# Remote Desktop - Wireless Router - Config



## wtw1ster (Nov 11, 2006)

I am doing a job for a friend, but have never set up Remote Desktop this way before. My friend has DSL that is connected to a ZyXEL wireless router. I need to set up remote desktop on one of the wireless computers (host) that is running Win XP Pro. The computer has a third party firewall installed (PC-cillin) and also has MAC filtering enabled on his wi-fi router.

I have set a static IP on the host and that is about it. One of his other friend's told him that he needed to get the IP address from his ISP and he has done that (why, I do not know).
1) What ports do I need to forward? 2) When he goes to connect from a remote location, does he need to enter in the static IP I assigned the host, or the IP that the ISP gave him? Also, if there is anything else you can help me with that I did not bring up, please do. Thank you all for the help!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

1) TCP port 80 and TCP port 3389.

2) The public IP address (the router's WAN IP).

That 3rd party firewall probably has to be uninstalled or configured to allow access through those ports.


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## UNIKSERV (Feb 2, 2002)

A little bit about routers might help you understand this a bit. Try thinking of firewall as a literal wall with two different streets on each side and a door to go from one side to the other. Not strictly the best example but it'll do. Now, you have two streets say 10th street and 34th street. On one side of the wall (the internet or public side) the door has the address 34th street and on the other side of the wall (the inside or private side) that door has the address 10th street. They're the same door on the same wall but with different addresses. So, what you're doing when you're trying to connect to your computer from other computers over the internet you want to specify 34th street which then opens the door to the private side where there's an official who looks at where you want to go and points you in the right direction (the static IP you assigned to the XP computer). One of the problems you might run into is that the companies who provide the addresses for the outside (34th street) often like to keep those addresses changing daily and in many cases hourly which means you have to go about setting up your remote access differently so you must ask the ISP if the internet address is static or not.
Let me know what you find out and if you need some more help to get past this part post back here and I'm sure someone will help you. 

Joe


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"Not strictly the best example but it'll do."

I'll second that!


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## wtw1ster (Nov 11, 2006)

Yes Joe, the IP is static. What exactly is going on when I forward TCP 80 to TCP 3389? After I do that do I have to forward 3389 to the host computer's static IP in order for it to connect remotely? Thanks again...big help.


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## UNIKSERV (Feb 2, 2002)

Here's an article that might help you --> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/northrup_03may16.mspx

If you don't want to use the web version then you don't need to forward port 80. You can get a better picture here --> http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/sbs-remote-desktop-overview.html

When you try to connect you use the address the ISP gave you but if you don't want to remember the number you can set something up here --> www.dyndns.org.

Using remote desktop over the internet like can be quite dangerous. Make sure you've performed all the Windows updates and you have a firewall (I know you have one already) and you have a virus scanner, etc.

Joe


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"What exactly is going on when I forward TCP 80 to TCP 3389?"

No idea. What you are supposed to do is forward both ports to the desired computer's IP address. Then when somebody tries to do a remote desktop connection (which uses those two ports) to the public IP address ("34th street") the router will forward those messages to the desired computer on the other side of the door.


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## wtw1ster (Nov 11, 2006)

Ok I can remotely control his computer from the LAN, but when I try to connect from a remote location I keep getting this error message. "The connection to the remote computer was broken. This may have been caused by a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again." The remote desktop window appears, but the background is blank.
I talked with his ISP and they said that we were connected and that our current DSL connection had an upload that would easily support remote desktop. I contacted the router manufacturer "ZyXEL" and they said that I had the router configured correctly. I also tried disabling windows firewall and the PC-cillin antivirus, but to no avail.
I am soooo lost. Any more ideas?
This is what it looks like. <http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=windowrn3.png>


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## UNIKSERV (Feb 2, 2002)

It looks like you have two windows open and that you're performing a remote desktop from a remote desktop session to the same computer. I don't understand.

P.S. you should avoid posting your IP on the internet like that.

Joe


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"That 3rd party firewall probably has to be uninstalled or configured to allow access through those ports."

That is still my guess, and I meant the "third party firewall installed (PC-cillin)." And I now add, it probably needs to be uninstalled or configured to allow outgoing messages to your IP in particular or the internet in general.


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## wtw1ster (Nov 11, 2006)

Turns out the wireless router was malfunctioning. I bought a new Lynksys and things work fine now. :up:


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