We live in an age of global communication and connectivity. Could you imagine 10 years ago you had someone you had to sit in a café to tell joined a global network, no cable is connected to your laptop, reading the latest news or even a game with your friends?

They would recommend that you crazy! Fortunately, this is not the case, and we live in a world where global communication standard, and almost everyone has their own permanentConnecting to the Internet via broadband.

What if on this worldwide communications network that could not only read the latest news or see online shopping, you could even remotely control your PC at home! Think about this for a minute, what would they be able to do? Would it allow you to remote applications that you have installed at home, how to use accounting applications, spreadsheets and documents? Leave all the downloads you can check the progress ofhome? Check on e-mails only in your e-mail client from? The possibilities are truly endless. There is a solution at hand, and in this article I will focus on using the built-in features of Microsoft Windows XP Professional, namely, remote desktop.

If you have never used Remote Desktop, not to be worried. It is a simple feature that makes what that is, it gives you to your desktop via a client. If you look under "Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Communications, you will seea Remote Desktop client application.

With this application you can enter a computer or IP address to connect to connect to. You can even map your home computer hard drives as well, so that they appear in Windows Explorer, and even print to the printer next to you, from your home computer over the Internet!

Try it at home if you have two computers. You must make sure that Remote Desktop is enabled first, and this can be done by selecting System in the Control Panel, selecting theSecure Remote tab, and that "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer" is checked. If you are planning at home, note the "Full computer name", as that is what you want in the remote desktop client must enter to connect to this computer.

I know you are concerned about the security at this point, but do not worry - we will address that later.

Well, if you have two computers at home, try it and see what happens! They should be presented with the familiarLogin box, and once - ta-da logged in! You are now on the desktop of another computer with the remote desktop application on your local computer!

Well - what if this functionality could be enhanced so that you can connect your home PC from anywhere in the world, provided you are connected to the Internet? Fortunately, you can do it! There are seven steps that we need to do to achieve this goal.

1. Make sure that your computer accepts remote desktopHits

2. Make sure your password is strong!

3. Write down your IP addresses

4. Change the port number that remote desktop responds on (this will aid) with safety

5. Make sure all local firewalls are not blocking the Remote Desktop Port.

6. Create the necessary port forwarding rules on your home router

7. Log ignore for a dynamic DNS service (if you have a static IP address from your ISP)

Let me tell you perform these steps and how the individualone.

1. Make sure your computer will accept Remote Desktop requests. As above, you must select the System icon in Control Panel, and to secure from the Remote tab, that "allow remote users to connect to this computer" is checked.

2. Make sure your password is strong! If your password is not very safe, make sure you change it so that it at least 8 characters, at least one capital letter and at least one symbol. One way to do this is to serve as symbols / numbers usingSubstitute for letters. Suppose I wanted my password for the name of my son, Benjamin. Instead of using Benjamin as my password my password, I could 83nj use @ M1N! Which, as you can see, is much more secure than Benjamin.

3. Write down your IP addresses. We must take note of internal and external IP addresses. To do this, go to Start -> Run and type cmd. Then click OK. Type ipconfig and look for the entry IP address. In this example we will use 192.168.01. This is your internalIP address. Now go to http://www.whatismyip.com Write down your IP address, in this example we are using 1.2.3.4. This is your external IP address.

Things will get a bit techy from that date. The tasks we need to do are fairly straightforward, but if you have any questions, please ask a friend first technical or consult online help from the Internet as an error in the steps below, your computer may cause malfunctions or If you use Internet ConnectionProblems.

4. Change the port number that remote desktop responds on. You must edit the registry. Go to Start -> Run and type regedit. Then click OK and you will be presented with the Windows registry. I will not get into details about the registry now, there are books as thick as encyclopedias on the Windows Registry written, suffice it to say, if you do not know what you do, do not mess around with it!

Now when you browse the tree to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal ServerWinstationsRDP-Tcp. Once there, look for an entry in the right pane named "Port Number". Double-click this entry and select decimal. Now this is 3389 by default. Make sure that you change this to a number of your choice, over 1024 and under 65,534. In this case, you can 23,456. I recommend that this figure is as dark as possible to avoid the person discovering an open port via portscan on! Click OK, and closeRegistry Editor.

A disadvantage of this port on which you've decided, can affect the usability of this feature. Some companies are the ports that do not lock in common use, so that 23,456 can be blocked. Other companies may all connections, as most home users. If you choose a common interface, such as port 80 or 443, it may allow you better access for secure networks, but will allow hackers to more easily see your PC via the Internet.

Even with a higher port number will make you stillvulnerable to certain attacks, but the risk is greatly minimized if you use a higher port number. I and several colleagues have used this technology for a number of years without incident, but remember, if they connect via the Internet, there is always a risk! This choice in functionality is up to you.

5. Make sure all local firewalls are not blocking the Remote Desktop Port. This step is most likely you will need the instructions that come with your special checkDesktop firewall product. What you need to do here is ensure that nobody is allowed to connect to the port number used above. This is usually in the form of a firewall rule and looks similar to below:

Let Everyone TCP 23,456 in both directions to connect to my computer. Once again, this will require consultation with your desktop firewall instructions.

