Advice on Remote Desktop Protocol

I've got a few PC's on a LAN (all XP Pro)
I've managed to set up RDP on the server and can access it no problem from
outside my LAN.
I tried setting it up on my PC but I can't connect to it.
If I use RDP from a PC on the LAN I can access my PC but only by entering my
account name as apposed to entering my ip address.

That suggests to me that my router is somehow blocking the request when it
is coming through via my ip address. But I have the same settings in the
Open Ports Set-up in the router (Vigor) for my server which I can access no
bother via my ip address.

Am I missing something glaringly obvious?

Cheers Steven.

Steven Campbell wrote:
> I've got a few PC's on a LAN (all XP Pro)
> I've managed to set up RDP on the server and can access it no problem from
> outside my LAN.
> I tried setting it up on my PC but I can't connect to it.

OK

> If I use RDP
(terminal services client)

from a PC on the LAN I can access my PC but only by entering my
> account name as apposed to entering my ip address.

'Account name' ? Do you mean computer name? Your IP address in this
context would be the internal LAN IP of the XP-PC?

>
> That suggests to me that my router is somehow blocking the request when it
> is coming through via my ip address. But I have the same settings in the
> Open Ports Set-up in the router (Vigor) for my server which I can access no
> bother via my ip address.
>
> Am I missing something glaringly obvious?

Your router can only forward trafic to port 3389 for one machine on your
LAN (currently your server).

With your router config software, make a virtual external port (say some
other unused port number) and map it through to 3389 pointing to your
XP-PC on your LAN.

- Or -

On the XP-PC change the RDP port used by the RDP server software.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Terminal
Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
and configure your router likewise.

- Or -

Tunnel the lot through a VPN


disclaimer: above are theories, I've just started messing about with
this stuff!

--
Adrian C

"Adrian C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Steven Campbell wrote:
>> I've got a few PC's on a LAN (all XP Pro)
>> I've managed to set up RDP on the server and can access it no problem
>> from outside my LAN.
>> I tried setting it up on my PC but I can't connect to it.
>
> OK
>
>> If I use RDP
> (terminal services client)
>
> from a PC on the LAN I can access my PC but only by entering my
>> account name as apposed to entering my ip address.
>
> 'Account name' ? Do you mean computer name? Your IP address in this
> context would be the internal LAN IP of the XP-PC?
>
>> That suggests to me that my router is somehow blocking the request when
>> it is coming through via my ip address. But I have the same settings in
>> the Open Ports Set-up in the router (Vigor) for my server which I can
>> access no bother via my ip address.
>>
>> Am I missing something glaringly obvious?
>
> Your router can only forward trafic to port 3389 for one machine on your
> LAN (currently your server).
>
> With your router config software, make a virtual external port (say some
> other unused port number) and map it through to 3389 pointing to your
> XP-PC on your LAN.
>
> - Or -
>
> On the XP-PC change the RDP port used by the RDP server software.
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Terminal
> Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
> and configure your router likewise.
>
> - Or -
>
> Tunnel the lot through a VPN

I'll have a look at some of that stuff Adrian.
Re your suggestion "'Account name' ? Do you mean computer name? Your IP
address in this context would be the internal LAN IP of the XP-PC?"
I mean account name or user name as it should be known as. Definitely not
the computer name. My ip address as in the fixed address given to me by my
ISP.

Have you come across any decent sites with more info on this subject?

Steven.