Timbuktu 2000

[Budfred]

I have been trying to work with my sister's computer using Timbuktu 2000 and having no luck. It is installed on her computer and I have been trying to connect using her email address and I have also had her sign up for their LDAP listing. Neither seem to work. Her ISP has a dynamic IP address so I can't use that. I put a fake email address for myself on my copy of Timbuktu because I really don't plan on hosting anybody else. Does anyone know if this might be causing the problem and if it isn't, do you have any ideas about what I may be missing. Timbuktu says that it can't find either her email address or LDAP listing when I ask it to connect. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Paul Komski]

Hi Budfred; are you trying to dial into and connect to your sisters computer when it is not already on-line? If you are only trying to connect when she is already on line, she could first eMail you her ISP for that dial-up session and perhaps you could then connect to her pc using that.

[Budfred]

Thanks for that idea, I'll try that this weekend. I only need to get in to tune her system occasionally because she doesn't have a clue about how to do much except bid on auctions and play Mahjongg games. She tends to let her programs get pretty screwed up.

Thanks.

[Budfred]

I need help again. I was able to use the idea above to successfully connect with my sister's computer, but all I could do was chat or exchange files. I was trying to get a Control connection so that I could do system maintenance on her computer, but all I got was a blank window. I tried turning off ZoneAlarm since I thought that might be causing the problem, but it persisted even after I closed the connection and then reconnected. I looked at Timbuktu's Help and Troubleshooting, but neither was helpful.

I am connecting from a DSL line to her dial-up line over the internet and across country. We both have AMD machines, mine is a 700 Athlon and her's is an 800 Duron. I just set her's up and sent it to her around the first of the year, so it is still working pretty well, but I want to maintain it so that she doesn't fry it. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Budfred

[Paul Komski]

Never used Timbuktu but since you can establish a connection this sounds more like network configuration or permissions for sharing. Have used Netmeeting for remote access and using it can be done in two ways. You can set up the remote pc (as long as it has an IP address) so that you can "phone into it" and access it with a password - (though whether you can only see files/folders or also see the screen and use the mouse I am unsure).

The other way is to make the connection and then the person at the other pc can grant you access (or not) when you request it.

I have done the latter with MY sister in England. We found it easiest to first establish a chat session using MSN messenger and then from messenger request a switch to use Netmeeting. This worked fine, with a bit of time lag, as long as both pcs are using the same version of Netmeeting (3.01 as I remember).

Maybe Timbuktu works in a similar fashion, but the MSN to Netmeeting method might also work for you too. Sister told me it is real "spooky" losing control and watching her mouse have a mind of its own!

[Budfred]

Paul,

Thanks for the ideas. I am currently communicating by email initially and then by the chat in Timbuktu. It allows me to chat, but not to remotely control her computer. It is supposed to be automatic once she gives me access, but something is blocked. I suspect it is something in her settings, as you suggested, so I will go over those with her again next weekend. At least now I know how to connect, now I just need to get full access.

Thanks,
Budfred