VPN vs. Remote Desktop

[tantony]

Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum.  I was thinking with services with Google Remote Desktop, and TeamViewer, is VPN really necessary?  What's the advantages of VPN?  I guess VPN is more secure.

[Nash · Accepted solution]

Definitely don't use RDP proper.

My (MSP) company absolutely uses remote connection products for managing clients' PCs. Automate and, back up, LogMeIn right now. We have clients who use them to access specific internal computers.

However, we only remotely access devices from company owned and managed equipment. I would not let your users use a remote desktop product from a personal computer, since that way lies data exfiltration and cross-contamination.

[BrechtSchamp]

Each solution has its own advantages and purpose.

Teamviewer and Google remote desktop are really designed for remote desktop and they're really good at that. Although I hate the issues I have with teamviewer and their "commercial use suspected". So I've recently switched to Google remote desktop, but it's not as good yet imo. I thought logmein had gone under, but apparently not.

VPN brings devices into remote networks and are therefore more flexible. Accessing file shares or other resources like databases works just like when you're local. So you can also use the regular software clients you always use. You also don't need a computer in the local network that you "take over". So concurrent connections are no issue.