Absolutely!
One difficulty with this stuff is that the error message is simply "I can't
connect." And, of course, there are a number of reasons why one might not
be able to connect.
So--troubleshooting:
1) troubleshoot using Remote Desktop Connection executable--get this
working, then try the Web connection, if you absolutely need that ability.
2) If you are able to test whether RD is active and you have the credentials
right by using a second machine on the LAN (i.e. without going out over the
Internet) this eliminates one issue--RD not working right in the first
place.
3) Don't test by sitting at a second machine behind the router and putting
in the public IP address of the router. This often fails--many routers
don't handle this nicely.
3a) If you want to test from behind the router (i.e. sitting next to the
target machine)--do this by dialling out with an analog modem, and then
connecting with the public IP address of the target router. This works very
well, if you can manage it.
4) If you want/must test from a remote location, pick one without firewalls
or proxies. Don't pick your office at work, unless you know others are able
to make this work from their desks, or you know that there isn't a proxy or
firewall which might interdict the outbound traffic. Test from a friends
house, maybe.
5) You must know the public IP address of the router at the moment you test
the connection. If this address is dynamic--that is it changes--you can use
a Dynamic DNS service to track the changes once you decide to make regular
use of the facilty--
www.dyndns.org
At any given moment, going to
http://whatismyip.com from the target XP Pro
host machine should give you the current IP.
6) Telnet testing:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;187628 shows how to
use Telnet to test an RDP connection. Substitute your IP address for tserv
and ignore the name resolution issues mentioned, unless you are testing
within a LAN.
If you know RD is active on the host machine, have forwarded the port in the
router correctly (port 3389, TCP)--have checked that the local IP address of
the host machine hasn't changed (i.e. the port is forwarded to the right
machine), and that you have the correct public IP address--we're stumped!
Possible issues are some other firewall mechanism--software on the host
machine, port blocked by the ISP (I've never seen a confirmed case of this).
Checking on whether the ICF Internet Connection Firewall is active on the
host machine is definitely in order. In the longer term, it is good
practice to run a firewall on every machine--so you may well have the
firewall active, with RD opened through it. The ICF firewall is found in
properties of the given network connection, advanced tab. Checkbox in upper
pane enables it, and settings button at the lower right allows control
settings.
I hadn't heard of this particular port needing to be forwarded though (port 3389 TCP), so maybe this will help. Is there any other port I need to worry about that you know of
port 3389 is closed