If you aren’t runnning a version of Windows that has the RDP Server (none of the Home Editions do) or if you are running a non-windows OS, then a version of VNC might be just the tool you need for remote access.  There are several different flavors of VNC available, all work pretty much the same way and will work together even between different operating systems.  Here is a good list of VNC versions, and other remote control software, with links for more information and downloads.  VNC is NOT speedy, you will notice some lag even on fast connections but it’s still usable and it deffinately gets the job done.

To get VNC to work you need a server installed on the machine you want to control and viewer installed on the machine you want to view from.  If you are planning on controlling your home computer from away from home then you will need to need to know your IP address or setup a DynDNS account and will need to forward port 5900 to your local box.

Make sure to set up a strong password!  You wouldn’t want anyone that guesses your IP address to be able to remote control your home computer and have access to all of your personal files!