■ If the host computer connects directly to the Internet but your ISP supplies you with a dynamic IP address each time you connect, use the IPCONFIG utility to determine your current IP address. (That is, select Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt to get to the command line, type ipconfig , and press Enter.) Make note of the IPv4 Address value returned by IPCONFIG (you might need to scroll the output up to see it) and use that address to connect to the Remote Desktop host. ■ If your network uses a router, determine that router’s external IP address by examining the router’s status page. See Chapter 3, “Configuring Your Router,” for the details. When you set up your Remote Desktop connection, you connect to the router, which will then forward your connection (thanks to your efforts in the next section) to the Remote Desktop host. ➔ To learn how to view the status page in some popular routers, see “Checking the Router Sta- tus,” p. 90. Setting Up Port Forwarding If your network uses a router, you need to configure it to forward data sent to the port specified in step 1 to the Remote Desktop host computer. This is port forwarding, and the steps you follow depend on the device. The next few sec- tions show you how to configure port forwarding on some popular routers. Belkin Here are the steps to follow to configure port forwarding on most Belkin routers: 1. Under Firewall, click the Virtual Servers link to display the Virtual Servers page. 2. In the first LAN IP Address text box, type the last three digits of the Remote Desktop host’s IP address. 3. In the Protocol Type list, select TCP. 384 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 Another way to deter- mine your router’s exter- nal IP address is to navigate to any of the free services for deter- mining your current IP. Here are two: WhatISMyIP (http:// www.whatismyip.com) DynDNS (http:// checkip.dyndns.org) tip Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 4. In LAN Port text box, type the Remote Desktop listening port you speci- fied earlier. 5. In Public Port text box, type the Remote Desktop listening port you specified earlier. 6. Activate the Enable check box. Figure 16.11 shows a Belkin router con- figured to forward port 12345 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. CHAPTER 16 Making Remote Network Connections 385 16 FIGURE 16.11 On most Belkin routers, use the Virtual Servers page to configure port forwarding. 7. Click Set. The Belkin router applies the new setting. D-Link For most D-Link routers, follow these steps to configure port forwarding: 1. Click the Advanced tab. 2. Click Port Forwarding to open the Port Forwarding Rules page. 3. In the first rule, activate the check box. 4. In the Name text box, type a name for the rule, such as RDP or Remote Desktop . 5. In the IP Address text box, type the IP address of the Remote Desktop host’s IP address. If the Remote Desktop host computer appears in the Computer Name list, select the computer and then click << to automatically add the host’s IP address. tip Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 6. In Port column, use the Start text box to type the Remote Desktop lis- tening port you specified earlier. 7. In Port column, use the End text box to type the Remote Desktop listen- ing port you specified earlier. 8. In the Traffic Type list, select TCP. Figure 16.12 shows a D-Link router configured to forward port 12345 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. 386 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 FIGURE 16.12 On your D-Link router, use the Port Forwarding Rules page to configure port forwarding. 9. Click Save Settings. The router saves the new settings. 10. Click Continue. Linksys Here are the steps to follow to configure port forwarding on most Linksys routers: 1. Click the Applications & Gaming tab. 2. Click the Port Range Forward subtab to display the Port Range Forward page. 3. In the Application text box, type a name for the rule, such as RDP or Remote Desktop . 4. Use the Start text box to type the Remote Desktop listening port you specified earlier. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 5. Use the End text box to type the Remote Desktop listening port you specified earlier. 6. In the Protocol list, select TCP. 7. In the IP Address text box, type the last three digits of the Remote Desktop host’s IP address. 8. Activate the Enable check box. Figure 16.13 shows a Linksys router configured to forward port 1235 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. CHAPTER 16 Making Remote Network Connections 387 16 FIGURE 16.13 On most Linksys routers, use the Port Range Forward page to configure port forwarding. 9. At the bottom of the page, click Save Settings. The router reports that the Settings are successful . 10. Click Continue. Netgear Follow these steps to configure port forwarding on most Netgear routers: 1. In the Advanced section, click the Port Forwarding / Port Triggering link. The Port Forwarding / Port Triggering page appears. 2. Select the Port Forwarding option. 3. Click Add Custom Service to display the Ports - Custom Services page. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 4. Use the Service Name text box to type a name for the rule, such as RDP . 