Understanding VNC clients....

[skinnylegs]

I've installed a VNC client on my iPad and it works but sometimes it is painfully slow. Which Internet connection is more critical when using a VNC client; that on the host computer or that on the iPad? Am I better off having 3G speed on the host computer and cable modem speed on the iPad or vice versa?

 

[phyrexia]

Both are important. The server has to have enough upstream to send you the Terminal session, but you have to have enough downstream to receive it.

 

[skinnylegs]

Thanks.

I purchased iTeleport for the iPad. The host computer is at my office and I have a USB 3G modem for it. When I'm using 3G on the iPad, iTeleport is useable but there is a significant lag. I'm gonna try it out using WiFi on my wireless broadband at the house and see if that makes a difference. It not, looks like I'll have to upgrade my internet connection at the office.

 

[TheyCallMeSaint]

Thanks.

I purchased iTeleport for the iPad. The host computer is at my office and I have a USB 3G modem for it. When I'm using 3G on the iPad, iTeleport is useable but there is a significant lag. I'm gonna try it out using WiFi on my wireless broadband at the house and see if that makes a difference. It not, looks like I'll have to upgrade my internet connection at the office.

Ooh yeah, I think the 3G connections are the bottleneck. It's hard enough to get an un-laggy VNC session when both computers are over WiFi, let alone when both are over 3G. I imagine you'll see best results if you upgrade your office's connection to WiFi, and also try viewing when your iPad is on WiFi.

 

[skinnylegs]

Thanks, buddy!

I noticed somewhat of an improvement when the iPad was on WiFi and, as you said, I imagine it would improve further when I go to broadband at the office.

 

[tunerX]

3G usually has more latency than cable of any kind. Increasing the bandwidth can only do so much.

I have an HSPA+ 16mbps connection and it is still horribly slow for RDP due to the fact that my broadband service normally adds about 200+ ms of RTT latency. For large downloads it is lightening quick though.

For interactive items, like RDP, that require constant small bidirectional updates you want to lessen the latency.

 

[jzuena]

Another thing to check is whether iTeleport has an 8-bit color option. I have iSSH and it would run fine from an iPad to my home machine over my home Wifi network, but when I brought the iPad to work and tried connecting over 3G it was painfully slow. Since the built-in screen sharing on a Mac doesn't support 8-bit color mode, I had to replace it with Vines server. Then I could configure iSSH to connect using 8-bit color over 3G and it was much faster. If your work machine is running Windows you have to install a 3rd party VNC server anyway, and all of them that I know of also support 8-bit color mode.

 

[polaris20]

3G usually has more latency than cable of any kind. Increasing the bandwidth can only do so much.

I have an HSPA+ 16mbps connection and it is still horribly slow for RDP due to the fact that my broadband service normally adds about 200+ ms of RTT latency. For large downloads it is lightening quick though.

For interactive items, like RDP, that require constant small bidirectional updates you want to lessen the latency.

This. Latency for remote access is often a bigger issue in terms of lag than actual bandwidth. The bandwidth requirement itself is generally not too bad, since you're only transmitting screen information.