Remote desktop Connection:
Install executable on remote system (need to have permission to do this, of
course), executable contacts the host system, and off you go.
Remote Desktop Web Connection:
1) install (and harden! and patch) IIS on the host system, including the
RDWC piece.
2) open ports in the firewall for both IIS and Remote Desktop (80 and 3389,
TCP, by default)
3) From a remote system, use Internet Explorer to connect to the host's IIS.
This will upload a signed ActiveX control (remote system must be configured
to allow such an operation, and the user must assent to the installation)
ActiveX control then contacts the host over port 3389 and off you go.
The Web Connection method has significantly more complexity than the simple
Remote Desktop connection. It doesn't involve any advance preparation at
the remote end of things, but if the remote end is locked down (in a
corporate or educational setting)--neither method should work.