5. In the Service Type list, select TCP. 6. Use the Starting Port text box to type the Remote Desktop listening port you specified earlier. 7. Use the Ending Port text box to type the Remote Desktop listening port you specified earlier. 8. Use the Server IP Address text boxes to enter the IP address of the Remote Desktop host. Figure 16.14 shows a Netgear router configured to forward port 1235 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. 388 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 FIGURE 16.14 On most Netgear routers, use the Port Forwarding / Port Triggering page to configure port for- warding. 9. Click Apply. The router adds the service to the Port Forwarding / Port Triggering page. Connecting Using the IP Address and New Port You’re now ready to make the connection to the Remote Desktop host via the Internet. Here are the steps to follow: Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 1. Connect to the Internet. 2. Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, Remote Desktop Connection. The Remote Desktop Connection dialog box appears. 3. In the Computer text box, type the external IP address of the router or remote computer and the alternative port you specified in step 1, sepa- rated by a colon. Figure 16.15 shows an example. CHAPTER 16 Making Remote Network Connections 389 16 FIGURE 16.15 In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, type the external IP address, a colon, and then the new Remote Desktop listening port. 4. Set up your other Remote Desktop options as needed. For example, click Options, display the Experience tab, and then select the appropri- ate connection speed, such as Modem (28.8 Kbps), Modem (56 Kbps), or Broadband (128 Kbps–1.5 Mbps). 5. Click Connect. Using Dynamic DNS to Access Your Network If you want to use Remote Desktop via the Internet regularly, constantly mon- itoring your dynamic IP address can be a pain, particularly if you forget to check it before heading out of the office. A useful solution is to sign up with a dynamic DNS (DDNS) service, which supplies you with a static domain name. The service also installs a program on your computer that monitors your IP address and updates the service’s DDNS servers to point your domain name to your IP address. Here are some DDNS services to check out: DynDNS (http://www.dyndns.org) TZO (http://www.tzo.com) No-IP.com (http://www.no-ip.com) D-Link (http://www.dlinkddns.com) However, you may not want to rely on a program to keep your network exter- nal IP address and your domain name synchronized. For example, you may Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. want to turn off the computer when you’re away from home or the office. In that case, most routers offer a DDNS feature that will handle this for you. You specify your DDNS provider, your domain name, and your logon data, and the router does the rest. The next few sections show you how to configure DDNS on some popular routers. D-Link For most D-Link routers, follow these steps to configure DDNS: 1. Click the Tools tab. 2. Click DDNS to display the Dynamic DNS page. 3. Activate the Enable DDNS check box. 4. Use the Server Address text box to type the address of your DDNS provider. 5. Use the Host Name text box to type your domain name. 6. Use the Username, Password, and Verify Password text boxes to type the logon data for your account with the DDNS provider. Figure 16.16 shows a completed version of the Dynamic DNS page. 390 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 If you use either D-Link DDNS service or DynDNS, select the appropriate service from the list and then click << to automatically add the service address. tip FIGURE 16.16 On your D-Link router, use the Dynamic DNS page to configure dynamic DNS. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 7. Click Save Settings. The router saves the new settings. 8. Click Continue. Linksys Here are the steps to follow to configure DDNS on most Linksys routers: 1. Click the Setup tab. 2. Click the DDNS subtab. 3. In the DDNS Service list, select either DynDNS.org or TZO.com. Note that how you proceed from here depends on the service you choose. The rest of these steps assume you’re using DynDNS.org. 4. Use the User Name and Password text boxes to type the logon data for your account. 5. Use the Host Name text box to type your domain name. Figure 16.17 shows a completed version of the DDNS page. CHAPTER 16 Making Remote Network Connections 391 16 FIGURE 16.17 On most Linksys routers, use the DDNS page to configure dynamic DNS. 6. Click Save Settings. The router reports that the Settings are successful . 7. Click Continue. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Netgear Follow these steps to configure dynamic DNS on most Netgear routers: 1. In the Advanced section, click the Dynamic DNS link. The Dynamic DNS page appears. 2. Activate the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box. 3. Use the Service Provider to select a DDNS service. 4. Use the Host Name text box to type your domain name. 5. Use the Username and Password text boxes to type the logon data for your account with the DDNS provider. Figure 16.18 shows a completed version of the Dynamic DNS page. 392 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 My Netgear router only supports DynDNS. Yours may support other services. note FIGURE 16.18 On most Netgear routers, use the Dynamic DNS page to configure dynamic DNS. 6. Click Apply. