprise plan for more rights:
Assign up to 100 devices for one-click control.
Establish more concurrent sessions.
Access in privacy mode with blacking the physical screen and disabling the physical keyboard of the remote device.
Start a connection with high-image quality.

 

Case 2. Remotely access another laptop from PC using IP address

Either way, if you know the IP address of the remote computer, you can use the Windows built-in tool Remote Desktop Connection without an additional installation. However, there are some limitations you need to know:

  • Windows Home/Standard editions are not able to receive remote control.
  • You need to perform port forwarding to connect Remote Desktop via the Internet.
  • Remote Desktop does not support multiple sessions, instant chat, remote reboot, etc.

Here is how to access another laptop remotely via RDP over the Internet.

Part 1. Preparation work on your laptop:

►Enable the Remote Desktop feature

Step 1. To enable Windows Remote Desktop, press Win + R, enter “sysdm.cpl”, and hit OK.

Run Command sysdm.cpl

Step 2. Go to the Remote tab, tick "Allow remote connections to this computer", and click OK.

Remote Desktop Tab

►Perform RDP port forwarding

This process requires logging in to your router's web-based control panel. You can check your router's user manual to get the login details.

Step 1. Open a web browser, enter the router login address, and press Enter.

Login Router Address

Step 2. Enter the details to Login.

h3c Router Login

Step 3. Locate the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering option, and click Add > Add Custom Service to create a new service.

Add Custom Service

Step 4. Enter a name for your service. In the Service Type, select"TCP/UDP" or "Both", type in the RDP port number (default is 3389), and choose your device. When all is done, click Apply.

Apply Port Forwarding

Part 2. Start a remote connection from your PC:

Step 1. Search for Remote Desktop Connection from the Start menu and click Open.

Remote Desktop Connection

Step 2. Type in the information of the remote computer, and click Connect.

General Tab

How to access another laptop remotely from your mobile device [2 cases]

This part will explore how to access your computer from a mobile device with or without IP address.

Case 1. Remotely access another laptop from mobile without IP address [easy setup]

AnyViewer also released mobile version to remotely access Windows from iOS or Android devices in different networks without entering the IP address.

You can start a remote session from mobile with the following steps:

Step 1. On your host PC, download AnyViewer for Windows, create an account and log in with the same steps above.

Step 2. Download and open AnyViewer for mobileon your mobile device, and log in to the same account as on the computer.

Log in to Anyviewer ios

Step 3. Tap the device you want to connect to.

My Device ios

Step 4. Click the One-click control to access the computer unattended.

Unattended Remote Control ios

Case 2. Remotely access another laptop from mobile using IP address

You can also use the RD Client software to RDP into your PC using an IP address. To do this, you need to make sure the PC enabled Remote Desktop.

Step 1. Download RD Client on your mobile device.

Open the App

Step 2. Open the software, tap the “+”icon > Add PC from the upper right corner.

Add a Computer

Step 3. Enter the IP address of your PC and set the related settings based on your demands. Tap Save after that.

Computer Name

Step 4. Tap your computer in the PCs interface to start the remote control.

The bottom line

This post introduced how to access another laptop remotely over the Internet from your PC or mobile device for different situations. There are two tools mentioned: AnyViewer and Microsoft Remote Desktop. If you have yet to decide, we recommend you use AnyViewer for its easy steps and rich features.