[RANDY P]

Dear Pelican brain trust -

I'm looking at ditching my laptop for security reasons - I'm installing my home desktop into my office and intend on securing my data there.

However - I'd like to be able to access the desktop @ the office so I can check email (I use Outlook and .POP access) as well as manage excel and other data files.

I was reading up on Remote Desktop, and want to know if that would work -

-Both machines use XP pro

- I intend on using my desktop to access a server in the office, but the desktop will contain my personal data, not the server. The only time I'd use the server is to download data from the other computers. I would access for data on my desktop's HDD.

- we do not presently have VPN access, we're a simple office.

-the computer will be connected to the internet FT thru a router, not wireless but thru ethernet. The router is hooked to a standard DSL modem then outbound. We don't have T1. Router assigns IP addresses for local machines

So I guess my question is whether or not this is feasible - another way of imagining this would be if my computer were at the house, hooked up.

I've read a few technical articles, so if I set my desktop as the host, and then put the IP address of the desktop as it's noted as the computer name on the client (laptop) and input my credentials would that work? Since the host would have a local IP address assigned to it from the router I would imagine that wouldn't work?

option 2 would be to use 3rd party software, but that is $$$ on a monthly basis.

Anyone?

rjp