You can access your personal AFS space from your own computer, as well as any other file space to which you have access. There are a variety of clients available for download by students, depending on which operating system you're using. See the Eos Remote Access pages for more information.
Students can access Unix and Linux servers on campus if a command-line interface is required, and can also start graphical interfaces this way. These connections are secure; no Telnet access is available for security reasons. Clients are available for Windows, and built in to Mac OS X and Linux. See the Running Solaris/Linux Applications Remotely page for further information.
The Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) is a remote-access service that allows you to reserve a computer with a desired set of applications and remotely access it over the Internet. When you are using VCL, no one else is using that remote computer, so you do not have to worry about processor load. Learn more at the VCL web site.
A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a means by which users can access a private network from anywhere in the world. This has been done for years in industry so that traveling workers could securely access their company's sensitive information without carrying that information on their laptops. NC State has this capability as well and has opened access to all faculty, staff and students. We expect VPN to be used intensively in the future, especially to allow greater access to network-licensed software. For instance, a piece of software may be licensed for use on campus networks only; however, use of a VPN would give the NC State community the use of the software without requiring that they physically be on campus.
For more information and instructions on using NC State's VPN, visit ComTech's VPN site.