From here:
"If you would like a remote user to be able to administer your Wireless Broadband Router over the Internet, check the box titled Allow remote user to configure the device. Enter the IP address for the user's host computer."

Thanx.

What I meant is get the remote desktop control to work from a computer on the internet. It works great from any of my computers in the local network

bert mercier

 

If you re-read the post and look in the manual I linked, you can do that - enter the IP address of the remote site you will be at.

John, I believe that Mercierb is referring to the WindowsXP Remote Desktop feature.  Most broadband routers use Net Address Translation (NAT).  This means that you have machines on the Ethernet ports of the router that get a "private" address.  Remote Desktop uses a TCP/IP port (port 3389) as its "listening" port.  Here is more information about the port and how to change it: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306759&Product=winxp .

In your router you would need to use PORT FORWARDING (or what ever your manufacturer calls it.)  Before you can do this, you need to make sure that the machine that you want to access remotely has a "static" address.  Most routers use DHCP to "dynamically" assign an address to machines connected to the Ethernet ports.  You would need to find out the RANGE of the DHCP and the other TCP/IP properties that it assigns.  This was you can assign an address OUTSIDE that range, but still on the SAME subnet and with the same Subnet Mask, router/gateway, etc.  You can get some of this information but doing a IPCONFIG at a command prompt in Windows.

Once the WinXP machine has a static IP address, use the router's admin tool to configure PORT FORWARDING to redirect requests from the Internet on that port to that IP address.  Consult your vendor's documentation for steps on how to do this.

Note: Using Remote Desktop does carry some risk.  It is another way that hackers can get into your system.  Also, if you use the Microsoft document to change the port, keep in mind that the Remote Desktop client is looking for that port.  You would need to find instructions on how to get the client to see that port.

John, I have a question for you.  What is the story with all the products listed below your name?  I found this post because I was seeking information on a HDD caddy for an Inspirion 5100. (This was one of the results in a search engine.)  I have not done much reasearch yet, but I am thinking about getting one on Ebay.  It has a Dell part number of: 5W557 .  Is this a replacement for the Primary HDD in the unit or can these units take a second HDD.  I have a 40GB IBM drive that I would like to add to my unit as a second drive.  Is there a way to do that.

Mark Pompey

 

Bert, give me more information on how you are trying to connect.  Where is the machine that is the HOST (running the Remote Desktop).  Where is the machine which you are trying to use to connect to that machine (running Remote Desktop\Terminal Services client.)

Is there a FIREWALL on both ends?  What are the firewalls - hardware or software.

Running many of the remotes services through various routers have caused some "weird" and unexplainable results.  A company I was supporting switched their DSL to a different ISP.  The ISP came and switched out the router with a Cisco.  We had some machines setup using PCAnywhere.  If I tried to connect to the PCA machine remotely using a "mapped" IP address (this is where an Public IP address is mapped directly to the internal Private IP address) I could not get PCAnywhere to work at all.  If I connected from inside the network using the Private IP address, I had not problems connecting.

The VAR I worked at stopped supporting that company so I never did get the final resolution of the problem.  I know that the ISP worked very hard to try to find a solution.

Thanx Mark

I have already done everything you said. I have a Dell router 1184. I linked both TCP and UDP to port 3389 and it is forwarded to IP 198.162.2.2 which is my computer with the proper static address. I found from the router the address given by the ISP then use remote control desktop from my other office using the internet and it always refuses to connect. always have an error.

I just purchased PCAnywhere to see if I can get through using port 5631 for TCP and 5632 for UDP. I still have to try it. My thinking is the router is defective since I had a Linksys router(not wireless) before and connecting was never a problem as long as I knew the address my ISP gave the router. I have my suspicion that it will not work.

But after reading the messages on the board. I have to come to the conclusion that if you try to use the router for anything but it's basic gateway function nothing works. I also tried using my old router and setting it the Dell 1184 as an access point for the wireless portion of the network and no matter what I did nothing worked. I had to hard reset the router several times to get back to factory setup and that did not work. What finally worked was, turning to power off, hold reset with turning the power on at the same time and finally it went back to basic configuration.

If PCAnywhere does not work, I will buy a new router( not DELL ).

I originally thought that not mixing brands would ensure a trouble free environment and I paid extra for this ease of mind. I have now found out that DELL is resting on the laurels of the service that the old DELL used to provide. I filled a service report 3 days ago still no answer.

We are currently opening a new office with 7 staff. Since we wanted no problem with all the accessories and computers, we specified as Dell as the preferred supplier. I have now cancelled this request and we are now getting quotes from local suppliers only. I think for Dell this will be the most expensive $200.00 wireless router ever sold.

again thanx for the help(Sorry about the raving part)

bert mercier

Hi There here is the exact layout

Office network

192.168.2.1 --- Dell Router

3389 TCP & UDP forwarded to 192.168.2.2

5631 TCP forwared to 192.168.2.2

5632 UDP forwarded to 192.168.2.2

Allow remote user to configure device ON

Allow remote user to ping device ON

Enable UPnP ON

Virtual Server setting 192.168.2.2 --> service ALL

192.168.2.2 -- XP Pro STATIC address computer that I want to access

192.168.2.100 to 112 DHCP assigned Win98 Win 2000 and XP mix machine

ISP is xDSL (Telus.net) MAC id supplied to ISP for connection

 

Machine that I try to connect from XP Pro

ISP Cable (Shaw)

NO router NO firewall

 

I can access the network If I change router to Linksys. The software controlling the router seems a more self explanatory then the Dell software. So if I assume the 1184 works, it has to be the control software. I cannot access the network with Dell 1184 as router. There are not that many options that can be set. All the options were tried separatly to see if I could get it to work. Documentation is very sparse that's why I went on the board to see if I was doing something wrong.

The firewall is off on 192.168.2.2 connection while trying to connect. When I know it works then I will set the firewall properly.

if you need more info tell me what in particular

thanx

Bert Mercier