Remote desktop to local machine via the Internet

Janko on 13/11/2013 - 10:26

I've just had to reconfigure the home network to survive treadmill noise, replacing my good ol' (yet sensitive) Billion 7402VGP wireless modem/router with an even older Netcomm NB5 modem plus a Dlink DIR600 router I OzBought thinking I'd use it someday (as you do).

Anyway I found I couldn't access my desktop PC via remote desktop, despite being confident I'd forwarded the right port and opened all firewalls appropriately (even temporarily disabling both windows firewalls and the hardware ones).

But this was from a laptop on the same local network accessing the desktop via its public IP.

Connecting using the desktop's local IP address worked fine, but I was surprised that I could connect via the desktop's public IP when I put the laptop on an external network, bridged via the internet.

So even though I'm all practically functional again, it is mentally grating on me why I can't leave the local network and come back into it. Does Windows do some tricky stuff when it notices an external IP is the same as the local network's public IP?

Computing

Comments

  • Velocita on 13/11/2013 - 10:38
    +2

    Hi Janko, you want to read this:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAT_loopback#NAT_loopback

  • Janko on 13/11/2013 - 12:33

    Thanks, that put me on the right track. More playing revealed that accessing my local webserver via its external IP took me to the modem's config page so it looks like the modem is looping back to itself. Doesn't seem to be a way to customise WAN loopback either with this modem.

  • kuikui on 13/11/2013 - 13:34

    If you use WIFI to connect the PC. try to disable WIFI network isolation option.

  • mysticbiscuit on 13/11/2013 - 14:24
    +1

    Don't know if you've considered TeamViewer? I use that, it's simple and it just works. Costs nothing (so appeals to the OzB'er) - install it on your PC @ Home, and launch the application on your Device (SmartPhone, PC blah) and connect to it. As long as HTTP/HTTPS is open on your home router it'll connect.

    I used to faff around with port mappings / tunnelling etc. but TeamViewer is a far simpler solution.

    Just my 50c worth!

    Cheers

    M

    • ozultimate on 13/11/2013 - 15:53

      I have used TeamViewer very simple program
      also worth looking at UltraVNC
      http://sourceforge.net/projects/ultravnc/

      • _Bruce_ on 13/11/2013 - 16:20

        Ultra VNC will have exactly the same problem as remote desktop. Both these should perform better locally than TeamViewer though. There are also potential security benefits.

        • Janko on 13/11/2013 - 16:36

          I use RealVNC to VNC into the linux virtual host I'm running - but preferred RD for Windows - especially as it renders the screen to the client's aspect ratio rather than just letterboxing/scaling to suit as VNC did. That probably made it faster too.

    • ProspectiveDarkness on 13/11/2013 - 16:23
      +1

      Just my 50c worth!

      You have quite a high opinion of yourself ;-)

    • Janko on 13/11/2013 - 16:25

      Yeah I use TeamViewer to reduce one hour support phone calls from my parents into 10 seconds of action.

      Never really considered it for serious work remotely as I tend to use my laptop more as a thin client. So photoshopping, software development,… What I do like about remote desktop is it takes remarkably low bandwidth. What I hate about it is when it doesn't release the session properly.

      But all the forwarding is no big deal and works ok - I just spent a good half hour wondering why things weren't working when they were, just my test procedure was faulty.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/11/2013 - 21:28

    LogMeIn is thought to be the easiest option to set up because your computer opens the ports when it announces itself so an outside computer can take control of it.
    It makes it easier for the user rather then having to open ports, etc.

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