Well, before we proceed further we need to ensure that this change has become effective. Restart your computer, and if youhave another computer on the LAN, try to Remote Desktop on your computer using the "port number" at the end, for example. MyComputer: 23456, or your IP address, 192.168.0.1:23456. Make sure it works before you or continue but the next steps will not work.

6. Create the necessary port forwarding rules on your home router. This step depends on your particular home router. You need to connect to in order to invite a port forwarding rule like the following definition:

Anyone can-> Using TCP port 23456 (substitute for your port number above)) connect to 192.168.0.1 (substitute for your internal IP address. You may need the manual for your router using port forwarding request for it. You must define a specific protocol for TCP Server, or 23456 (substitute for your specific port number above). This is the hardest step of all so it can take a while to reach.

7. Log ignore for a dynamic DNS service (if you have a static IP addressYour Internet Service Provider). If you know to ignore your external IP address will never change, this step. But if you have a dynamic IP from your ISP, you must perform this step.

This step is to make sure that when you receive an external IP address changes, it will be registered via the Internet, you can still connect to your PC. The best service that I have found the use is http://www.dyndns.com.

Sign up here and enter a host name, which means you are using myname.dyndns.com want. Follow the instructions hereto ensure that your external IP address will be kept updated on the Internet.

8. Finally, you are ready to go. If you have successfully completed all the steps above, you want the test. The best choice is to go to the house of a friend's home with broadband, and then test the connection at a time on the Internet, download your Remote Desktop client is connected, and write either external IP address or DNS name, for example, or 1.2.3.4:23456 myname.dyndns.com: 23456th

Chances are this is notWorking for the first time, I have taking tests you can perform included in each phase to determine where the problem might be.

1. Make sure that your computer accepts requests remote desktops. The best way to check this, go to Start -> Run and type cmd. Then type telnet 127.0.0.1 portnumber "ie" telnet 127.0.0.1 23456 ". This should be a blank cmd window if successful and returns an error if not successful. If this is successful, proceed to the next step. This ishas been unsuccessful, make sure remote desktop connections are enabled on your PC and the port number is correct. You can correct this by typing "telnet 127.0.0.1 3389" in the same CMD window as before, and if this is not successful, the remote desktop port number not yet changed. You may need to reboot your PC or check the above registry entry.

2. Make sure your password is strong! This test I'll leave you to get your password is correct.

3. Write down your IP addresses. Verifythat all IP addresses are correct!

4. Change the port number that remote desktop responds on. You can view this successfully by using was set to Start -> Run and type cmd. Then type telnet 127.0.0.1 portnumber "ie" telnet 127.0.0.1 23456 ". This should be a blank cmd window if successful and returns an error if not successful. If this is successful, proceed to the next step. If this is not successful, make sure remote desktop connections are enabled on your PC and the portNumber is correct. You can correct this by typing "telnet 127.0.0.1 3389" in the same CMD window as before, and if this is not successful, the remote desktop port number not yet changed. You may need to reboot your PC or check the above registry entry.

5. Make sure all local firewalls are not blocking the Remote Desktop Port. The best way to test this functionality, if you can, be used with a PC in your LAN. By selling a PC on the same network, type "telnet", ie "telnet 192.168.0.123456 ". If you get a blank cmd window, then the problem" OK. "If you get an error message, and all of the above tests are successful, then it means that something is blocking the connection on the PC. You must In any local firewalls that can access this (including the built-in Microsoft firewall) to prevent search.

If this step also works to ensure that your local firewall not only allows computers on your local network and connect to nothing. Let me stress once again make,Be sure to read the instructions that came with the desktop firewall.

6. Create the necessary port forwarding rules on your home router. This is the hardest part of the process. To check this, you must be on another broadband connection. Once the connection is made, navigate to Start -> Run and type cmd. Then type "telnet", ie "telnet 1.2.3.4 23456. Once again, this should be a blank cmd window if successful and an error if not successful. If all the above tests weresuccessful, and this command is not successful, then the problem is there is a problem on the router port forwarding the Remote Desktop request. Make sure that you have read the manual and port forwarded successfully for them.

7. Sign up for a dynamic DNS service. You can do this easily by using the same command as above. If "telnet externalip portnumber" works and "telnet myname.dyndns.com port number" does not, then there is a problem with this service. From a CMD window,myname.dyndns.com ping and see if there is an answer. If not, then you must check the online help with regard to this service.

That should be, you should now connect to your PC at home in touch from almost any Internet connection. Remember, you can advanced features of the remote desktop client, such as connecting your local drives, printers, etc.

I suggest you have a brief look at the help that comes with Remote Desktop client everything they can exploreprovide you with.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, the possibilities for such uses are no limits, depending on your needs, and I think that improved technologies such as 3G and GPRS, ability to expand your PDA device and so that you can use your move home PC to access to that if you are not carrying around a small PC and mini holographic projector in the upper pocket hitherto's!

David Leonard (MCSE, CCNP, CCSE +, CCA,MCDBA) is a freelance IT consultant with over 10 years experience in information technology and management consulting primarily in the FTSE 250, Fortune 500, ASX 200 and blue chip companies.

Contact: David.J.Leonard @ gmail.com
Website: http://www.davidjleonard.com

http://asus.eeepc-1005ha.us asus.eeepc1005hablacknetbook.us sonyvaio.vpc-w111xx.us

Tags: Computer, Connect, Desktop, Internet