By Ellie / Last Updated October 25, 2022

How can I work outside from home?

“I am going to live in another city for a while. After negotiating with my boss, he agrees for me to work from home outside the company for these months. How can I remotely access my office computer and work outside from home?”

What Is Remote Access

Working from home outside of the company [2 methods]

In this section, we’ll introduce 2 methods to allow you to work outside the office.

Method 1. Working from home outside of the company using AnyViewer

The first option is to work from outside, for example, at home, a coffee store, and a book store using the free remote desktop software AnyViewer. It has the following advantages:

Compatibility. It supports multiple Windows systems, from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 11. It also supports iOS devices, you’re also able to remotely access your work computer from iPhone or iPad.
Convenience. You can achieve unattended remote connections to your work computer from home with one click, even if no one is sitting in front of it.
Additional features. It offers users with several useful features, for example, transferring files between computers, connecting in privacy mode, and multiple concurrent connections.
Security. It is secured by Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) encryption, protecting your data from leakage during remote sessions.
Fast & stable connection. It was created by a skilled technical team and offers you a quick and reliable remote connection with excellent image quality.
Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on both your work and home computer. On the Controller computer, go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

 Step 2. Fill in the signup information.

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 3. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you’ve logged in to. 

Free Editions

Step 4. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then you can achieve a direct connection by clicking One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.

Connect to My Devices

Step 5. After connecting successfully, you’ll see the remote desktop. Then you can completely control it just like you’re sitting in front of it.

Notes:✎...
You can also upgrade your account to a Professional or Enterprise plan. What can a professional or enterprise plan brings to you:
Faster file transfer speed. Transfer speed for a free account is 500 KB/s, and for a paid account is up to 10 MB/s.
More devices can be assigned to the same account for unattended remote access.
Connect in privacy mode to protect privacy, which means the Controller can black the remote PC screen and disable the remote keyboard & mouse click.

Method 2. Work outside the office using Remote Desktop Connection

Another option of working from home outside of the company is to use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection in Windows. The procedure is divided into the following four parts:

  • Part 1. Enable remote connections on the work computer
  • Part 2. Get the IP address and PC name of the work computer
  • Part 3. Configure port forwarding on the work computer
  • Part 4. Remotely connect to the work computer from the home computer.

Attention:

  • RDP is only included in certain versions of Windows, like Pro, Business, or Ultimate version. Windows 7 Starter Edition, Windows 7 Home Edition, Windows 8 Home Edition, Windows 8.1 Home Edition, and Windows 10 Home Edition do not support Remote Desktop.
  • If the two computers are under different networks, the technical challenge of using RDP will increase since port forwarding or VPN is required across various networks.

Part 1. Enable remote connections on the work computer

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box, type in “sysdm.cpl” and press Enter.

Run Command

Step 2. Select the Remote tab and make sure the “Allow remote connections to this computer” option is checked.

Allow Remote Connections to This Computer

Part 2. Get the IP address and PC name of the work computer

Step 1. Open the Run dialog box. Type in “cmd” and press Enter.

run-box-cmd

Step 2. Then type in “ipconfig” and press Enter to get the IP address. Now you can see a group of IP addresses, of which the IPv4 address is the one you need.

Find the Computer Name in the Console

Step 3. Then type in “query user” to get the PC name.

Find the Username in the Control Panel

Part 3. Configure port forwarding on the work computer

Step 1. Open the Chrome browser, enter “what is my IP” in the search box, and then you can see the public IP address.

My Public IP Address

Step 2. Open a web browser. Then type your router’s IP address into the address bar. A privacy warning will appear. Just click Advanced > Proceed to continue.

Proceed to Connect

Step 3. Next, enter your router’s username and password in the box. Click on Log in.

h3c Router Login

Step 4. Click on Port Forwarding/Port Triggering on the left pane. Create a new port forwarding rule and click Add, and choose Add Custom Service.

Add Custom Service

Step 5. Enter a name for your device in the Port Forwarding interface, and enter the port you want to forward in the port field (if you are not sure of the protocol used, please select TCP/UDP or Both under Service Type). Then enter the IP address (IPv4 Address) of the device you want to port forward, and then click Apply to save the changes.

Set Up Port Mapping

Part 4. Remotely connect to the work computer from the home computer

Step 1. On your home computer, search for Remote Desktop Connection in the Search box. And then open it.

RDC

Step 2. Enter the public IP address we found above and PC name in the Remote Desktop Connection interface to achieve connection.

Enter IP of the Host Computer

Step 3. Then, you’ll be asked to input the password of the work computer to connect to it. After controlling the work computer, you can take operations just like you were sitting in front of it

RDP Credentials

After reading the preceding material, you can make a brief comparison of AnyViewer and Remote Desktop Connection. AnyViewer may be more suitable for you than Remote Desktop Connection in the following ways: 

  • AnyViewer has a simpler installation procedure. You do not need to configure port forwarding or use a VPN because the two computers are on different networks.
  • AnyViewer supports Windows Starter and Home editions. You don’t have to upgrade your Windows systems.
  • AnyViewer is much easier to use. You can achieve unattended remote access without an IP address, PC name, or computer password.

The bottom line

This post primarily introduces two methods of working from home outside of the company, as well as a brief comparison of the two tools, AnyViewer and Remote Desktop Connection. You can make your selection based on your specific requirements.