Remote Desktop / Assistance - works over public Internet ?

[- Bobb -]

I read all of the remote desktop questions here and the Microsoft pointers referenced and I can't find the answer to this question:
is this only for VPN/private network or can I connect to a WinXP Pro laptop at a friends house in Florida from my house in Boston ?

In looking at the logon screen examples , they are entering just a PC name, some I'm assuming that they are using it on a private
network. We are both on Comcast . I know we're on different parts of the Comcast network, but if he tells me his IP, can I connect
to his XPPro PC from here using XP Remote or do I have to use a different program ?

Thanks,
Bobb

 

[Paul Smith]

I read all of the remote desktop questions here and the Microsoft pointers
referenced and I can't find the answer to this question: is this only for
VPN/private network or can I connect to a WinXP Pro laptop at a friends
house in Florida from my house in Boston ?

In looking at the logon screen examples , they are entering just a PC
name, some I'm assuming that they are using it on a private network. We
are both on Comcast . I know we're on different parts of the Comcast
network, but if he tells me his IP, can I connect to his XPPro PC from
here using XP Remote or do I have to use a different program ?

Yes, Remote Desktop works over the internet - you'll just need to forward
the correct port (3389 I believe) if going through a router/NAT/firewall.

You'll also need Pro on the machine you're connecting too, and have enabled
remote desktop in System Properties.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove 'nospam.' to reply by e-mail*

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Bobb,

I read all of the remote desktop questions here and the Microsoft pointers
referenced and I can't find the answer to this question: is this only for
VPN/private network or can I connect to a WinXP Pro laptop at a friends
house in Florida from my house in Boston ?

Certainly you can.

In looking at the logon screen examples , they are entering just a PC
name, some I'm assuming that they are using it on a private network. We
are both on Comcast . I know we're on different parts of the Comcast
network, but if he tells me his IP, can I connect to his XPPro PC from
here using XP Remote or do I have to use a different program ?

A name is nothing more than an identifier that is resolved to an IP address.
Whether that is on a local net or on the internet, the affect is the same.
Running ipconfig /all should get you the IP (your friend will need to do
this on his/her machine and pass the information to you).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I read all of the remote desktop questions here and the Microsoft pointers

referenced and I can't find the answer to this question:

is this only for VPN/private network or can I connect to a WinXP Pro

laptop at a friends house in Florida from my house in Boston ?

In looking at the logon screen examples , they are entering just a PC

name, some I'm assuming that they are using it on a private

network. We are both on Comcast . I know we're on different parts of the

Comcast network, but if he tells me his IP, can I connect

to his XPPro PC from here using XP Remote or do I have to use a different program ?

Thanks,
Bobb

As Paul says, Remote Desktop works very nicely over the Internet.
To make a successful connection, you need to know your friend's
external IP address. There are several options:
- If your friend has a static IP address, enter it into the Remote
Desktop command line (mstsc /v:aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd).
- If your friend has a dynamic address, you need to find out
what that address is prior to making a connection. It's visible
in the hidden header of every EMail you receive from your friend.
- If you find it too tedious to change the address each time then
your friend can register a free domain name with one of
several companies such as www.dyndns.com.

If you want your friend to see what you're doing while the
two PCs are connected then you could use WinVNC instead
of Remote Desktop. See my reply in the post headed "Using
Remote", posted in this newsgroup five days ago. Ignore
the lengthy discussions with some respondents whose force
of argument was much greater than their product knowlege.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi Bobb,


Certainly you can.


A name is nothing more than an identifier that is resolved to an IP address.
Whether that is on a local net or on the internet, the affect is the same.
Running ipconfig /all should get you the IP (your friend will need to do
this on his/her machine and pass the information to you).

This will work for a dial-up connection but not for a connection
that uses a router, e.g. an ADSL modem/router. In that case
the command ipconfig.exe will reveal the ***internal***
IP address. The poster will need the ***external*** address.
Here are a couple of ways for the friend to find out what the
current external address is:
- By looking at www.whatismyip.com
- By examining the address table in the router.

 

[Richard Urban]

I regularly help out a fellow in South Africa from my home in New York State
using remote assistance.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Right. Or logging into the router, as it should be able to tell you the
external IP. Then of course port forwarding needs to be enabled as well.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[- Bobb -]

Thanks to all for the info.
I'll let you know how I make out next week.

 

[- Bobb -]

Worked fine - thanks to all.

Thanks to all for the info.
I'll let you know how I make out next week.