Remote PC access?

[fr0d0]

AFAIR VNC isn't secure, unless you use ultraVNC. You always need to set it up at both ends (you do for all of these), and configure your network as Tibs says. Remote desktop works better and is secure. A good freebie that doesn't require any config is Teamviewer, although it's meant for one off connections as in mins case... the app generates a password for each connection.

[Minimalist]

To transfer files you can always use a little gem called WeTransfer.com

I think it has a 2 gig limit.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Sorry Frodo, I can't see what you've written, I still have you ignore.

Yeah,seems a bit silly considering the even MORE annoying dropkicks I DON'T have on ignore.*

I'll ask a moderator to take you off and see how it goes.

*here we call that 'a backhanded compliment'

[Tiberius]

There are Remote Desktop clients for Mac.

[Colanth]

Your router ignores incoming connection requests (like from your brother's computer) unless you've told it, "any incoming request to this port number goes to that internal IP address." "Telling" is port forwarding. So you forward port 5901 to 192.168.1.2 (your computer - use its real internal IP address). Then, at your brother's house, you connect the VPN client program (which you have to install on his computer) to your computer's external IP address (which you can get by going to whatsmyip.org on your computer).

Logmein eliminates all this by having both computers connect to their server, and outgoing connectrion requests aren't blocked by the router. (It's not that some nasty router designer decided to block incoming requests, it's that, due to what they do, routers have no idea what to do with incoming requests unless you tell them what to do with each port you want to accept requests on.)

[Angrboda]

If all you're doing is transferring files, set up a secure ftp server (sftp; I believe putty has a server/client pair). Or set up an ftp server (most are reasonably secure if kept patched up to date). The only problem with ftp, and possibly sftp, is if you're both behind SOHO routers doing NAT (address translation), old style ftp clients may not be able to connect. Newer clients/servers allow restriction to specific ports so the NAT isn't a problem. Regardless, you're likely going to have to forward some ports on your router. If it's a windows machine, remote desktop is probably easiest (provided it's not a "home" version of windows, as they don't support full remote desktop via remote). VNC is reasonably secure; if you're worried about security, tunnel VNC over an ssh connection (OpenSSH or putty's ssh stuff). Of course, that requires more reading, and more time figuring out stuff, so I personally wouldn't bother, unless it was like a work shell that I was using 8 hours a day. There's another VNC like deal the name of which escapes me. (I haven't done any of this in a few years.) I'm using FileZilla ftp client, but I know it's got a server too, and it's very popular. I don't know how it works with the NAT problem mentioned, but I suspect they've got it squared, because everybody is behind NAT these days.

More than that, I'd have to research. Which I don't mind doing, but won't do unless asked.