With the ubiquitous nature of internet and cloud computing, whether you’re traveling or just not at home, you will find that you can access your home computer from anywhere in the world from another computer or even a tablet or smartphone, if you know a few simple things.

While there are “hacks” that you can use, we will only focus on easy legal options. If you can navigate Windows or Mac OS, then you’ll be able to work with these options.

– Windows Solution (PC)

If you have a PC running Windows, then you have an easy path to accessing your home computer.

1. Go to the system menu, and then navigate to the control panel and access the remote settings.

2. Once you access remote settings, you want to select “Allow remote connections to this computer.” This will then allow you to select users to access your home computer. You need to know your computer’s name, and edit some of the menus. Write down the information on a piece of paper, as you’ll need to enter this from a remote computer.

3. Your home computer should be set NOT to sleep, as you’ll need to leave it on when you travel. Open the firewall 3389 on your home computer. You will want to have this open, so that you can gain access to your computer’s network (via IP address) in order to connect to it remotely.

This may be difficult to manage, which is why Microsoft has an even easier solution.

– Microsoft Remote Desktop

If you’re running modern iterations of Windows, then you can use an app known as “Microsoft Remote Desktop.”

You will need to configure this on your home computer first. Then you will need to connect it to a tablet, phone, or laptop. You can use iOS and Android systems to connect, or you can use a laptop with Windows on it

Once both options have been configured, you can remotely connect to your home computer from anywhere in the world.

– Chrome Remote Desktop

Lastly, you can utilize a simple Chrome extension to connect. Chrome has an extension called “Chrome Remote Desktop.” This is a solution that you can download and configure.

Install this extension, and then configure it on both computers you want to use. There are simple prompts to fill out, passwords to set up, and a few easy to answer questions.

Once you do this, you’ll have remote access, so long as you remember your pin.