How to Reach Your Work Computer From Home

Most “I can’t reach my work computer” problems were created before you left the office. This guide follows that order: what to do before you go, how to connect once you’re home, and what to check when it fails.

Three things to do before you leave

1. Make sure the machine stays awake

This is the most common failure, and by the time you notice it you are no longer in a position to fix it. Remote control software can only reach a machine that is running. It cannot wake one that is off or hibernating.

Before you go, confirm two things: it is not shut down (locking the screen is fine), and the power settings will not put it to sleep or hibernate on its own. On a laptop, check the closed-lid behaviour too — many default to sleep.

2. Install the software and enable unattended access

The critical point: once you’re home, nobody is sitting at that machine to click “accept” for you.

So it has to be configured for unattended access in advance — set up on that machine, with the access code brought with you. Installing the software but skipping unattended setup is the second most common failure.

3. Save the device ID and access code on your phone

Do not keep them only on that computer — when you can’t reach it, you can’t read them either.

• The device ID decides which machine, and is fixed after installation
• The access code decides whether you can connect without approval

The difference is covered in connecting with WorksLink. Treat the access code like a password; don’t paste it into a group chat.

Connecting once you’re home

Install the same program on your own machine — both ends run the same one — enter the office machine’s device ID, then its access code. The session starts without anyone responding at the other end.

You don’t need to connect to the company VPN first. WorksLink establishes its own encrypted connection and uses NAT traversal to open a path between two separate local networks. In practice this matters more than it sounds: “first connect to the VPN” is usually the step where the whole thing stalls.

Troubleshooting, in order

Work down this list, starting with the likeliest — don’t begin by suspecting the software:

1. Is the machine actually awake? Ask a colleague still in the office to look, or test whether anything else on that network responds. This accounts for most failures.
2. Did you copy the device ID correctly? It’s long, and one wrong digit looks fine.
3. Was unattended access actually enabled? If not, an empty desk means you will never get in — the symptom looks identical to “can’t connect”, but the cause is different.
4. Are the two ends on very different versions? Update both and retry.
5. Does the company network restrict outbound connections? Some do. This one you cannot diagnose yourself; ask IT.

Talk to IT first

Most companies have a policy on remote access. Don’t install first and ask later.

• Installing remote control software on a company machine usually needs IT approval
• Unattended access means that machine is reachable indefinitely; IT has a right to know
• If you handle customer data or regulated information, there may be additional requirements

The better arrangement is for IT to manage it centrally — they can deploy in bulk, grant access by group, and turn on connection logging and session recording. That is both safer and less work than everyone installing their own. How to run that is covered in remote desktop for internal IT operations.

One security note

Unattended access trades a credential for entry — a leaked access code means that machine is handed over, with no second checkpoint.

So: don’t share the access code, don’t post it in a chat, and if you only need it for a few days, turn unattended access off again when you’re done. The full list of what to verify is in the remote desktop security checklist.

Which platforms work today

WorksLink ships installers for Windows and macOS, and both ends need it. iOS, Android and Linux builds have not been released — so reaching your work computer from a phone is not possible yet. See downloads and platform support.