Selecting Remote Users

[Guest]

I have gone through every step in setting up a remote desktop connection and
still cannot get on.

I am trying to connect to my work PC (WINXP PRO) from my home PC (WINXP PRO).

I have enabled 'Allow remote users to access computer', but I think the
reason for my troubles is that I do not know how to 'Select remote users'. It
is only allowing me to select a user from users already on my computer.

How do I add a remote user in order to access my work PC from home?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

I have gone through every step in setting up a remote desktop connection
and
still cannot get on.

I am trying to connect to my work PC (WINXP PRO) from my home PC (WINXP
PRO).

I have enabled 'Allow remote users to access computer', but I think the
reason for my troubles is that I do not know how to 'Select remote users'.
It
is only allowing me to select a user from users already on my computer.

How do I add a remote user in order to access my work PC from home?

Thanks for any help!!

The user is local to the PC you want to remotely access/control not the PC
your connecting from. For example if your work PC has accounts for users A,
B and C with A being the PC administrator you can either logon using user
A's ID and password or assign user B and/or C in the Remote Desktop Users
Group and use their ID and password.

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.o...eshooting.html#Configure_Remote_Desktop_Users

If this is a work PC that you want to remotely access/control you really
should contact your work network administrators about this. It may be
against company policy to connect an untrusted system (your home PC) to a
trusted system (your office PC). They may also need or want to setup a VPN
connection to the office network...

--

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...

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have gone through every step in setting up a remote desktop
connection and still cannot get on.

I am trying to connect to my work PC (WINXP PRO) from my home PC
(WINXP PRO).

I have enabled 'Allow remote users to access computer', but I think
the reason for my troubles is that I do not know how to 'Select
remote users'. It is only allowing me to select a user from users
already on my computer.

How do I add a remote user in order to access my work PC from home?

You don't.

The user account you select on the machine that is to be the host for remote
desktop has to be an account that can log into that system locally - whether
it is a domain or local account for that system...

Can you describe better what you are seeing when you attempt to connect?
Is there a firewall between you and work? A NAT device? Router?

 

[Guest]

Hi guys,

Thank you both very much for responding.

Al, my office consists of 2 computers hooked up to the internet via a
motorola high speed cable modem. It's my company.

Stanley, the error message I keep getting is the same every time:

'The client could not connect to the remote computer.

Remote connections might not be enabled or computer might be too busy to
accept new connections. It is also possible that 'network problems' are
affecting your connection.'

Quick question just to make sure I am doing everything correctly, if I am
the administrator on my work PC, which is a password protected account, when
I try signing on from my home PC via RDC, what am I supposed to enter upon
opening RDC?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have gone through every step in setting up a remote desktop
connection and still cannot get on.

I am trying to connect to my work PC (WINXP PRO) from my home PC
(WINXP PRO).

I have enabled 'Allow remote users to access computer', but I
think the reason for my troubles is that I do not know how to
'Select remote users'. It is only allowing me to select a user
from users already on my computer.

How do I add a remote user in order to access my work PC from
home?

You don't.

The user account you select on the machine that is to be the host
for remote desktop has to be an account that can log into that
system locally - whether it is a domain or local account for that
system...

Can you describe better what you are seeing when you attempt to
connect?

Is there a firewall between you and work? A NAT device? Router?

Thank you both very much for responding.

Al, my office consists of 2 computers hooked up to the internet via
a motorola high speed cable modem. It's my company.

Stanley, the error message I keep getting is the same every time:

'The client could not connect to the remote computer.

Remote connections might not be enabled or computer might be too
busy to accept new connections. It is also possible that 'network
problems' are affecting your connection.'

Quick question just to make sure I am doing everything correctly,
if I am the administrator on my work PC, which is a password
protected account, when I try signing on from my home PC via RDC,
what am I supposed to enter upon opening RDC?

Are you trying to connect to a public IP? (not a 192.168.xxx.xxx or
10.x.x.x address) when you remote?

