Re: Remote Desktop Problem

From: Sooner Al (SoonerAl_at_somewhere.net.invalid)
Date: 03/09/04 

Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2004 06:16:52 -0600

Remote Desktop, the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), only uses TCP Port 3389.

Some folks may use Remote Desktop through a PPTP VPN tunnel, or an IPSec/L2TP tunnel, for...

a. Added security...(although the RDP data stream is natively encrypted)...
b. An easy method to access more than one PC for Remote Desktop without punching a bunch of holes in
their firewall for "port forwarding" or "port redirection".

In addition to TCP Port 1723 (PPTP VPN) you would also need the router to pass GRE Protocol 47
traffic. Some routers call that "PPTP Pass Through" or "VPN Pass Through" or, like the XP ICF,
automatically enable that if TCP Port 1723 is opened.

So, in your case the only port that needs to be forwarded/opened in your router is TCP Port 3389.

If you were trying to use the web based method of Remote Desktop access then you would also need...

a. IIS installed and running on the target PC or another PC on your network *AND* have IIS Remote
Desktop access configured.
b. Both TCP Port 80 (IIS) and TCP Port 3389 (RDP) forwarded/opened in the router.
c. Your ISP does *NOT* block TCP Port 80 because its against the User Agreement to run Web Servers
on home networks.

With all that said, if you can not make the basic Remote Desktop connection work through your router
then the web based method also will not work. Also, you may have problems with getting a VPN tunnel
to work 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...
"Tom" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:04A87DD0-D0F2-4679-B005-5415DCC76918@microsoft.com...
>
>      Why does RDM use port 1723 I've seen a few topics on this?  Do I have to activate this port
to??
>      ----- Sooner Al wrote: -----
>
>      Ooppsss... My mistake... Your correct and my example should be...
>
>      TCP    ashtabula:3389    ashtabula:0    LISTENING
>
>      Sorry about the confusion...
>
>      Again, this all points to the router as the root cause of your problem... I recommend you
post to
>      the...
>
>      news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.broadbandnet.hardware news group for further
help with
>      your MN-620 device.
>
>      -- 
>          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...
>
>      "Tom" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>      news:3F0E819F-2C94-447D-A383-C22ABDFCF478@microsoft.com...
>      > Ok, I do a Netstat -a and all my ports are listed but....this is what I get.
>      > TCP    <MyPCName>:3389    <MyPCName>:0    LISTENING
>      > TCP    <MyPCName>:1723    <MyPCName>:0    LISTENING
>      > TCP    <MyPCName>:1724    <MyPCName>:0   LISTENING
>      > and then some are like this...
>      > TCP    <MyPCName>:1500    *:*    LISTENING
>      > TCP    <MyPCName>:1501    *:*    LISTENING
>      >> How can I change these examples to point to the right ports?  I've never seen this before
ever,
>      what do I have to do?
>      >>      ----- Sooner Al wrote: -----
>      >>      No... All port forwarding in the case of you using the router is done on the
router...
>      >>      You can do a...
>      >>      netstat -a
>      >>      ....from the command line on the PC your trying to reach, ie. the Remote Desktop
host,  and
>      should
>      >      have a line that looks like this...
>      >>      TCP    <YourPCName>:3389    <YourPCName>:3389    LISTENING
>      >>      Example from my XP Pro box...
>      >>      TCP    ashtabula:3389    ashtabula:3389    LISTENING
>      >>      But, with that said if you can connect over the local LAN to that PC (which you said
you
>      could do in
>      >      an earlier post) its not a problem with the Remote Desktop host PC and points right
back to
>      the
>      >      router.
>      >>      I would try a different router on your home LAN or try your router on a friends LAN
to see if
>      the
>      >      problem follows the router.
>      >>      Another test might be to connect one of your PCs directly to your broadband modem and
see if
>      you can
>      >      connect via Remote Desktop from work or another remote location. Run the Internet
Connection
>      >      Firewall (ICF) while doing that. You can configure the ICF to open just TCP Port 3389
to that
>      PC.
>      >>      http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;283673
>      >>      http://members.cox.net/ajarvi/RemoteDesktop/ICF/EnableRemoteDesktop.JPG
>      >>      Make sure you disable the ICF after you return your network to a normal configuration
>      again...
>      >>      -- 
>      >          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...
>      >>      "Tom" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>      >      news:1862A74D-C4AC-4304-A249-C0794BCAB332@microsoft.com...
>      >> Is there another way of setting up Port forwarding instead of the setting on the router,
Do
>      I have
>      >      to add the ports on the Nic itself aswell as the router?  What about in the registry
do I
>      have to
>      >      set up something there?   How can I tell if the ports are listening? I do a netstat
and it
>      only
>      >      shows ports 1678 1679 1680 et. not 3389 how do check to see if that's listening?
>      >>>      ----- Sooner Al wrote: -----
>      >>>      Well, it continues to sound like a problem with the MN-620...What exactly? I have no
>      idea...
>      >>>      -- 
>      >>          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...
>      >>>      "Tom" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>      >>      news:C800E70E-4EA9-4946-999B-3AF37BF42069@microsoft.com...
>      >>> OK, I re-installed XP on my pc and resetted my MN-620 router, I have port 3389 on, and I
>      >      still
>      >>      can't connect from work to home, I've done everything and I don't know whats wrong,
>      another
>      >      guy has
>      >>      the same ISP and he can remote desktop to his home pc without any problems, why won't
>      my
>      >      MN-620
>      >>      work?
>      >>>

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