ASI Be Anywhere remote access kit

Windows has a feature called Remote Desktop, which connects two computers over the internet – perhaps using a laptop at home to connect to the office computer.

However, you do need to know a little bit about networking in order to use this properly, so Be Anywhere from ASI is designed to be a simpler alternative.

The Be Anywhere package consists of a 1GB USB memory key that has the Be Anywhere software already installed on it. Plug the device into the computer you want to control and the software automatically installs itself. It's then necessary to register the software on the ASI website and set up a password to protect the PC so that no one else can gain access to the computer even if they manage to steal the USB device from you.

Once that’s done you can plug the device into another computer – a laptop at home, perhaps, or a PC in an Internet cafe if you're away from home – and the Be Anywhere software will allow connect to your main computer to give full access to all your files and programs.

There are five main options available when using Be Anywhere. Remote Desktop displays the desktop of your main computer in a window on the second computer, giving complete control just as though you were sitting in front of the main computer. There are also a number of ways to transfer files between computers. Individual files can be moved back and forth between the two computers, complete folders or sets of files can be synchronised and files can be sent by email. You can also give temporary guest access to someone else.

Be Anywhere worked well and is easy to use. However, the £40 price tag only gives a licence for one year, which means you’ll have to renew it every year to keep using the software. To be fair, there are rival products that charge £50 or more each year to provide similar remote access features, so Be Anywhere could still earn its keep if you know that you’ll be using it regularly.