Patent ID: 7100069

Claim:
A system for accessing a computer over a TCP/IP protocol network comprising: a plurality of host computers connected to a TCP/IP protocol network, each of said host computers being capable of being remotely controlled by a client computer; an advertising publisher computer connected to said network which receives advertising information about at least the availability and capacity of said plurality of host computers on said network; and a client computer connected to said network operable to receive said advertising information about said plurality of computers from said publisher computer and to display said advertising information on a display of said client computer to allow a selection of a host computer among said plurality of host computers, and remote control information enabling said client computer to control a selected host computer over said network such that input events to said client computer become input events to said selected host computer and such that video output information of said selected host computer become video output information of said client computer; wherein said advertising information for said selected host computer includes information about the poster of said host computer, password information for said host computer, and collaboration information for said host computer.