Port forwarding & failure to get out to port 3389 w/ remote deskto

[Guest]

I have my home PC running Windows XP Pro with remote desktop properly setup.
I have a linksys wired/wireless router with port forwarding correctly set up
on port 3389. I know it works because I have a laptop running XP home that
connects wirelessly through the same router and can access the desktop. The
problem is that when I take the laptop to my office or to anywhere else for
that matter and attempt to connect to the home desktop, I get a client-side
protocol error that isn't letting me try to access the home PC running XP
pro. I know for a fact that the routers & firewalls & NAT settings at any of
these places that I try to connect from other than my home are not blocking
outbound access to port 3389. I figure it must be something with my router at
home. It is a DHCP IP address that is assigned by my cable-modem ISP but it
hasn't changed in ages since it used a long lease (I have confirmed over and
over that the IP hasn't changed by going to whatismyip.com). I also have
correctly set up the port forwarding in my linksys router to forward to the
appropriate device at home since the xp pro machine is plugged into the #2
slot (again I know this works since I am able to correctly connect to it from
the laptop while home ). My question is this: why can I connect to it
seamlessly from within my home network but not anywhere else?

 

[Guest]

It sounds like to me that the forwarding on the router is not setup properly.
You say you can connect to your desktop through your laptop using wireless
but your wireless connection is not going out to the internet then back in.
It should be connecting over the LAN just using the wireless network instead
of the wired. You need to make sure that on the router you make TCP 3389
forward to the IP of your desktop. The way I set it up is make your desktop
a static IP and then port forward to that IP. Then you should be able to
connect from anywhere outside your network. I have seen problems with port
forwarding when the router is setup to be a DHCP server for your network. So
try giving it a static.

Jim, MCSE

 

[Sooner Al]

In addition to Jim's comments there two tests/tools you can use to troubleshoot this from a remote
location...

The telnet test...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q187628

The MS Port Query tool...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832919
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0105.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...37-1ea6-4569-aabb-f248f4bd91d0&displaylang=en

You can see a few examples of its use in the "Troubleshooting" section on this page...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/RemoteDesktop/RemoteDesktopSetupandTroubleshooting.html

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Guest]

Thank you. I think it was going out and then back in again because the IP
addressed in the remote desktop window was that of my external IP, the one
that comes up when I go to whatismyip.com and the same that I see when I run
cmd / ipconfig. I do then have my linksys router set up to port forward all
incoming on 3393 to 192.168.1.102 (102 is my xp pro desktop). Even though
the IP address is technically DHCP, it is has been static for weeks. Would
that really matter? I have to assume there there must be something else. Do
you see anyting else that it could be?

 

[Guest]

Sooner Al,
You might be onto something. I have two computers at my work and two
internet connections. They're both XP Home laptops that can connect either
wired or wirelessly to either a T3 or a cable modem connections. I tried
the the telnet test...
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q187628 with either
computer and with either connection and yet they all failed. Could it be
posisble that both of my ISPs (the T3 and the cable modem) and a friend's
house using Verizon DSL all block outgoing 3389 connections that would bring
me to my home host computer?
Jason

 

[Guest]

First I assume you mean port 3389 and that was just a typo. I think I see
what the problem is. You have the public address actually on the desktop
itself and not the router. when you do a ipconfig/all you should see
192.168.1.102 and when you go to whatismyip.com you should see the public
address that your router is going out. If you see both the same then your
desktop has the wrong settings on it and that is why the port fordaring isn't
working. Well, it is because it is forwarding that request to 192.168.1.102
but there is not a computer there to answer.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Hi Jim,
Yes, it was a type. I meant 3389. I don't think that is it either. the
puclic address i see when i go to whatismyip is 24.44.xxx.xx and the computer
I try to hit from the client side is 24.44.xxx.xx:3389. The router settings
are set to forward all incoming traffic from port 3389 to 192.268.1.102. Am
I missing something? Please advise. Thanks!
Jason

 

[Sooner Al]

You might consider using a dynamic naming service like No-IP.com... A small program runs on one of
your home PCs and contacts the No-IP.com servers on a scheduled basis. The servers then know what
your current IP is and map that to a fully qualified domain name that you can use to call from a
remote site. I use this for access to my home LAN via VPN or Remote Desktop... It works very well
for me...and its FREE...

http://www.no-ip.com

Personally, I think it doubtful that TCP Port 3389 is blocked by Verizon outgoing from a residential
account, although anything is possible. I do know that some network administrators at work sites may
block pretty much everything outbound as a security measure...

