A computer help-desk is a term that defines the procedures to get help. The help desk procedures enable to give the computer help you need in an orderly fashion. The support team giving the help needs to get detailed information of the problem, understand the solution needed and divert the problem to the proper authorities that can give you the solution for your problem.

The help desk is a collection of departments and procedures that enable the help desk to get the correct information and find the best solution for your problem.

Mostly the procedures will be:
1. Opening a support case – making sure all of the information in regards to the problem you need help with is given, so the best solution will be found.
2. The case is reviewed and the most suitable department is chosen – where the case is transferred there to help solve your problem.
3. A suitable department will find the proper solution and help you get the solution working for you.

You can contact the help desk – using different communication types, use a phone call and describing the problem to the help-desk representative, you can also send an e-mail with the help that is needed. There are some help desks that enable you to open a case with the full description online through their website, and you will get the solution directly to your e-mail.

There are also forums where you can place your question that needs help, and anyone that participates in the forum and knows the solution to your problem will give you the answer on the forum. There are also online support chat (live person) with a support representative online which will read the help you need, and ask questions online to get the full information he needs to understand what type of a solution you need, and you will get the solution options online during the chat, which you can try on the spot and get the info to the online representative and get the solution accordingly to the results you will get while trying his solutions.

We always want to be in control and some of us have information at home that we might want to be able to access remotely. Accessing the home computer remotely means that you connecting to the internet and want to be able to access your home computer and perform certain operations. Those types of operations have some effect on which tool to use since some of the tools enable a certain type of access and some take control of your own computer, so you could see the same screen of your home computer as if you are standing in front of your computer.

There are certain security measures that need to be understood. When we open access from the outside to our computer we actually open a door for someone (hacker) to access our computer, or to be able to do so. If the door would be closed and shut with a brick of the wall, then it is closed. But if we decide to make an opening, an external person can reach that opening, and might, of course, use it to do some harm, see our materials (in case they are confident – it might be risky) or spy on our actions, and maybe if we do not pay attention to see some important information like when we log-in to our bank account from home or place a credit card number on an online website to purchase something. If your computer is breached all of those actions and more can happen to your home computer.

The remote access tools are being divided to online programs, software programs. The online programs are programs which are using internet technology to enable the remote connection like the LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, TEAMVIEWER, WEBEX PCNOW, some of the support people use WEBEX technique to gain access to your computer, seeing your screen, with your permission of course (you initiate the session) and you can see everything the support person does on your computer. The software programs are tools that open access and enable the end-user (remote person) to take control of your home computer. Some of these programs are TightVNC, RealVNC, Symantec PCAnywhere, LAPLINK and there is a built-in application in Windows XP, called remote desktop (you can run it by typing on the start–>run MSTSC).

Some programs might require you to set a permanent IP (called Static IP), which means that you will need to ask your ISP for a permanent IP to your computer. The ISP will give you an IP, and you will need to configure your home computer’s firewall NAT (network address translation) which means you will have an internal IP translated to the IP the ISP gave you. The only IP a remote person (or anyone outside of your home) will be the ISP IP, which protects your internal IP (no one will know what your internal IP is they will only know the external IP that you set on your home computer firewall. That IP directs to your computer, and so there is a way to access it, with the correct tools, and of course only by knowing the access password.