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jonmck

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I cannot get Remote desktop to work and eveyrhting seems set up fine!!!

I have enabled remote desktop and I am just using my name as a user

I have SP2 on XP pro so the port in opened in the Windows Firewall

I hvae a router with ADSL modem built in, and the PC is ethernet cabled to the router.

The router has port 3389 forwarded to the PCs IP address 10.0.0.*

The WAN Ip address is 213.40.***.**

The port 3389 is open as tested by www.grc.com.

I have asked three separate people to test the remote desktop using http://213.40.***.**:3389/tsweb/

But they all get a 'page cannot be displayed' error in IE

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO???  Tearing the old hair out here...!
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Lee W, MVP
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What happens when you use the Remote Desktop client - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx
Remote desktop uses RDP protocol (Remote Desktop Protocol) to communicate between client and host.  Yet, your asking them to use IE to access a web browser on 213.40.x.y:3389 - this is the wrong method of connection.  If you want a web based client, you can setup the Remote Desktop Connection Web Connection Software - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdwebconn.mspx
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jonmck

ASKER

OK - I have downloaded that and installed it to c:\windows\web\tsweb

What now?  WIll everything work now!
The Remote Desktop web connection software requires a web server installed on the machine it's installed on.   If you don't have an IIS web server running, that's not going to do you any good.

Further, the web connection software needs only to be installed on ONE computer.  You can then use it to access ANY publically available computer with an open RDP (3389) port.

If you are behind a firewall, NAT, or other device that "masks/blocks" your IP, this will NOT work.  Don't just download the items - read the instructions found there - you'll find they can be quite informative.
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ASKER

Ahhhh - so this needs to be on the PC that is accessing the remote desktop NOT on the PC that I want to access.

Is that right?
No, it needs to be on a web server.  All this software is doing is setting up a web page with an ActiveX control that will allow you to remotely connect to any client that can support RDP connections.  The web server can be a "neutral third party" system, providing it's running IIS 4.0 or later.  Meaning you may never connect to it or from it for anything other than the web page.
You're better off downloading and installing the regular RDP client (my first link) on each client.  (Note: Windows XP clients already have it installed).  Once installed, it hides itself in START -> PROGRAMS -> ACCESSORIES -> COMMUNICATIONS.

In addition, only IE based web browsers will be able to utilize the RDP Web Client.  There are RDP clients for other operating systems, including Linux, Solaris, MacOS, PalmOS, WindowsCE, and of course, all the versions of Windows.  

Further, the clients (as opposed to the web client) can also connect to RDP clients utilizing different ports (the web client only connects to port 3389, regardless of what you tell it, the linux/solaris client, and RDP 5.2 Client for other versions of Windows can be told what port to connect to.
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So when that is one both systems do I just type in the IP address of the PC I want to access and it should do it?  DO I need to forward any ports or anything?

I am sorry for my ignorance but I am real newbie at this
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ASKER

Sorry to clarify, I type the IP address into the 'Remote Desktop Connection' box NOT IE??
Just type in the WAN IP address into the Remote Desktop client.  It should be a file under the name mstsc.exe, that is the only file you need on the client computers.  The XP Pro computer simply needs Remote Desktop turned on only, and the router port(3389) forwarded to it of course.
-DF
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Lee W, MVP
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