I have VNC on W2K Pro; DSL (MSN is 2

[dmears1]

I have VNC on W2K Pro; DSL (MSN is provider) connects through USB; no router/firewall.
When I try to connect I get the following message: "Failed to connect to server."
I am running WinVNC (AppMode) on the PC I'm trying to connect to and VNCViewer on the PC I'm trying to connect from.
Any help will be greatly appreciated...Thanks!

 

[MattWray]

How are you trying to connect? Via IP address or computername? If you are not using the IP, try that as you DNS is probably going to the ISP....
Also make sure you can ping each other...

Thanks,

Matt Wray
MCSE, MCSA, MCP, CCNA

http://www.sss-steel.com

http://www.total-tec.com

 

[dmears1]

Thanks for the reply...
I'm trying to connect via IP address. I am able to ping the host computer using the IP address.
The host computer shows that the IP address is 192.168.1.1 but I am assuming that that is the DSL modem's address. I have the actual (at least I think it is) IP address too. It seems like maybe my modem is preventing me from connecting. Is that possible?

 

[bcastner]

This sounds like a NAT issue, but you want to make sure that no firewall is blocking 5800 and 5900 on the remote client.

The remote machine has an internet IP, and a local IP (192.168.1.1). If it is behind a router, you need to forward port 5900 to the local IP (192.168.1.1). Since you say that 192.168.1.1 is appearing as the remote IP, some sort of NAT is taking place, even if it is as simple as using Windows Internet Connection Sharing Service.

You need to make a port forwarding entry therefore on the remote machine, the best configuration would be to forward both ports 5800 and 5900. The following site has an easy step-by-step instructions for forwarding ports under Windows ICS. For a hardware router you will have to see the documentation.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics/

The process, by the way, is very easy to do.

 

[dmears1]

bcastner...thanks...
I think you are right...when I type in 192.168.1.1 in my browser at the host PC it gives Local IP as same and NAT IP as 67.xx.xxx.xx and that is the IP I've been trying to connect to.
I guess maybe my DSL modem has a built-in router or firewall of some sort.
I will definitely check out the link you gave me. BTW, I've posted this question in other forums and I've been getting the same suggestion to forward both ports but no one ever respons to tell me how to do this.
Thanks Again!

 

[bcastner]

Did you try typing 67.xx.xx.xx:5900 ?

 

[MattWray]

If you are receiving a Private IP, then I would say that you have a router, not a modem. What type of Modem/Router is it? I know MSN used to use Cisco 800 series here in Texas....

Thanks,

Matt Wray
MCSE, MCSA, MCP, CCNA

http://www.sss-steel.com

http://www.total-tec.com

 

[dmears1]

Hey,
Maybe I'm a complete idiot, but I tried everything, step for step, from the link bcastner recommended and afterwards I couldn't even connect to the net...couldn't ping or anything. So I changed everything back to the way it was and net connection works again. BTW, I did try 67.xx.xx.xx:5900 & 5800 but that doesn't work either.

mattwray:
The modem I have is a Arescom 800 I believe...maybe 1000, can't remember.

Everyone says VNC is simple to set up so it's really frustrating when I can't get it working...starting to feel like an idiot here.

 

[bcastner]

Do an IPCONFIG /all (or WINIPCFG /all if not XP) on both machines and post here the IP, Gateway, and DNS entires they show on both.

 

[MattWray]

According to this link,

http://www.arescom.com/Arescom/Arescom_2002/Other/MSNfaq.cfm

It says users cannot play online games across the unit... Which leads me to believe they are NATing and have ports closed. The FAQs also say you cannot turn off NAT. There may be a way to change it thru configuration. I know you can telnet into that router, I used to install them but it's been a long time. I have some instructions for the OS at the house, I'll have to look them up.
One note, document any changes you make in case things stop working, you can change them back...

Thanks,

Matt Wray
MCSE, MCSA, MCP, CCNA

http://www.sss-steel.com

http://www.total-tec.com

 

[dmears1]

I won't be able to get to the host PC til this evening so I will post the info then. Here's the info for the remote PC I'm trying to connect from:
IP: 10.5.5.115
Gateway: 10.5.1.1
DNS: 10.5.5.101
Thanks!

 

[dmears1]

Matt:
Thanks for looking that up for me...why didn't I think of that?...Strange it says you can't play online games 'cause I do all the time. And speaking of NAT, I found my IP address by going to:

http://www.lawrencegoetz.com/programs/ipinfo/.

This link says my IP address is 67.41.143.97. If I type 192.168.1.1 in my browser, it says 67.41.143.97 is the NAT IP.
Thanks for all the help...

 

[bcastner]

It is the connect TO computer that is the problem. Your IP, as you said, is 67.41.143.97, and the modem/router is giving to your machine a NAT IP of 192.168.1.x, with the modem giving itself a NAT address of 192.168.1.1.

Unfortunately, the modem (or rather MSN) will not currently allow you to do either of two things that would easily solve your problem:

1. Put the modem into bridge mode, so that your computer and modem had the same Internet IP address of 67.41.143.197;

2. or, allow the port 5900 to be forwarded to your NAT IP of 192.168.1.x.

It sounds as if MSN might loosen things up in the future, but if it was me I would read carefully the link found above by Matt Wray and decide I wanted a different ISP.

 

[dmears1]

bcastner...
I read the link Matt listed above and I think I going to cancel DSL through MSN and go with Cable, even I've contemplating it anyway.
By the way, my NAP IP on the host PC is 67.41.143.97, not the 192.168.1.1.
It's beginnig to sound like I'm SOL if I stay with MSN.

 

[bcastner]

dmears1,

I think you will be happier in a less-restrictive setting than apparantly MSN is offering with DSL. There are other DSL ISP providers that would not place so many restrictions on you.

Cable is a perfectly acceptable alternative to DSL as well.

Oh, one last point of clarification. "By the way, my NAP IP on the host PC is 67.41.143.97, not the 192.168.1.1." The reason the 192. etc. is identifiable as a NAT-assigned address is that it is in the set of addresses that are considered "private", and are not routable over the public internet. The 67.etc, is your public IP address, but not available as a NAT address as it is a public address.

 

[dmears1]

Thanks for the clarification...for some reason when I type 192.168.1.1 in my browser it gives the 67.IP as the NAT. I apparently have alot to learn about internet protocols & networking.

Just want to say "thanks" again to both for all the help & advice...when I get providers changed and VNC set-up I'll post back an update