Remotely accessing via RDC

[Joolsaitch]

Hi,
New here.
My home computer runs Win XP. My office computer runs Win 7.
I would like to access my home computer from my office computer and vice versa.
I have set up Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) on both computers according to the instructions given in the Help pages for both operating systems.
I have added RDC as an exception to the Windows firewall on both machines.
In both cases the computers are connected to the internet via a broadband modem and a common ISP. In both cases a WIFI router is also employed to make laptop connections available.
The RDC works fine whilst within the WIFI environment. In other words I can connect locally to both Host computers using a laptop as a Client so I have every reason to believe that I have set up the RDC correctly.
But I cannot access the computers remotely. I can't see the computer names, I can't see their IP addresses, I tried pinging them and it timed out.
I feel that it has to be something to do with the settings for the modem provided by the ISP. I can access the modems setup using a browser and 192,168.1.1. Various help sites suggest a special port number (3389?) but I can't find anywhere in the modem setups to be able to use that port number.
I have tried asking the ISP for help but now (5 days later) there is no response from them.
Does anyone have any ideas that might help me please?

 

[danteroxxx]

See if this helps:

When you are connecting to the host computer from outside it's local network, you would use the WAN IP and not the local IP address. The Wide Area Network IP can be found by using a site like www.whatismyip.com whilst browsing on the host computer. E.g. Use the RDP to connect to the WAN IP and not the local.

You should then forward port TCP 3389 to the local IP address in the router (and possibly the modem too)

This will RDP connect to your remote network "outside IP" and your remote network will then "hand off' the RDP connection to the "local IP."

--NOTE--
Some modems/routers call port forwarding "Virtual Servers"