Remote Desktop to Multiple PCs Outside Network

RockerBug17 · March 3, 2013

Greetings!

As the subject of this thread implies, I have been trying to remote desktop to multiple PCs outside my network. So far, I have been able to connect to at least one computer in each of the networks I need to remote desktop to. I watched a

Zhone 6218 routers [/url=http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Zhone/6218-12-200-0TT/Remote_Desktop.htm]. The previous link also contains the directions I have followed to date.

If someone can help me solve the issues described above I will be very grateful. Please let me know if I need to provide any further information about my hardware or what I am trying to achieve.

Thanks

Whaler_99 · March 3, 2013

So, what I think might be happening is this. You have forwarded port 3389 (the default) at a couple of remote sites to some machine on the inside. This allows you to make a one-to-one connection form your location.

Now, if you need to remote into other computers, you have some options. First, set the external port for system #2 to be 3390 but the internal port to 3389. Then when you go to RDC to it you add :3390 to the name - x.x.x.x:3390 - the router sees the hit on 3390 and forwards to system #2 on 3389.

You can only forward a port to one internal device. This is probably your issue. Some firewalls do not allow you to have different external and internal port forwards like above. In this case, you can change the RDP port on the local pc (system 2 in this intance) to be 3390 - then on firewall, external port is 3390 and internal is 3390. Just google "how to change rdp port on x OS" and it is pretty simply - registry edit and reboot.

Now - let's get into security. STOP using port 3389!! This is the default for RDP and is VERY bad. Pretty much ever script kiddy out there will scan for that port then start trying to hack your system by just passing password. If you are not up-to-date on Windows patches, there are lots of vulnerabilities.

Using the firewall, change up the ports. You can use any...

System 1 - 43356

System 2 - 43357

System 3 - 43358

etc. Then on firewall - external port is 43356 and internal port is 3389. Next rule, 43357 and internal is 3389. See? Then is is very hard for someone to guess that external port.

Hope this helps.

RockerBug17 · March 5, 2013

Thanks a lot Whaler! Changing the external ports did the trick. And I took your advice and randomized my external ports. We can't have all the baddies out there hacking into my networks.

I wonder if you can assist me with another networking issue. I have a Patriot Javelin S4 media server that I would like to be able to access remotely. I have tried assigning a port to the Javelin in my router and then accessing it from outside the network via my browser with the external ip address and port (000.000.000.000:00000) but I always get the message that a connection cannot be made. The Javelin itself has slim options for networking: IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, Primary & Secondary DNS. In theory, I thought it would be simple to connect to the Javelin from outside the network because it uses a browser based UI. So far though, no luck.

Any thoughts on what the problem could be?