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. From Here ■ To learn how to view the status page in some popular routers, see “Checking the Router Status,” p. 90. ■ For the details on setting up a user account in Windows Vista, see “Creating User Accounts for Sharing,” p. 189. ■ To learn more about what constitutes a strong password, see “Building a Strong Password,” p. 292. ■ For other ethernet network security techniques, see Chapter 14, “Implementing Network Security,” p. 313. ■ For other wireless network security techniques, see Chapter 15, “Implementing Wireless Security,” p. 335. CHAPTER 16 Making Remote Network Connections 393 16 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. [...]... list of favorite online resources: ■ Microsoft Product Support Services This is Microsoft s main online technical support site Through this site you can access frequently asked questions about Windows Vista, see a list of known problems, download files, and send questions to Microsoft support personnel: http://support .microsoft. com/ 18 ■ Microsoft Knowledge Base The Microsoft Product Support Services... enable you to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, which is a database of articles related to all Microsoft products including, of course, Windows Vista These articles provide you with information about Windows Vista and instructions on using Windows Vista features But the most useful aspect of the Knowledge Base is for troubleshooting problems Many of the articles were written by Microsoft support personnel... Action, Stop Sharing to turn off sharing on the selected folder Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 17 408 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™ Type The type of network connection, which Windows Vista always shows as Windows # Locks The number of locks on the file Open Mode The permissions the user has over the file 17 FIGURE 17.9 The Shared Folders snap-in... Resources ■ Checking Connectivity with the PING Command ■ Troubleshooting Cables ■ Troubleshooting the NIC ■ Troubleshooting Wireless Network Problems ■ Reverting to an Earlier Configuration ■ From Here Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 412 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™ Repairing a Network Connection If you came to Vista from Windows XP, you may have come... the default Networking tab Follow these steps to add one or more columns to the view: 1 Select the View, Select Columns command Task Manager displays the Select Columns dialog box, as shown in Figure 17.3 This dialog box offers a long list of networking measures that you can monitor Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 17 398 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™... Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 17 400 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™ Bytes Received This value shows the total number of bytes received by Per Interval Windows Vista over the network adapter during the most recent update interval Bytes Per Interval 17 This value shows the total number of bytes sent from and received by Windows Vista over the network adapter during the most... security patches, service packs, and other updates: http://windowsupdate microsoft. com/ ■ Microsoft Security Check this site for the latest information on Microsoft security and privacy initiatives, particularly security patches: http://www .microsoft. com/security/ ■ Vendor websites All but the tiniest hardware and software vendors maintain websites with customer support sections that you can peruse for... There are computerYou can also access related newsgroups for hundreds of Microsoft s Vista newstopics and products Microsoft groups via the Web: maintains its own newsgroups via http://windowshelp .microsoft the msnews .microsoft. com server com/communities/newsgroups/ en-us/default.mspx (an account for which is automatically set up in Windows Mail), and Usenet has a huge list of groups in the alt and comp... purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 18 414 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™ ■ Close all programs You can often fix flaky behavior by shutting down all your open programs and starting again This is a particularly useful fix for problems caused by low memory or low system resources ■ Log off Windows Vista Logging off clears the RAM and so gives you a slightly cleaner... it Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 18 416 Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista™ By default, when a problem occurs, Vista does two things: ■ It automatically checks for a solution to the problem ■ It asks whether you want to send more information about the problem to Microsoft You can control this behavior by configuring a few settings: 1 In the Problem . configured to forward port 12345 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. 386 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 FIGURE 16.12 On your D-Link. configured to forward port 1235 to the computer with the address 192.168.1.110. 388 Networking with Microsoft ® Windows Vista ™ 16 FIGURE 16.14 On most Netgear