3 Best Examples of Setting Up Remote Access Software (Step‑by‑Step)

When people talk about examples of setting up remote access software: 3 practical examples that matter for everyday work, the office VPN is usually the first. It’s how employees connect to internal apps, file shares, and intranet sites from home or on the road.

Let’s walk through a realistic scenario: a 50‑person company that wants staff to access the internal file server and an on‑premises ERP system from home.

How this VPN example of remote access is typically designed

In a modern small‑to‑mid‑size business, a VPN setup usually looks like this:

• A firewall or dedicated VPN appliance at the office (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, or an open‑source option like pfSense)
• A VPN server function enabled on that device (usually IPsec or SSL VPN)
• VPN client software installed on laptops and home desktops
• User authentication tied to the company directory (Active Directory or Azure AD)

In 2024, more companies are layering on multifactor authentication (MFA) because password‑only VPNs keep showing up in breach reports from organizations like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI. You can see this trend reflected in joint cybersecurity advisories at cisa.gov.

Step‑by‑step: VPN remote access in practice

Instead of a dry checklist, here’s how an IT admin actually rolls out this example of setting up remote access software:

On the network side

The admin logs into the firewall’s web console and:

• Enables the VPN server feature (for instance, SSL VPN on port 443)
• Generates or imports an SSL certificate so users don’t get browser security warnings
• Creates a VPN user group, like RemoteUsers, and links it to Active Directory
• Defines what remote users can reach: file server, ERP system, intranet, but not the entire network
• Sets up MFA integration with a provider such as Duo or Microsoft Authenticator

On the user side

Each employee:

• Installs the vendor’s VPN client
• Imports a small configuration file or uses a pre‑configured profile pushed by IT
• Signs in with their regular username and password, then confirms an MFA prompt on their phone

Once connected, they can map network drives, open the ERP client, or use the intranet as if they were at the office.

Real‑world twists and extra examples

Within this single VPN pattern, you see several real examples of how teams adapt it:

• A hybrid workforce where people are in the office three days a week and remote two, connecting via VPN on remote days.
• A consultant who gets a locked‑down VPN profile that only reaches one application server and nothing else.
• A university department that gives graduate students VPN access only to research storage and licensed software servers.

These variations are all examples of setting up remote access software with different scopes and policies, but the basic VPN model is the same.

For guidance on securing remote access and VPNs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes relevant recommendations, especially in SP 800‑46 and related documents at nist.gov.

2. Remote desktop tools: The best examples for support, training, and family help

If the VPN is about connecting networks, remote desktop tools are about controlling a specific device. When people ask for examples of setting up remote access software: 3 practical examples, this is usually the second one they recognize: screen‑sharing to help someone, run software, or give a demo.

Think of three very different but very real examples:

• An IT help desk technician supporting employees’ laptops
• A freelance designer accessing a powerful workstation left in the office
• A technically savvy relative helping parents or grandparents fix a browser issue at home

How remote desktop access is usually configured in 2024

Modern remote desktop tools fall into two broad categories:

• Cloud‑brokered tools (TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Splashtop, Chrome Remote Desktop):

  • A small agent runs on the remote machine.
  • The vendor’s servers coordinate the connection.
  • Often easier to set up through firewalls and NAT.

• Direct or LAN‑based tools (Windows Remote Desktop, VNC, RDP gateways):

  • Often used inside a company network or over a VPN.
  • More configuration work, but more control.

A very common example of setting up remote access software in this category is Windows Remote Desktop for internal use, combined with a VPN for outside access.

Example: Setting up Windows Remote Desktop for a remote workstation

Imagine a video editor has a powerful workstation at the office but wants to work from home without copying huge media files back and forth. IT decides to expose that workstation only over VPN + Remote Desktop.

On the office workstation

• IT enables Remote Desktop in System Settings.
• They add the editor’s user account to the allowed remote users.
• The workstation is given a static IP address or a DNS name like edit01.office.local.

On the office firewall

• IT does not open Remote Desktop directly to the internet (that’s a favorite target in many attack reports from CISA and others).
• Instead, they require users to connect via the existing VPN, then use Remote Desktop only over that encrypted tunnel.

On the home laptop

• The editor connects to the company VPN.
• They open the Remote Desktop client, type in the workstation name, and sign in with their domain credentials.

This is a very practical example of setting up remote access software that balances usability with a reasonable security posture.

Example: Using cloud remote access for family tech support

On the personal side, here’s a different flavor of remote access:

• A parent installs a remote access agent (for example, Chrome Remote Desktop) on their home PC.
• They sign in with their Google account and enable “remote connections.”
• When something breaks, they send the access code to their tech‑savvy relative.

The relative opens the same service in a browser, enters the code, and can see the screen, move the mouse, and walk them through fixes. This is one of the best examples of how remote access software solves everyday problems without any networking background.

Other real examples using remote desktop tools

Within this second category, examples include:

• A training team using remote access to shadow new employees during onboarding.
• A managed service provider (MSP) managing hundreds of client PCs and servers through a remote management platform.
• A research lab where technicians remotely control a Windows PC attached to specialized equipment.

