How to Use
Remote Desktop to Connect to a
Computer on Your Network
The Remote Desktop feature
provides one of the most
compelling reasons to get
Windows XP Professional. If you
run a small office or home
office, you might have two or
three computers, with your main
computer running Windows XP.
Maybe you have a laptop and a
desktop, with the laptop running
Windows 98 or Windows ME.
Wouldn't it be nice to see your
Windows XP desktop computer on
your wireless laptop? Here's
how: On the machine to which
you want to connect over the
network, click Start and click
Control Panel. Make sure the
Control Panel is in classic mode
and then click the System icon.
Click on the Remote tab in the
System Properties dialog box.
Put a checkmark in the Allow
users to connect remotely to
this computer checkbox. Click on
the Select Remote Users button
and make sure your user account
is included on the list. Click
Apply and then click OK. Be sure
to leave this computer running
so that you can connect to it
from another computer over the
network. You can make your
computer secure while it's still
running by pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL
and locking it.
Go to the other computer that
you want to use to connect to
the Windows XP computer. If the
other computer is running
Windows XP, you can skip this
step. Put in your Windows XP
CD-ROM (your vendor did give you
your CD, right?). The CD will
autorun and you'll see the
option Perform additional tasks.
Click that option. On the next
screen, you'll be asked what you
want to do. Click Setup Remote
Desktop Connection. This will
start the installation Wizard.
Finish the installation and go
to the next step. Click Start,
point to Programs or All
Programs (depending on your
operating system), point to
Accessories, point to
Communications and click on
Remote Desktop Connection. In
the Remote Desktop Connection
dialog box, type in the name (or
IP address) of the computer to
which you want to connect and
click Connect.
You'll need to log on after
making the connection. Log on
and work just as you would if
you were right in front of the
XP computer. You can run
programs installed on the XP
machine, even if you don't have
those programs on the computer
you're using. All processing is
actually done on the XP
computer. When you're done, log
off as you usually do. No one
else will be able to use the XP
computer while you're logged on
to it, so you don't have to
worry about someone trying to
"share" the computer.
MORE:
Enabling Remote Desktop for
Internet Use
Remote Desktop can be an
absolute life saver when you're
on the road. We were stuck in a
hotel with a wireless network
that didn't allow outbound VPN
connections, but they did allow
outbound Remote Desktop
connections. I was able to
connect to my Windows XP
desktop, access my files, and
work just as if I was at home.
It's great! However, you need to
enable Remote Desktop on your
home computer before you leave,
and then configure your Internet
Router to support connections
through the Internet. Here are
some tips and tricks:
- The first thing you need
to do is enable Remote
Desktop connections to your
PC. Click Start and then
right click My Computer.
Click the Properties
command.
- Click on the Remote tab
in the System Properties
dialog box.
- On the Remote tab, put a
checkmark in the Allow users
to connect remotely to this
computer checkbox. You may
see a dialog box warning you
that some accounts do not
have passwords and that only
accounts with passwords will
be able to connect. Click OK
to close the dialog box.
- Click on the Select
Remote Users button. Note
that the Administrator
account already has access,
and that any member of the
Administrators group can
connect, even if you don't
manually add them. Click the
Add button. Type in the name
of the user account you want
to use to access the Remote
Desktop, then click the
Check Names button to make
sure you typed it in
correctly. Click OK after
adding the name.
- Click OK in the Remote
Desktop Users dialog box.
- Click Apply and then
click OK in the System
Properties dialog box.
- The last step is the
trickiest, because the steps
are different depending on
what type of "router" you
use to connect to the
Internet. What you need to
do is configure your
"router" (it's actually a
NAT server in most cases,
rather than a true router)
to allow incoming Remote
Desktop connections to the
external IP address of the
router to be forwarded (sent
to) the IP address of your
Remote Desktop Windows XP
computer. The "router" or
NAT server needs to pass all
incoming connections to TCP
Port 3389 to your Windows XP
computer. The challenge is
getting your Internet
connection device to pass
the Remote Desktop
connections to your
computer. Also, make sure
you have a strong password
on your computer, as it's
exposed to the Internet.
|
|
|
|