Is your username 'administrator'?
You utilize whatever your actual username is.
On the machine in question - one way to find out is to open a Command Prompt
(start button --> RUN --> cmd --> OK) and type in 'set' (sans the quotes)
and press ENTER. You should get back a bunch of environment variables - one
is 'username' (near the bottom of the list) and it tells you what your
actual username is...

 

[Guest]

'Are you trying to connect to a public IP? (not a 192.168.xxx.xxx or
10.x.x.x address) when you remote?'

Not sure...I am using the ip address I got from going to ipconfig
192.168.1.xxx (according to my isp, it's not a static ip address)

The username for my work PC is administrator. Is this what I enter in
'Computer' when RDC opens?

I really feel that something is not configured the right way on my work
(host) PC. Not sure what it is.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Not sure...I am using the ip address I got from going to ipconfig
192.168.1.xxx (according to my isp, it's not a static ip address)

Given the answer you gave - 192.168.1.xxx <- you are attempting to connect
from outside the privatre network but using a privat IP address.
192.168.x.x is a private range of addresses. Whgat that means is that MANY
MANY people probably have this IP Address. You would only use it from
inside the same network (like in your home or in your office) for anything.
Outside that environment you need to utilize the public IP address to get
into your private world.

The username for my work PC is administrator. Is this what I enter
in 'Computer' when RDC opens?

No - you only use the username after the connection has been made and the
remote computer asks you for the username/password (although you can
pre-enter this - it is not in the computer field. The 'computer' field is
the remote systems fully qualified domain name/IP address.

I really feel that something is not configured the right way on my
work (host) PC. Not sure what it is.

Your answers tell me that you are not getting to your work PC because it is
on its own private network behind a router/NAT device. In order to connect
to it you either have to configure that device to forward port 3389 requests
from outside to the internal computer of your choice or you have t setup a
VPN on that device.

 

[Guest]

If that is the case...my natural next question is - how do I set up a VPN?

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

If that is the case...my natural next question is - how do I set up a VPN?

You don't need a VPN in order to use Remote Desktop although some folks do
including myself for various reasons. For addressing help see this...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.o...ktopSetupandTroubleshooting.html#Call_Schemes

This presumes you have TCP Port 3389 forwarded through any firewall/router
(including the XP SP2 Windows Firewall) between your office PC and the
public internet.

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.o...pSetupandTroubleshooting.html#Port_forwarding

Once again when you call your office PC from home the user ID and password
are for an account on your office PC not your home PC. You need to use a
*STRONG* password.

--

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]

Hi,

'This presumes you have TCP Port 3389 forwarded through any firewall/router

(including the XP SP2 Windows Firewall) between your office PC and the
public internet.'

I have disconnected my work PC's firewall (McAfee) and I do not have a
router...I am connected to the internet via a Motorola modem. However, I have
accessed 'netstat -a' and Port 3389 is 'listening'.

'> You don't need a VPN in order to use Remote Desktop although some folks do

including myself for various reasons. For addressing help see this...'

My ISP told me that I needed a commercial account and a VPN in order to set
up RDC. I can't see why that would be?? If this is not the case, what the
heck am I doing wrong?

From my understanding, after enabling the host pc to accept remost hosting,
forwarding Port 3389 (if you have a router) and either placing an exception
in your firewall to accept RDC or disabling completely...all that should need
to be done is start up RDC on a client pc, type in the ip address of the host
pc and log in to the host pc. Am I missing something?

If we don't speak again tonight...Have a safe and happy New Year!!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have disconnected my work PC's firewall (McAfee) and I do not
have a router...I am connected to the internet via a Motorola
modem. However, I have accessed 'netstat -a' and Port 3389 is
'listening'.

My ISP told me that I needed a commercial account and a VPN in
order to set up RDC. I can't see why that would be?? If this is not
the case, what the heck am I doing wrong?

