Hamachi

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Hamachi

Punit Lodaya, Mar 05, 2006 1900 hrs IST

Hamachi allows you to connect to PCs over the internet as if they were connected in a LAN environment.

Best Virtual LAN Software, Can connect even through firewalls, Fast, Easy to use, Freeware, Linux version also available.

Only 16 PCs Supported.

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Ever wanted to access a remote PC as if it was in a LAN environment? LAN connections are very easy to access and maintain. Besides, there are a few software and games which works only on LAN. There have been certain software which allow you to create a virtual LAN like VPN. But none of them really offer full functionality of a LAN connection. Besides that, configuring such software is not an easy task. Enter Hamachi.

Hamachi will allow you to connect to PCs over the internet and also those that are not easily accessible due to the restrictions on the network such as a firewall. For example, if your home computer is connected to the Internet via Connection Sharing or a Wi-Fi Router, you will not generally be able to access it from elsewhere.

By installing Hamachi on two or more computers and clicking a couple of buttons you can connect them instantly and securely. Now you can browse file shares, run remote desktop or even host a multiplayer game on one computer and join in from another, just as if they were connected in a LAN environment.

Hamachi is a networking technology enabling any two PCs on the Internet to connect to each other in spite of the presence of firewalls or address translation devices between them. This is usually accomplished with the help of a central server. But, having a central server may increase the latency. So in order to overcome that, Hamachi enables peer-to-peer communications between two computers residing behind two different connection sharing devices. Technically speaking, it allows for bidirectional NAT traversal. So P2P becomes possible with the help of Hamachi servers that mediate the establishment of an initial contact between peers.

Once peers connect, the traffic starts to flow directly between them. This not only ensures that data travels the best route possible, but it also minimizes latency and maximizes transfer speeds. This feature has been smartly implemented.