All of these are different examples of setting up remote access software with a remote desktop focus rather than a network‑wide VPN.

For general security hygiene around remote connections, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides consumer‑friendly guidance on avoiding remote tech support scams at consumer.ftc.gov, which is worth sharing with non‑technical users.

3. SSH and secure tunnels: The power‑user example of setting up remote access

The third of our examples of setting up remote access software: 3 practical examples is more technical but absolutely everywhere: SSH (Secure Shell) and related tunneling tools. This is how developers, system administrators, and researchers manage servers and lab machines from anywhere.

Example of SSH for managing a cloud server

Picture a small startup running its web app on a Linux virtual machine in the cloud. The developers need remote access to update code, restart services, and check logs.

On the server

• The team installs a modern Linux distribution with OpenSSH already included.
• They create user accounts for each engineer.
• They disable password login in sshd_config and require SSH keys only.
• They restrict SSH access in the cloud firewall so only the company’s office IP range or VPN endpoint can connect.

On the developer laptops

• Each developer generates an SSH key pair (ssh-keygen).
• They upload the public key to the server’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

• They connect with a command like:

  ssh alice@example-server.com
  

This is a clean, modern example of setting up remote access software for servers without exposing passwords to the internet.

Example: SSH tunnel to reach a private database or internal app

A more advanced example of setting up remote access software with SSH involves tunneling. Suppose a data scientist needs to connect to a PostgreSQL database that is only reachable inside the company network.

• IT allows SSH to a bastion host (a hardened entry server) inside the network.
• The database is reachable only from that bastion.

The data scientist:

• Sets up an SSH tunnel:

  ssh -L 5432:db.internal:5432 user@bastion.company.com
  

• Points their database tool at localhost:5432.

Now the database connection rides inside the SSH tunnel, and the database still isn’t exposed directly to the public internet. This is a textbook example of using remote access software in a way that supports security by design.

Example: Remote access to research systems and lab hardware

In universities and research hospitals, SSH is often used to reach:

• High‑performance computing (HPC) clusters
• Data analysis servers
• Lab control systems running Linux

A common pattern:

• Researchers connect to a campus VPN.
• Then they SSH into a login node for the cluster.
• From there, they submit jobs or open a remote Jupyter notebook session.

Many universities document these setups publicly. For instance, research computing groups at major institutions (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.) publish SSH‑based access guides on their .edu sites, which are good real examples of setting up remote access software for scientific workloads.

For general cybersecurity best practices, including safe remote administration, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and NIST both maintain updated guidance at cisa.gov and nist.gov.

Comparing the 3 practical examples of setting up remote access software

To keep this grounded, here’s how these three patterns line up in practice:

• VPN example: Best when you need broad access to an internal network—file servers, intranet apps, printers, and more. Think employees working from home.
• Remote desktop examples: Best when you need to control a specific machine—IT support, remote workstations, family tech help, training.
• SSH examples: Best when you need secure, scriptable access to servers, databases, and research systems—developers, sysadmins, scientists.

In reality, many organizations use all three. A developer might:

• Connect to the VPN
• Use Remote Desktop to reach a Windows jump host
• Then use SSH from that host to reach Linux servers

Each of these layers is another example of setting up remote access software in a way that trades a bit of complexity for better security and control.

FAQ: Real examples of setting up remote access software

Q1. What are the best examples of setting up remote access software for working from home?
For most employees, the best examples include a company‑managed VPN plus either internal web apps or Remote Desktop to an office PC. A typical workflow is: connect to the VPN, open the intranet or mapped drives, and, if needed, start a Remote Desktop session to a more powerful workstation.

Q2. Can you give an example of setting up remote access software that’s safe for non‑technical family members?
Yes. One practical example is using a cloud remote access tool with one‑time codes. You install the helper app on your family member’s computer, enable remote access, and teach them to share a code only with you. Combine that with basic safety tips from sources like the FTC at consumer.ftc.gov, and you greatly reduce the risk of scams.

Q3. Are VPNs still recommended, or are there better examples of remote access setups now?
VPNs are still widely used, but many organizations are moving toward more granular access models (often called zero‑trust architectures). In practice, that means more use of app‑specific remote access—like SSH to a single server or browser‑based access to one app—rather than exposing an entire network. Still, as real examples of setting up remote access software go, VPNs, remote desktop tools, and SSH remain the workhorses in 2024–2025.

Q4. What’s a simple example of remote access for a small business with no IT staff?
A realistic example is: use a managed remote desktop service for support and light remote work, and a business‑grade VPN from your router vendor if you need access to files or printers. Many small offices start with just remote desktop tools and add VPN later as they grow.

Q5. Where can I find trustworthy guidance on securing remote access?
For high‑quality, non‑marketing guidance, look at:

• CISA for alerts and best practices on remote access and VPN security: https://www.cisa.gov/
• NIST for standards and guidelines on remote work and telework security: https://www.nist.gov/
• University IT security pages on .edu domains for practical, real‑world examples of setting up remote access software for students and researchers.

These sources are updated regularly and reflect current attack trends and recommended defenses.