I'll be traveling to mainland China for a few days and may need to access a Windows PC located in the United States for work. RemotePC is installed on the US computer and on my laptop. My usual setup is to connect my laptop to a US-based VPN server before launching RemotePC. I tested this arrangement while traveling in Malaysia, and it worked normally; RemotePC also appeared to see the VPN's US address rather than my local address. Does anyone know whether this setup is likely to work from China, given the country's internet restrictions? I'll also check with my employer's IT and compliance teams before attempting anything, since accessing company systems from China may be restricted.
3 Answers
Before trying any setup, get approval from your employer’s IT and compliance teams. Remote access from China can create security, legal, export-control, and policy issues, and an otherwise normal VPN or remote-desktop arrangement may not be authorized. Get the decision in writing and follow whatever travel-work procedure they provide.
Some people use other remote-management tools successfully, but that doesn’t mean they’re approved or dependable for a work computer. The safest approach is for your organization to provide an approved solution—possibly a managed gateway, virtual desktop, or travel device—rather than installing an unapproved tunnel or remote-access tool.
I’ll see whether the company can provide an approved alternative or have me take leave instead.
Whether RemotePC connects is hard to predict. Services that work elsewhere can be blocked or become unreliable in mainland China, and VPN traffic may be detected or throttled. International roaming on a suitable SIM may behave differently from local internet access, but it still doesn’t resolve your employer’s security and compliance requirements.
I’m hesitant to experiment without approval, so I’ll ask IT what connection methods are permitted.
That makes sense. I’m going to check with IT first rather than testing it on my own.