From my understanding, after enabling the host pc to accept remost
hosting, forwarding Port 3389 (if you have a router) and either
placing an exception in your firewall to accept RDC or disabling
completely...all that should need to be done is start up RDC on a
client pc, type in the ip address of the host pc and log in to the
host pc. Am I missing something?

If we don't speak again tonight...Have a safe and happy New Year!!

This all started with:

I am trying to connect to my work PC (WINXP PRO) from my home PC
(WINXP PRO).

And lead to the fact that your computer at work (the one you are trying to
remote to) *is* behind a NAT device/router:

I am using the ip address I got from going to ipconfig
192.168.1.xxx (according to my isp, it's not a static ip address)

.... as the 192.168.1.xxx address is a PRIVATE IP address assigned by some
NAT device or router - not by any ISPs I know of.

What that means is that your work machine is behind a router or NAT device
and you do not currently know its public IP. You need to know the public IP
address of your work system (it is not unique - it will be the public IP
address for every machine that is behind that same NAT device/router) and
then you need to configure that router to forward port 3389 requests to your
particular machine (along with all the other stuff you claim to have already
done on your work computer.)

You home computer - it's all ready to go. As long as you have an Internet
connection (normally) and it has the Remote Desktop Client - not much else
matters with the client machine (your home machine.)

To get the actual public IP address of your work computer - you need to be
on it and usually visiting:

http://whatismyip.com/

Will give you that IP address. It should *not* be 192.168.xxx.xxx. It
should be something else.

As for how tro configure the work router to allow port forwarding - that
will depend on the router in question and what it has in its manual.

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

Hi,

'This presumes you have TCP Port 3389 forwarded through any
firewall/router

I have disconnected my work PC's firewall (McAfee) and I do not have a
router...I am connected to the internet via a Motorola modem. However, I
have
accessed 'netstat -a' and Port 3389 is 'listening'.

'> You don't need a VPN in order to use Remote Desktop although some folks
do

My ISP told me that I needed a commercial account and a VPN in order to
set
up RDC. I can't see why that would be?? If this is not the case, what the
heck am I doing wrong?

From my understanding, after enabling the host pc to accept remost
hosting,
forwarding Port 3389 (if you have a router) and either placing an
exception
in your firewall to accept RDC or disabling completely...all that should
need
to be done is start up RDC on a client pc, type in the ip address of the
host
pc and log in to the host pc. Am I missing something?

If we don't speak again tonight...Have a safe and happy New Year!!

On the work PC open IE and go to the http://www.canyouseeme.org site. Run
the test for TCP Port 3389. If the test fails you have a firewall or router
blocking incoming requests. If it passes see the following...

As noted by Shenan also go to the http://www.whatismyip.com site while at
work. This will give you your public internet IP address, the one you need
to use when calling from home...

Help us understand something...

You say you have two PCs at work connected straight to a cable modem, is
that correct? What model Motorola modem? How are the PCs connected to the
modem, ie. is there a switch between the modem and the two PCs? If you go to
the http://www.whatismyip.com site on both PC's do they report different IP
addresses or different IP addresses? If you go to "Start -> Run" and type
cmd at the command line then type "ipconfig /all" at the prompt on each PC
do you get a public IP address, ie. an address that does not start with an
address in the private address space meaning 192 or 172 or 10 for example?

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1918.txt

Happy New Year to you and yours also...

--

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]

This is the way my 2 workstations at my office are setup:

2 WINXP PRO PC's hooked up to the internet via a SURFboard® Cable Modem
SB5101. One end of the cable is going into the modem from the wall and coming
out the other end into a Linksys WPS54G Wireless-G Print Server. From there,
I have one ethernet wire each going into either PC.

So, unless the print server is the 'NAT Device/router' to which you are
referring, I again am not sure what i am doing wrong.

By the way, since one of my past posts, I did realize that I provided you
with an incorrect ip address (192.168.x.xxx). I have since been on
checkip.dyndns.org and found out the correct ip address for my work PC.

