MyWebEx PC review

Ken Feinstein CNET

Published: 07 Mar 2005

Known for its corporate Web meeting solutions, WebEx is targeting individual PC users in a big way with a tempting offer: powerful, secure, remote desktop access for free. Simply go to the MyWebExPC.com Web site and create an account, and you can have complete control of your Windows PC system from anywhere in the world -- no need to whip out a credit card. An additional $9.95 (~£5) per month gives you some cool extras, including the ability to transfer files and print remotely, as well as increased security. Compared to GoToMyPC and its £11.99-per-month price tag, MyWebEx PC is a huge bargain. MyWebEx PC also offers true colour support, while GoToMyPC is still limited to a paltry 256 colours. If you telecommute only occasionally, why pay a monthly subscription charge when you can have the same basic service for free? Check out MyWebEx PC. And from now until April 4 2005, even the paid, full version of MyWebEx PC is available online for free.

Setup & interface

Setup and installation of MyWebEx PC couldn't be easier, both on the host and client side. The first step is to go to the MyWebExPC.com Web site and set up a new account. Then, log onto that account from the host PC and click Add Computer to automatically install the MyWebEx PC 'agent' on the system.

Once installed, an icon in your system tray indicates whether your system is connected to WebEx's network. Right-click the icon and select Preferences to configure your host computer's options, including your password, whether to blank the screen and lock the keyboard when you connect remotely, and whether to limit access to specific applications or allow remote access to your complete system.

After setting MyWebEx PC, leave the host computer running, and from any Windows-based PC with an Internet connection, log onto the MyWebExPC.com site and click the Connect button next to the computer you wish to use. The remote client software then downloads; after it does, type in your password to connect, then open the screen, which exactly matches your host PC's desktop. Since MyWebEx supports true colour display, all of your icons and graphics look just like they do sitting in front of the monitor. By comparison, GoToMyPC uses 256-bit colour, so icons and colours appear raw.

Features

Both the free and paid versions of MyWebEx PC let you control the host PC from a remote location, so you can run applications, access the network and log in and out of an account. Of course, paying customers get some very useful add-ons.

In the paid version of MyWebEx PC, a file-transfer utility downloads files back and forth between the two connected systems -- otherwise, you'll have to use an email client to transfer files by emailing them to yourself. Remote printing, also not available in the free version, lets you run an application on the host system (so that you can, say, view an Excel spreadsheet at work), yet print to your remote printer (say, at home). This handy feature saves you the trouble of transferring the file first, then having to open it on your remote PC.

Like GoToMyPC, MyWebEx PC relies on standard ports to traverse your network firewall, opening no new security holes. Like GoToMyPC, there's no direct connection between the host and the client PC, which means that criminals can't eavesdrop; however, all MyWebEx PC traffic goes through the same secure network as WebEx's higher-end corporate offerings, such as its Web-conferencing service. MyWebEx PC uses end-to-end 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption (security that banks and e-commerce sites use) to protect your data from prying eyes.

But whereas GoToMyPC passwords can be stolen by criminal hackers using keystroke-logging Trojan horses, the paid version of MyWebEx PC circumvents stolen passwords with a unique ability to authenticate you via a mobile phone call. Simply select the phone option on the host PC, pick a phone number to call, and choose a secret PIN. Then, whenever a remote client tries to connect, you'll receive a phone call and must enter the correct pin to connect; so, you'll know when someone is attempting to break into your PC. Unfortunately, this cool security feature is instead of and not in addition to the traditional typed-in password; for security's sake, we wish this were an extra layer of security, not a replacement for your access password.

Great security feature aside, the paid version of MyWebEx PC, falls far short of GoToMyPC in terms of the corporate features it offers. First of all, unlike GoToMyPC, MyWebEx PC doesn't support non-Windows-based clients; if you have a Mac or run Linux at home or rely on a Pocket PC handheld, you're out of luck. There's also no guest feature, which lets GoToMyPC users quickly and easily have one-to-one meetings, including whiteboard and text chat. Unlike GoToMyPC, which offers sophisticated features for IT administrators to manage users and control access, MyWebEx PC is designed more for individual users.

Service & support

WebEx generously offers free phone support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to both its free and paying customers. The company also offers email-based support, and its MyWebEx PC Web site offers extensive online help and a Getting Started manual that will guide you through the installation process.

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