How to access database server data remotely ?

Hi
There are so many ways to access data locally.
e.g. local workstation to local database server.

How can a database server that is in say london be accessed by a workstation in say belgium?
but without using the web interfaces and tools?

The solution I am looking for is directly through the TCP/IP method that is used in local area networks. So because now the internet is so fast it must be possible to connect from data from different cities just like in a local client server data access model.

Who has done this? and what TMS tools or components can achieve this ? Or what others methods
and tools can this be done with.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Kind regards

Kamran

I'd recommend to have a look at:

http://www.tmssoftware.com/site/remotedb.asp 
and/or
http://www.tmssoftware.com/site/xdata.asp