I did go on to www.canyouseeme.org to check Port 3389 and it came back
saying 'Error, Connection Timed Out'.

Curious if I am taking the cake for being the most 'difficult' person on
this newsgroup needing help?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

This is the way my 2 workstations at my office are setup:

2 WINXP PRO PC's hooked up to the internet via a SURFboard® Cable
Modem SB5101. One end of the cable is going into the modem from the
wall and coming out the other end into a Linksys WPS54G Wireless-G
Print Server. From there, I have one ethernet wire each going into
either PC.

There's a problem with this.
Someplace their is a router or some other device (NAT) giving out the
private IPs and providing you with the multiple connections.
The modem you quote has ONE ethernet connection:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/sb5101/

Where does the one ethernet line become two or three? Back of a computer?
A switch (networking device)?

So, unless the print server is the 'NAT Device/router' to which you
are referring, I again am not sure what i am doing wrong.

It is not..
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...ite=US&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

By the way, since one of my past posts, I did realize that I
provided you with an incorrect ip address (192.168.x.xxx). I have
since been on checkip.dyndns.org and found out the correct ip
address for my work PC.

You provided that to me - not to Al. ;-)

I did go on to www.canyouseeme.org to check Port 3389 and it came
back saying 'Error, Connection Timed Out'.

Sounds like it is blocked someplace -- assuming you meant you did that on
the work machine.

Curious if I am taking the cake for being the most 'difficult'
person on this newsgroup needing help?

Nope.

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

This is the way my 2 workstations at my office are setup:

2 WINXP PRO PC's hooked up to the internet via a SURFboard® Cable Modem
SB5101. One end of the cable is going into the modem from the wall and
coming
out the other end into a Linksys WPS54G Wireless-G Print Server. From
there,
I have one ethernet wire each going into either PC.

So, unless the print server is the 'NAT Device/router' to which you are
referring, I again am not sure what i am doing wrong.

By the way, since one of my past posts, I did realize that I provided you
with an incorrect ip address (192.168.x.xxx). I have since been on
checkip.dyndns.org and found out the correct ip address for my work PC.

I did go on to www.canyouseeme.org to check Port 3389 and it came back
saying 'Error, Connection Timed Out'.

Curious if I am taking the cake for being the most 'difficult' person on
this newsgroup needing help?

LOL... NO, your not the most difficult, maybe second place...

Just kidding of course...

Well you print server is simply another device on a network and your modem
only has one Ethernet port so its not a router. Your PCs are behind a
firewall or router of some sort based on the IP address, ie. a 192.168
address for the PC, and the fact that the http://www.canyouseeme.org test
failed. Are you in an office building of some sort that provides internet
access? There is definitely something between your work PC and the cable
modem...

One other test is to try connecting to the PC you want to eventually
remotely access/control from your other PC. See this illustration...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/RemoteDesktop/TroubleshootingDiagrams/Basic.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...

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

Good morning.


There is one ethernet connection on the modem, which goes into the print
server. From there, one ethernet wire goes to one desktop and another
ethernet wire goes into the other desktop.

The Linksys WPS54G is *NOT* a router and the SB5101 modem only has one
Ethernet port. Apparently you have not described the network accurately
since it is impossible for the two PCs to be connected directly to either
the print server or the modem without another device like a switch, hub or
router being in between.

If you go to "Start -> Run" then type "cmd" in the window and subsequently
run the "ipconfig" command from the command line on each desktop PC what IP
address is reported?
--

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...

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I feel absolutely foolish but there actually is a Linksys router
that is connecting my 2 PC's at work. Not sure how or why I failed
to realize that. VERY, VERY SORRY.

I did configure the router, tested it with the other PC in my
office and it worked fine. However, I just tried logging in from my
home PC and it is giving me the original error message again.

What am I doing wrong?

Again, I am very sorry for wasting your time before!!

