Remote access to computer, but not network?

[adam.rowe]

Hello,

I don't really know enough about networking to know where to begin, VPN? RDP? Tunneling?

I have a piece of hardware connected to my computer; I want to give someone remote access to the computer it's connected, but not allow them access to the network that the computer is connected to.

If I just plugged the computer in to the lowest level, e.g. my modem, would that limit access to the network but still give access to the internet?

Thanks.

 

[kanewolf]

You could setup that specific PC on an isolated network with no other devices, but you can't keep a remote user of a computer off the network the user came in on. A business class router that will create two independent networks is the most secure answer. A business router would also support being a VPN endpoint to allow secure access.

 

[jsmithepa]

It depends exactly what is being accessed.

VPN/tunnel are the same thing, is to provide security to you and the user, against bad-bad Internet.

RDS if you want the user to "take over" control or your PC, whatever the PC can do, he can do.

But people nowadays run a variety of SERVICES at home, such as remotely control the thermostat. I run a DVR that allows remote management of recordings, as long as user has a proper password, these are SINGLE TASK remote access, user access via a client App or simple browser, relatively simple to setup, minimum security risk.

 

[failboat]

chrome remote desktop has some guest support features for a temp remote desktop.

for a long term one having a pfsense box at each location with a site-to-site openVPN with shared key and fw set to only allow the single ip for inbound to the vpn port would be ideal. this would give you a route to their local subnet. internet traffic would not go through the vpn, unless you configured the client specifically for that. fw rules can be set so that the vpn vlan can only access a single local ip.