Remote Desktop Questions

[Joey]

Hi,

Recently, a friend of mine taught me how to use it, and
since I've been using my laptop on my home network to
connect to my computer in my room, so I don't have to walk
the steps. Now, I've seen my friend connect to his home
computer from his laptop in school, a different network.
Now, when he puts his IP in, he connects, but when I put
mine in, it doesn't work. I'm wondering if I need to have
a port number or something to do it, or what I'm doing
wrong. Is there any way someone can explain what I need to
do to find my port number, if thats what I need, or what
exactly I need to do to connect from a different network?

If it helps, I have a router that's splitting the
connection between the family's Macintosh, and then my PC,
with the Mac being in the first slot on the router and my
PC being second.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

You would need port 3389 open in your firewall/router, and either a static
IP or a dynamic DNS account that maps/updates yourcomputer.yourdomain.com
to whatever your dynamic IP is now. Your ISP would also need not to be
blocking this port.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

You need a port number and a protocol and an IP address and a setting in the
router.

Port number:3389
Protocol: TCP
IP address: The IP address of the Internet interface of the router--i.e.
the address acquired by the router. You can see this by looking at the
routers admin interface, or by, say, going to www.whatismyipaddress.com from
a PC or Mac inside the router.

(please be VERY cautions about the ads on this site--use the x in the upper
right corner to close them and don't press any other links. I've got to
find a better easy-to-remember reference!)

Router setting: Your router performs NAT functions--it lets all of you use
that one public IP address by using port numbers and tables so that traffic
in response to outbound traffic from, say, the Mac, goes back to the Mac,
and vice versa. It also by defaults drops inbound traffic that isn't in
response to an outbound conversation--i.e. your attempts to connect.

There are pages in the router's html admin which allow you to set up either
forwarding or virtual servers (different wording in different routers) so
that inbound traffic on port 3389, TCP, can be forwarded to the IP address
of your PC. Take a look through the router, or read the manual if you can
find it. It is possible that some routers might need a firmware upgrade
available freely from the vendors website to make this simpler.

If this doesn't get you going, write back with what make and model of router
you have, and where you get stuck. There are routers which have no HTML
interface, or which aren't user-modifiable. If you've got something like
this we may not be able to help.

 

[Clayton]

www.checkmyip.com

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Thanks--that is MUCH nicer!

 

[Joey]

I have a Netgear RP614 router. I only reply now because I
wanted to wait for an opportunity to test it out, and it
did not. I entered my IP into the window, followed
by :3389, but it didn't work. So, basically, I'm stuck at
square one again.

Oh, www.ipchicken.com is what I've been using for my IP.

-----Original Message-----
You need a port number and a protocol and an IP address and a setting in the
router.

Port number:3389
Protocol: TCP
IP address: The IP address of the Internet interface of the router--i.e.
the address acquired by the router. You can see this by looking at the
routers admin interface, or by, say, going to

www.whatismyipaddress.com from

 

[Guest]

Oh, and to add furthermore, I just did a firmware update
on the router, and got a menu called "Remote Management".
Inside it, there were options to turn on Remote
Management, to allow remote access by "Only this
computer", "IP address range", or "Everyone", and a Port
Number box. I changed it to what I think I would need, so
now I only would need to do a re-testing of the direct
connect. If I SHOULDN'T have done this, please say so, and
I can change back the original options. Also, if you have
any ideas as to what I should do now, all are welcome!
Thanks again!

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Firmware update is usually a Good Thing (but not always!)

Remote Management is probably NOT what you want to turn on.

It may be useful to you while troubleshooting, however.

What this allows is modifying the settings in the router from a remote
location--in general--this is DANGEROUS.

However, if you can restrict it somewhat, or use it for a short period of
time while getting RD going, and then turn it off--it may be useful to you.

You should be able to use a web browser, the IP address of the router, and
the port number that you set to connect to the GUI (Graphical User
Interface) (or should this be HUI--HTML User Interface?) of the router.

