Using Remote Desktop through a Router 1

[rewster]

I am trying to connect to Remote Desktop on my home machine through a SMC Router. The port it uses to start a connection is 3359 but it seems to use a random port for returning information. Is there any way to fix the returning port on Remote Desktop.

 

[dilettante]

The correct port is 3389.

I've done just this with XP and an SMC cable/DSL router (7004BR).

If there is any "back port" (a.) I've never heard about it, and (b.) I didn't need to configure it.

 

[rewster]

Hi

Whoops I did mean 3389, I have the same router as you.

I know I could not use the Remote Desktop unless I switch the computer to be the DMZ host which makes the computer vunerable.

I just tried something else tonight, in the Virtual Servers page I typed 3389 and the IP address of my machine. So far it is working I presume that this will protect my machine and only open other incoming ports when a remote desktop connection is receieved, according to netstat command it it has used 3418, 3429, 3492 for incoming data. I have enabled Norton Internet Security to see if any port scans are getting through, non so far.

Thank you for your help, maybe you are just lucky that you can use yours with remote desktop out of the box, or maybe it is is because of some interaction with the college machines.

Paul Rewston

 

[dilettante]

No, you have it right.

I foolishly assumed you had already NAPTed the port through your router (that "Virtual Server" business) and that it still wasn't working.

Sorry, I shouldn't make assumptions like that.

This router seems to do a very good job of screening port scans - though remember, you have opened one port now!

So far there aren't any RDP exploits that I have heard of. It is always a good idea to move a service like this to a non-standard port though, just in case.

I think somebody posted to how-to on this someplace on this forum earlier.

See:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q306759

And:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q304304

This ought to confound the... er, curious... at least a little more than using the default RDP port.


In case you can't sleep, there is more on NAT and NAPT at:

http://www.suse.de/~mha/linux-ip-nat/diplom/node4.html#SECTION00042300000000000000

What is REALLY funny is that most Linux patriots seem to think they invented it. NAPT predates Linux by several years. I even have a DOS program that will act as a NAT/NAPT router.

 

[rewster]

Thanks for the information. The last link is interesting I have bookmarked that to read later.

I think what you said in you first reply made me look a little harder and come to a solution, which I am glad you confirmed as correct. A least now I can uninstall Norton Internet Security.

Thanks for all your help