Remote access software also known as remote control software is a program that allows a computer user to access another computer situated out of his physical range. Since such software gives one the possibility of accessing a far-off computer, the software has to be secure and to give one the possibility to access a secure connection that would allow protected data transfer. These kinds of software are more and more popular and since they allow working from the distance they appear to be more and more a must nowadays.

Not only is the remote access software useful to more and more people from students to business people, but the use of the remote access server becomes more and more popular too. A remote access server is a server that permits isolated users as well as nearby users to connect to the server and have access to information. We all use remote access even if we do not always realize it. When we connect to the Internet we do it through an Internet service provider by remotely accessing its servers. In order to be able to remotely access another computer or network one needs to have a computer or a device that can be connected remotely. Furthermore the computer or the device needs to have some remote access program in order to connect to another computer or to the network.

Even though there are several remote access programs and it is important to understand their features, one of the most important things about this software is the issue of security. Sometimes we might want to have access from the personal computer to the personal laptop. Nonetheless sometimes we want or have to access a remote access server in order to recover or print some files in a very short period of time. Thus a remote access software with a high level of security will make us feel more comfortable when accessing work related documents and even when accessing personal files. Such software seems to become a must especially for people with constant access to two or more computers regardless if they are desktops or laptops. Having more than one computer in a household is more and more common because of the relatively low costs of desktops and laptops. This is especially true if the members of a household use a computer for different things.

There are different kinds of remote access programs. With some of them the remote access is done only between computers, for example a desktop and a laptop. With other kinds of software on can access a computer from specialized web pages over the Internet. Features provided by the software allow the person that accesses a computer remotely to transfer files, print, or even reboot and shut down the computer. All these are being done through the part of the software called remote access server. A server can give access to several users who have different levels of control. The levels of control can go from simply viewing what the other computer shows without being able to change anything, to full access which means that you can use the remote computer as if actually sitting in front of it.