Remote Desktop connection going through a router

[Cairo777]

Hi all,
Not sure if I can explain this correctly but I am having an issue with setting my dad's home office up with Windows XP remote desktop feature. Essentially he has two computers and he is always messing them up. I live rather far from him and we often spend either a long time on the phone working though problems he has with his computers or we try and use Skype. If anyone has ever tried to diagnose problems over a phone they can understand how frustrating that is.

Anyhow I was thinking of setting his computer up with Remote Desktop enabled. I set both his systems up so they can receive a connection from another computer and then remotely work on them if need be. However my issue is how to go through his router. If I understand correctly I would use maybe Virtual Server? Somehow set up his internal IP addresses to be where I route the incoming Remote desktop connection when I try to connect from my house? Am I understanding this correctly? Can I do this on both his systems? In other words can I make 2 virtual server instances and have 2 distinct internal IP addresses set up so I can access both comps? Bahh I am a bit slow on this stuff and it's confusing. Is this the best way to go? Thus far I can connect inside his network using my laptop to do the remote desktop... but I just put in the internal private IP address such as 192.168.Xxx.xxx and it works but when I am home on my network obviously if I put in his outside or public IP then it just sit there... so I know have to do the virtual thing I am just not sure how to do it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Robert

 

[Cairo777]

Bah I just found this link with a previous post LOL
Ultr@VNC -- Guess I should have read more posts before asking. I will try this method.

 

[nweaver]

if supported, the best way (imho) is to do port mappings. i.e. wanip:33890 maps to internalip1:3389 (allowing you to remote to ip:33890) and wanip:33891 to internalip2:3389.

3 reasons, 1. People may scan and attempt to brute force RDP. Moving it to a random higher port reduces the chances of this.
2. You have a distinct pot to select which box to connect to
3. no changing ports on the machines themselves, so when connected local, you just put in name or IP to connect (no fussing with port numbers)

This would all be done from the "port forwarding" options on the router

 

[dclive]

^ What he said.

And I strongly suggest RDP, not VNC. RDP has encryption and other safeguards, is vastly faster, and is included with XP Pro (your dad has XP Pro, right?). Otherwise, MSN Messenger's Remote Assistance can work too...

I do this quite a bit; it works flawlessly.