could a series of wireless routers be hindering remote access??

[markafuqua]

I have been working on this for two days to no avail. Can someone please tell
me if what I am trying to do can even be done??

We have set up a host computer in my office which is connected to a wireless
router that we would like to be able to access at all times for company files
and use as a server. There are 4 computers in this office as well as 3 in an
office 50 miles away.

I have set all the configurations on the server computer for allowing remote
desktop access to the on position according to all the post I have read. I
have found my IP address, actually two of them one that is directly linked to
that computer and the other that is associated with that computer through the
router by using the cmd from the start menu and the other from going to
whatismyip.com online. I know the name of the server computer as well.

I can connect to the server or host computer from the computers in my office
but not from other remote locations. From what I gather this means I don't
have the port 3389 configured right in my router. Would this be a correct
assumption??

I have gone to Portforward.com and tried to select my linksys router and
configure it but I am not having any luck. Can someone direct me please to
where I might find how to manually configure the proper port in my router
firewall. I have tried changing the settings to allow certain programs and
associated ports with them but I fear I am not doing something right.

Can what I am trying to do be done with out setting up a VPN?

We have purchased winconnect server xp to put on the host computer but they
recommend being able to connect remotely with remote desktop native before
installing their software and I can't get that done.

When and if I ever get the router configured properly will I also need to
change the port settings on the server itself??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have been working on this for two days to no avail. Can someone
please tell me if what I am trying to do can even be done??

We have set up a host computer in my office which is connected to a
wireless router that we would like to be able to access at all
times for company files and use as a server. There are 4 computers
in this office as well as 3 in an office 50 miles away.

I have set all the configurations on the server computer for
allowing remote desktop access to the on position according to all
the post I have read. I have found my IP address, actually two of
them one that is directly linked to that computer and the other
that is associated with that computer through the router by using
the cmd from the start menu and the other from going to
whatismyip.com online. I know the name of the server computer as
well.

I can connect to the server or host computer from the computers in
my office but not from other remote locations. From what I gather
this means I don't have the port 3389 configured right in my
router. Would this be a correct assumption??

I have gone to Portforward.com and tried to select my linksys
router and configure it but I am not having any luck. Can someone
direct me please to where I might find how to manually configure
the proper port in my router firewall. I have tried changing the
settings to allow certain programs and associated ports with them
but I fear I am not doing something right.

Can what I am trying to do be done with out setting up a VPN?

We have purchased winconnect server xp to put on the host computer
but they recommend being able to connect remotely with remote
desktop native before installing their software and I can't get
that done.

When and if I ever get the router configured properly will I also
need to change the port settings on the server itself??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There's nothing overly complicated about windows remote desktop and NAT
router involvement.

Let's say there are two sites. One is the host site - or contains the
computer you want to remote *into* and the other is the client, or where you
will be remoting *from*.

At the host site - the computer you will be remoting into should have:
- Valid password protected accounts that are in the Remote Desktop users
group*
(* local administrators are automatically in this group.)

- Remote Desktop must be enabled (therefore the machine must be able to
allow remote desktop.)

- The built in firewall either must be properly configured to allow Remote
Desktop through or disabled entirely - with the former being wiser than the
latter.

- The NAT router that the machine is connected to must be configured to
forward requests on a given port to the machine with all of the above
configured/in-place already. (** By default - the remote desktop port is
3389.)

- *You can* (to make things easier to use) use a service like dyndns.org to
configure the router with an easy to remember (and self-sustaining) domain
name. This is not necessary - but is helpful if your IP might change or you
have trouble remembering the IP address vs. remembering something by name.


The client side - doesn't need much...
- Access to the Internet

- The IP address (or domain name if so configured) of the remote router -
which will pass the port requests onto the machine behind it properly.

You should refer to your router manual - nothing else would be as accurate -
for instructions on how to properly forward port requests through to
machines behind it.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

I can connect to the server or host computer from the computers in my office
but not from other remote locations. From what I gather this means I don't
have the port 3389 configured right in my router. Would this be a correct
assumption??

First, this maybe a dumb question, but which IP address for your server
are you using when you try to connect through the routers? Is it the
server's private IP address or its public IP address? The server's
private IP address will be an IP address that usually starts with
192.168.x.x. This private IP address will only work with machines
connected behind the same router, but not beyond it. When you're trying
to connect to the server from beyond its router, then you need to use
the router's public IP address, also known as its WAN IP address.

If you already knew this, then I won't explain much further, otherwise I
will.

I have gone to Portforward.com and tried to select my linksys router and
configure it but I am not having any luck. Can someone direct me please to
where I might find how to manually configure the proper port in my router
firewall. I have tried changing the settings to allow certain programs and
associated ports with them but I fear I am not doing something right.

Depends on each router manufacturer how you do the port forwardings.
Most routers will also have several different ways of port forwarding.
Some have triggered port forwards, where the router will automatically
set up a port forward if it sees certain ports opened from a certain
source machine. Others just have basic ports that stay forwarded
forever, until you disable them again.

When and if I ever get the router configured properly will I also need to
change the port settings on the server itself??

Shouldn't need to usually.


Yousuf Khan