This will allow you to make changes to the forwarding or Application Server
settings from a remote location as you test. This really shouldn't be
necessary, and I urge you to both put in place a strong password on the
netgear device, and turn this facility (remote administration) off as soon
as you can.

Looks to me as though the latest firmware is 4.12 or higher?

Looking at a manual for your device online, it appears that they call what
you need Port Forwarding, and that the instructions start on physical page
10, or 12 in the PDF version I am looking at.

There sure isn't much in the manual. You want to forward port 3389, TCP to
the IP address of the XP machine you wish to connect to via Remote Desktop.

Then, at a remote location, run Remote Desktop Connection, enter your IP
address into the connection window, and hit enter. There's no need to put
the 3389 in--that is the default.

 

[Joey]

OK, I think I got it now. I went into my Port Forwarding
menu, and chose new Service. I named it Direct Connect,
and put in the information I needed (Starting port, ending
port, and server IP address for the computer I want to
connect to.) I'll have to attempt it later on during the
week, when I go back up to my cousins house. But, thanks
for your help, Bill!

 

[Bill Sanderson]

That should be what you want--starting port and ending port will be the same
thing--both 3389.

 

[Joey]

Coming to you live, from my computer, located in my
cousin's scenic room, I bring you my successful direct
connection... success, lol. Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Glad to hear it!

 

[Guest]

alright this is exactly what is happening to my computer this exact problem, so now i have everything set like you said. the port forwarding, i have remote access turned on and i can connet to the login screen, but after i put in my correct user name and password, i get an error message that says "The system could not long on. Make sure User Name and Domain are correct, then type password again. Letters in password must be typed in correct case." I am not putting anything in for the domain name, but the name of my network at home is Lance's Network. I am using a netgear mr814v2 router. please help please please please

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Try putting your machine name in as the domain name.
(i.e. the name of the host machine.) This can be found on the remote tab of
properties of My Computer.

alright this is exactly what is happening to my computer this exact

problem, so now i have everything set like you said. the port forwarding, i
have remote access turned on and i can connet to the login screen, but after
i put in my correct user name and password, i get an error message that says
"The system could not long on. Make sure User Name and Domain are correct,
then type password again. Letters in password must be typed in correct
case." I am not putting anything in for the domain name, but the name of my
network at home is Lance's Network. I am using a netgear mr814v2 router.
please help please please please

 

[Guest]

bill tried that and it doesn't work. Now when i did the port forwarding i didn't do anythign with tcp like you were talking about in the previous threds. I couldn't find where to do anything with that. I did forward port 3389. I don't know what to do please help. thanks

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I think you have done the forwarding right--else you wouldn't get asked for
username/password.

The choice would have been a checkbox, probably--choices TCP or UDP.
I can't see your problem--there's a username which must be correct. There's
a password which must bne correct and is case sensitive. There's a domain
name which may be needed.

Same stuff as needed to logon locally at the host machine.

bill tried that and it doesn't work. Now when i did the port forwarding i

didn't do anythign with tcp like you were talking about in the previous
threds. I couldn't find where to do anything with that. I did forward port
3389. I don't know what to do please help. thanks

 

[lance]

Bill~ So do you have any other ideas to try to make it work. It would
be a really nice feature to have on my computer, and that is pretty
much the whole reason that i purchased xp pro. please help thanks

 

[lance]

Bill~ So do you have any other ideas to try to make it work. It would
be a really nice feature to have on my computer, and that is pretty
much the whole reason that i purchased xp pro. please help thanks

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I must be missing something--is the host PC standalone, or part of a domain?

username is not case sensitive. Password IS case sensitive

Domain presumably is blank, but could be filled in with the netbios name of
the machine--as shone on the remote tab of properties of My Computer.

Have you tried simplifying this as much as possible--there must be a
password--and still no joy?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'd like to use it, but it comes up as unavailable or is very slow to access
from the US, and also seems to use activex, which my current browser
settings won't allow.