The router is configured to forward port 3389 requests to the internal
(private) IP of your machine in the office and the office machine's software
firewall is configured to allow Remote Desktop and you are attempting to
connect from home using the public IP address of the Linksys router in
question?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

The router is configured to forward port 3389 requests to the
internal (private) IP of your machine in the office...Yes

...and the office machine's software firewall is configured to
allow Remote Desktop...Yes

...and you are attempting to connect from home using the public IP
address of the Linksys router in question?...When I signed on using
the other PC in my office (which is hooked up through the Linksys
router as well) I used the static ip address I created using
Portforward.com. It worked fine. I used this same address to log on
from home and it didn't go through.

Go to a command prompt and PING that Portforward.com address you created.
It may do REQUEST TIMED OUT, but it should resolve to the IP it thinks you
should be going to...
Is that IP address the public IP or the private IP?

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

The router is configured to forward port 3389 requests to the internal
(private) IP of your machine in the office...Yes

...and the office machine's software firewall is configured to allow
Remote
Desktop...Yes

...and you are attempting to connect from home using the public IP address
of the Linksys router in question?...When I signed on using the other PC
in
my office (which is hooked up through the Linksys router as well) I used
the
static ip address I created using Portforward.com. It worked fine. I used
this same address to log on from home and it didn't go through.

Use the IP you get from going to http://www.whatismyip.com while logged on
to the PC at work that you want to remotely access/control from home. Use
that IP when calling from home...

--

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...

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Sorry guys, I'm not sure I understand.


When I go to ipconfig, I get one address (192.168.x.xxx). When I
went to portforward.com I entered that address in and it in turn
provided me with a static ip address with the same 7 digits but
with the last 3 digits different. When I logged on to RDC from the
other PC in my office, this is the address I used and it worked
fine.

Now, when I go to check,dyns.com or whatismyip.com, it gives me a
completely different ip address.

Neither of these addresses are working from my home PC.


I'm not sure I am understanding what you are telling me to do?? I
went to a command prompt, typed in 'ping 192.168.1.xxx' and it came
back 'Request Timed Out' 3 times and then went back to a command
prompt.

The 192.168.xxx.xxx address is useless to you outside of the office.
If you got some address at 'portforward.com' - and it resolves to a
192.168.xxx.xxx address that is useless.

You need an address that is publically accessible and that address must be
connected to (assigned to) the Linksys router - as that is the device that
is handing out the 192.168.xxx.xxx address. The linksys router web
interface allows you to configure port forwarding on it - the router itself.
You must tell the router that when a request to port 3389 comes in on its
public IP address - to forward that to a particular internal (private) IP
address.

What you need to do now is:

1) Verify (by logging into the Linksys router and checking its
configuration) what its external IP (WAN/Internet) address is.
2) Verify (by logging into the Linksys router and checking its
configuration) that requests to port 3389 are set to forward to the internal
(private) IP address of your office computer.

This part:

When I go to ipconfig, I get one address (192.168.x.xxx). When I
went to portforward.com I entered that address in and it in turn
provided me with a static ip address with the same 7 digits but
with the last 3 digits different.

Tells me that the portforward.com address is incorrect. Will not work. It
must get the public address of your network.
Are you sure you have all network devices accounted for now?

The only way I see this being connected is:

SURFboard® Cable Modem SB5101 is connected to the Cable connection and one
ETHERNET (fat telephone connector) is connected from it to the Linksys
router. There are more ethernet cables (assuming three here) coming off the
Linksys router going to the two computers and the Linksys WPS54G Wireless-G
Print Server.

What that SHOULD be doing is assigning your Linksys Router a public IP
address. It is likely the address you are getting when you visit
whatismyip.com from the office computer. The Linksys router now controls
everything else hooked to it - the two machines and the print server. It
assigns those devices 192.168.xxx.xxx IPs. Those IPs are only accessible
behind the router (to other devices connected to the router itself.)

The Linksys router - what model is it? So we can all look at the manual?