Windows 7: RDC from work

Ok, so I am not the smartest person on a PC which is why I am asking for help. I have searched and searched but cant find a solution.
I have set up my PC to do RDC with a static IP using Windows 7. I can log in fine from my lap top when I am at home but I cant log in from work obviously because I am on another LAN.
Is there a way I can log in to my home PC from another network?

Welcome to Seven Forums, Jason25.

There are probably two problems in your way here:

1. Your home system is not set up with an IP that you can see from the outside.

2. Your work configuration may be preventing the connection.

To test the above, see if you can ping your home machine.

If you cannot ping it, then you need to look first at your home configuration. Is the machine behind a router? Have you set up the router to allow direct outside connectivity to the machine? (Usually called putting it in the DMZ in your router's setup guide.)

So you can RDC from home to your work macihne. But at work you cannot RDC to this "work" machine cos it's sit on a different LAN.

"Is there a way I can log in to my home PC from another network? " = not understand.

Thanks for your help.
The Ping worked fine. I am actually using a Vodafone usb modem to connect from work so I dont know if that causes an issue

Sorry if i wasnt clear. I set up the RDC at home with both my desktop and laptop and it worked fine obviously because both computers are on the same network. when i go to work with my laptop and try to connevt to my home PC it will not allow it.

But you can ping your home machine from the laptop (or another machine) when you are at work - is that correct?

I just tried to ping from my laptop and it wont work. I also found the DMZ setting but it will not allow me to change it because I have a static IP

OK. I didn't think that you would be able to see your home machine from the Internet.

Now, what you need to do is make your home machine visible, but still protect it. The Remote Desktop TCP port is 3389, and you need to make that usable from the outside.

Here are a couple of articles on port forwarding and DMZ setup that should help:

port forwarding and dmz for home networking

and

Answer (How to make a DMZ by Netgear)

Thanks

Hi all
extra things also

1) On HOME computer - allow Remote connections - set up in control panel and allow in router / windows firewall / AV software - allow PORT FORWARDING as the previous poster says.

2) On your HOME LAN (even if you only have 1 computer attached to your router) you'll have to give it a fixed INTERNAL IP address in the network properties -- such as 192.168.0.47 or whatever range your router uses.

Note when you set this up you'll have to enter the Gateway (usually the .01 address at the end of the addresses your router uses -- in the example here its 192.168.0.1) and the DNS's your IP gives you -- if you don't know these use the ROUTER status when you get home before you change your home computer to a static IP INTERNAL address.



3) Port forward in your router (as per 1) to THIS address (192.168.0.47 or whatever you assigned)

4) check that you can PING to the EXTERNAL address that your router presents to the Internet.

(Do this from OUTSIDE your LAN - use your mobile vodafone connect if you are at home).


5) ensure that the outgoing ports at work aren't blocked -- some workplaces block RDP ports so if that's the case you'll have to use Tunneling -- I'm not listing how to do this this here as it could be considered a security Hack in bypassing a firewall although its a legitimate process.

(As your on Vodafone mobile - this shouldn't be an issue as this works fine normally -- that's the whole point of data cards - to be able to connect remotely).

If your IP gives you a dynamic IP - most do these days then you have two choices

Make sure you have the IP address before you leave home --although these could change.

Or use a FREE service like

no-ip.com - Google Search

THis is MUCH better than paid for stuff like log me in etc as you get a domain - you don't even have to use the domain as from work you can logon to the no-ip site - check your database and see what the IP address is at any time.

(Some workplaces also block sites like log me in anyway).

Cheers

jimbo