I think its an issue with your router or addressing scheme when calling from a remote site.

What Linksys router are you using? Have you installed the latest firmware?

Also, note that when testing this from one PC to another PC on your local LAN that in most cases
using the public IP of your router will not work. You must use the local LAN IP or be at a remote
site and use the true public IP of the router.

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Guest]

again a typo. i meant 192.168.1.102

Hi Jim,
Yes, it was a type. I meant 3389. I don't think that is it either. the
puclic address i see when i go to whatismyip is 24.44.xxx.xx and the computer
I try to hit from the client side is 24.44.xxx.xx:3389. The router settings
are set to forward all incoming traffic from port 3389 to 192.268.1.102. Am
I missing something? Please advise. Thanks!
Jason

 

[Guest]

I'm using the Linksys BEFW11S4 with the latest firmware (i upgraded it
yesterday). I know what no-ip.com can do for me but I am reluctant to do
that because my IP has remained static thoughout this entire experiment to
get RDC to work. When I go to whatismyip.com or run ipconfig, the public IP
shown is 24.44.xxx.xx. I assume this is for the router.

I agree that it's unlikely that 3389 is being blocked outbound from verizon
dsl and our cable modem though maybe on the T3. If that is the case, could
it be anything else besides my router settings? Is there anything else I
could be missing there?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Guest]

That is the problem right there. "When I go to whatismyip.com or run
ipconfig, the public IP shown is 24.44.xxx.xx." ipconfig should NOT show
24.44.xxx.xx. ipconfig should show your private address 192.168.1.102. if
it shows the 24.44.xxx.xx then you have the desktop pulling the IP from your
ISP instead of the router pulling the IP.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I'll check that out tonight when I get home to the router again.
Thanks for the help!
Jason

 

[Sooner Al]

Well... I suggest you search/post to the Linksys forum at the DSL Reports site or the
PortForward.com site for help.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/linksys
http://forum.portforward.com/

If your using the correct public IP address and the telnet and PortQry tests both fail then it has
to be an issue with router.

One thing you could try is to install an older version of the firmware and test again. I sometimes
run a Linksys BEFSR41 (for testing) and know that some firmware versions cause me issues with using
PPTP VPN. Its possible something like that is the problem...

You also might try a simple power off/on reset of the router...

Note that using No-IP.com has not effect on whether or not the ISP DHCP server changes your IP...but
it will allow you to address your home LAN independently of the change...

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Sooner Al]

Good catch... I missed that completely...

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Guest]

The good news is that when I run ipconfig, I'm now showing 192.168.1.102 but
the bad news is that I'm now back at square one.
Jason

 

[Guest]

Jason forget whatismyisp log onto to your routers setup click on the admin
tab the ip address shown there is the one you need to hit with RD. Also in
your network connections double click your network connection then the
support tab the ip shown here is the ip of your computer make sure port
forwarding under the App & gaming tab 3389 to that ip. Use those ip's and
you will know the setting are correct.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. I figured it out. I had tried every possible sequence of on and
off, including all off, for my router firewall, zone alarm firewall, norton
firewall. It turned out that norton antivirus had some sort of worm blocker
which was still on through all of this was blocking incoming requests from
external sources. everything else was totally correct all along and it was
driving me crazy. strange stuff i tell ya!

 

[Guest]

How do you fix this prob?

That is the problem right there. "When I go to whatismyip.com or run
ipconfig, the public IP shown is 24.44.xxx.xx." ipconfig should NOT show
24.44.xxx.xx. ipconfig should show your private address 192.168.1.102. if
it shows the 24.44.xxx.xx then you have the desktop pulling the IP from your
ISP instead of the router pulling the IP.

Jim