Remote Desktop Connection 101

hello everyone

Ive been playing with RDC (Remote Desktop Connection) for several hours now and cant get it to work. All PC's are using windowsXP sp2. I dont know what gives. I would like to write up an idiot proof guide to this bish from ground up, including usernames/passwords (fake or whatever). I dont need to buy software or play with trials. I just want this on my own farm of computers (LAN), not through the internet. This is just for self training pretty much... any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

so far this is the best I have found. Its pretth much self explanatory and not difficult in anyway, the hard part is setting up each computer then logging on correctly.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/default.mspx

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Comments

sprkymrk

Have you set up a workgroup or domain environment?
Are you connecting via IP or Netbios name?
Are you using local accounts or domain accounts?
Are you using administrator account or a member of the Remote Desktop Users group?
Are the firewalls configured to allow access?
Can you ping or do file sharing or anything between the PC's that tells you the network connectivity is working properly?

If you can give us at least that much information for background we'll be happy to help.

Lamini

sprkymrk wrote:

Have you set up a workgroup or domain environment?
Computers are both in WORKGROUP=HOMENETWORK. ie in rightclick mycomputer, computername, change, domain is not checked, workgroup: is.

Are you connecting via IP or Netbios name?
for the sake of simplicity, I wanted to start with just two computers.
left computer = 192.168.1.100
right computer = 192.168.1.101

Are you using local accounts or domain accounts?
local accounts, i think? might need help on verifying this, im obviously no guru at this

Are you using administrator account or a member of the Remote Desktop Users group?
i am logged on with administrator credentials on both puters

Are the firewalls configured to allow access?
firewalls are off

Can you ping or do file sharing or anything between the PC's that tells you the network connectivity is working properly?
yup, pings no problem.

If you can give us at least that much information for background we'll be happy to help.

if you want, just write up everything and i can just copy that, dont have to use this stuff, just want a bulletproof idiotproof guide to setting up RDC missing nothing covering every little detail. would be greatful

gojericho0

Well it looks like you are off to a good start.

Is the same administrator account and password used on both computers?

Have you enabled rdp on both pc's and given the Administrator access? (Right Click "My Computer and select properties, Click the Remote Tab, Check Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.

Lamini

gojericho0 wrote:

Well it looks like you are off to a good start.

Is the same administrator account and password used on both computers?
i sign in as Left on left computer, and Right on the other, both have administrator priveleges. password is lower case administrator on both computers.

Have you enabled rdp on both pc's and given the Administrator access? (Right Click "My Computer and select properties, Click the Remote Tab, Check Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.
yup

gojericho0

i sign in as Left on left computer, and Right on the other, both have administrator privileges. password is lower case administrator on both computers.

Use the same administrator account on both computers and let me know what happens

Lamini

sign in on both accounts as THE administrator?

also, im just looking for a template for this. im sure im not the first to do this. i can copy/paste what you already have. im in and out all day/night so could take a while

sprkymrk

Personally, I don't "have" anything for you to copy/paste. I'm shooting from the hip trying to help you get the connection working, not trying to write a guide or step-by-step article.

You DO need to use an account that exists on the target computer as gojericho0 pointed out. The easiest way is to make the admin account on both computers have the same password.

Let us know what happens when you try that.

Lamini

just an update. i figured it out. I can control another 10 computers in another room via RDC at work... at home its another story lol. what gives?!? well, i did use IP addresses at work instead of domain names at work... nm then i answered myself. i'll write something up here when i get time.

Netstudent

Lamini wrote:

just an update. i figured it out. I can control another 10 computers in another room via RDC at work... at home its another story lol. what gives?!? well, i did use IP addresses at work instead of domain names at work... nm then i answered myself. i'll write something up here when i get time.

huh??? So what did you do differently at home that allowed you to figure it out? I was going to say try starting terminal services on the target machine.

garv221

create an admin account on both computers with the same username and password. Guaranteed to work.

Sie

As Garv and others have said aslong as your logging into both machines as administrator with the same username + password should work fine.

Just chuck IP address into RDP and via.

When you say firewall is off I assume you have the windows firewall configured right aswell??

Also, when you say it 'wont work' what do you mean? What error do you get? access denied? network address not found etc??

As for a guide?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457106.aspx

I'll be honest and didnt read the whole page but im sure it should help

Lamini

sorry for late reply

it was pretty simple. my mistake was my computers are automatically logged on, using no passwords at home. RDC doesnt like that, so make sure you create passwords. That and I was logging on using names, you have to log on using IP Addresses (?), ie "Connect to..." prompt, put the IP Address of destination puter.

pretty much its like this:

you can ping around here to see whats your own IP address, as well as the other computers that you are connecting to...

#1 On OTHER computer, ensure you know the login name and password
#2 Get OTHER computers IP Address
#3 On YOUR computer, know your login and password, and know your IP Address
#4 Start RDC (Start>Accessories>Communications>Remote Desktop Connection

#5 From YOUR computer, enter OTHER computers IP Address... The End

since you know your own computers address, you can also view the other direction.

Thanks all. this thread makes me laugh a little bit, learned a lot since then

RussS

Just a reminder ............. the computer you are logging on to MUST have a password.

I hope you are logging on to these machines as a user and not administrator - easiest way to screw things up

Pash

Lamini wrote:

sorry for late reply

it was pretty simple. my mistake was my computers are automatically logged on, using no passwords at home. RDC doesnt like that, so make sure you create passwords. That and I was logging on using names, you have to log on using IP Addresses (?), ie "Connect to..." prompt, put the IP Address of destination puter.

pretty much its like this:

you can ping around here to see whats your own IP address, as well as the other computers that you are connecting to...

#1 On OTHER computer, ensure you know the login name and password
#2 Get OTHER computers IP Address
#3 On YOUR computer, know your login and password, and know your IP Address
#4 Start RDC (Start>Accessories>Communications>Remote Desktop Connection

#5 From YOUR computer, enter OTHER computers IP Address... The End

since you know your own computers address, you can also view the other direction.

Thanks all. this thread makes me laugh a little bit, learned a lot since then

Netbios name should work fine also, have you tried it with names....