RDP connection not working

Evening all,

Thought I'd try setting up my router to port forward 3389 (RDP) to my PC so I can access via the web, however it's not working.

When I launch mstsc.exe I put in the WAN IP address of the router and then RDP prompts for user ID and password - I put them in but it's rejected saying they are incorrect. I know they are correct. I've setup a test user as well but get the same issue.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Lee

[joesnake]

You need to put in the ip address of your pc, not the router

[RDDearing]

From outside of your home you will need to put in the WAN IP of the router as this will forward on to your PC via the port forwarding you've already set up.

I assume you've turned Remote Desktop on on the client PC (Computer Properties -> Remote -> Allow Users to Connect Remotely To This Computer.

Do you have the Windows Firewall turned on? If so, have you allowed RDP through it?

Also, do you have an ATI graphics card? I ask because we had an oddity here with the shipped version of the Catalyst driver that caused RDP not to work! Upgrading to the latest version of the ATI software fixed the problem - weird eh but we weren't alone according to the web.

Finally, try looking in the Event Log of the computer you are trying to connect to - are there any entries that show a connection is being made and refused and if so, any reasons given?

Good luck!

Originally Posted by joesnake

You need to put in the ip address of your pc, not the router

In where?

The port forward rule in the router is 192.168.1.99 - which is the fixed IP of my PC...

---------- Post added at 20:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

Originally Posted by RDDearing

From outside of your home you will need to put in the WAN IP of the router as this will forward on to your PC via the port forwarding you've already set up.

Yep - thats what I'm doing 62.x.x.x

Originally Posted by RDDearing

I assume you've turned Remote Desktop on on the client PC (Computer Properties -> Remote -> Allow Users to Connect Remotely To This Computer.

Works fine from inside the LAN so I know RDP config / passwords are ok.

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Do you have the Windows Firewall turned on? If so, have you allowed RDP through it?

Got Kaspersky installed - it works inside the LAN so do I need to specificaly state in the RDP session in the firewall rules if it's coming from outside? This might be why it's not working.

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Also, do you have an ATI graphics card? I ask because we had an oddity here with the shipped version of the Catalyst driver that caused RDP not to work! Upgrading to the latest version of the ATI software fixed the problem - weird eh but we weren't alone according to the web.

Very odd! It might be - I'll have to check...

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Finally, try looking in the Event Log of the computer you are trying to connect to - are there any entries that show a connection is being made and refused and if so, any reasons given?

Good luck!

Checked the router log - nothing!

[RDDearing]

Looking through the responses the only two points left uncertain are the firewall and the router. Do you have other port-forward rules set up on the router and if so, do they work? This would rule that out.

As for the firewall, I know a few firewalls make generous allowances on the subnet the client is on (in your case 192.168.1.x) but for any other client you may need to add a rule that allows port 3389 (or if listed, RDP) for any client obviously remembering that this means anyone can theoretically connect to you via RDP if they know the password. (Sorry, bad case of covering my back!)

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Looking through the responses the only two points left uncertain are the firewall and the router. Do you have other port-forward rules set up on the router and if so, do they work? This would rule that out.

OK - I'll answer those...

No other port forwards on the router.

One one port forward:

Linksys Wireless-N ADSL2+ GatewayWAG325N
Applications & Gaming Tab, Single Port Forward
Application: RDP
External Port: 3389
Internal Port: 3389
Protocol: UDP
IP Address: 192.168.1.99
Enable: Ticked

Originally Posted by RDDearing

As for the firewall, I know a few firewalls make generous allowances on the subnet the client is on (in your case 192.168.1.x) but for any other client you may need to add a rule that allows port 3389 (or if listed, RDP) for any client obviously remembering that this means anyone can theoretically connect to you via RDP if they know the password. (Sorry, bad case of covering my back!)

No problem - fully understand the implications...

[RDDearing]

Ahhh, just checked my own router - it's been ages since I set it up. I have the 3389 port forward set to TCP not UDP. This may also be a cause of the problem.

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Ahhh, just checked my own router - it's been ages since I set it up. I have the 3389 port forward set to TCP not UDP. This may also be a cause of the problem.

Guess who got their UDP / TCP mixed up...

TCP - now it works - yay!

Thanks for the help all!

[RDDearing]

Glad it's all working :-)

Originally Posted by RDDearing

Glad it's all working :-)

Me too! Thanks again!

[haydnwalker]

Originally Posted by LSainsbury

Guess who got their UDP / TCP mixed up...

Never mind all works out in the end eh!