Topic: Tight VNC

[del]

Hi All,
I have searched the forums but every result does not help me as I am trying to do the opposite to what most people  try to do with VNC! I want to connect to my Mom's PC in the UK, it is a standalone machine, no router just an ADSL modem connecting it to broadband via Onetel from my PC which is connected to Roadrunner through my SME 6.0.0.1 server set in normal (not private) gateway/server and I thought this would be simple and straight forward, but I am having problems. Tight VNC runs as a service on her XP Pro machine (SP2) and I am running Tight VNC in the listening mode, if she adds a new client using my IP address she gets a connection refused message. Do I need to open/forward some ports on my SME server? If so can anyone tell me which ones and are they TCP or UDP ports. Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Del

[psoren]

Hi All,
I have searched the forums but every result does not help me as I am trying to do the opposite to what most people  try to do with VNC! I want to connect to my Mom's PC in the UK, it is a standalone machine, no router just an ADSL modem connecting it to broadband via Onetel from my PC which is connected to Roadrunner through my SME 6.0.0.1 server set in normal (not private) gateway/server and I thought this would be simple and straight forward, but I am having problems. Tight VNC runs as a service on her XP Pro machine (SP2) and I am running Tight VNC in the listening mode, if she adds a new client using my IP address she gets a connection refused message. Do I need to open/forward some ports on my SME server? If so can anyone tell me which ones and are they TCP or UDP ports. Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Del

There is nothing to do on the SME, but her WinXP probably has the software firewall enabled. You need to open the required port for VNC there, maybe port TCP 5900 (I don't know TightVNC).

Per

[MSmith]

I would *strongly* suspect that you do indeed have to forward port 5900 to the machine to which your mum's reverse connection should be made.

[psoren]

I would *strongly* suspect that you do indeed have to forward port 5900 to the machine to which your mum's reverse connection should be made.

Del,

I didn't read your post properly...sorry. I don't know how your "listening mode" works, but i think MSmith is right about it, if it works reverse.

Per

[sqlerror]

Since your Ma's XP is PRO, it comes with Remote Desktop, the best since PcAnywhere. It runs bleeding fast behind a SME. We use it to remotely connect to some 64 pc's for remote support via VPN. Using VPN to the SME makes it easy to connect to the 'local' machines and does not require any ports to be forwarded.

As for your configuration you need ports 5800 and 5900 to be forwarded.

Sqlerror

[del]

Hi All,
Thanks for your help and suggestions, on the port forwarding side are they TCP or UDP? As for the remote desktop feature I have not tried that before, due mainly to the fact that MS have a reputation for insecure apps, is it easy to set up and do I need any ports open/forwarded? Thanks again.
Regards,
Del - still

[dhardy]

Hi there,

I use a mixture of stuff to remotely support users - if you are having firewall problems, work around them!

Try http://www.logmein.com - they have a free version which should do just what you want.

FYI I use:

Tightvnc (for the java/web client and the normal client)
Atelier Remote Commander (like VNC, but push installs the server, starts it and then connects to it)
Quest Central (remote cmd prompt)
Remote Desktop (Windows RDP)
LogMeIn.com - works like Gotomypc and is dead easy to talk end users through installation, no fixed IPs or dynamic dns shenanigans either!

Out of that lot, usually I can get a fit with the problem I'm trying to solve - Atelier is pay for, everything else is free!

HTH

David.

[sqlerror]

Hi All,
Thanks for your help and suggestions, on the port forwarding side are they TCP or UDP? As for the remote desktop feature I have not tried that before, due mainly to the fact that MS have a reputation for insecure apps, is it easy to set up and do I need any ports open/forwarded? Thanks again.
Regards,
Del - still

All TCP and when you use remote desktop through a VPN connection, no need to worry about MS, instead you will be amazed by the crisp screenhandling and stability of the remote desktop. You can even share drives on the remote pc via the host, enabling easy fileshare etc....

Read more on Remote Desktop in the XP help ...

[del]

Hi All,
Problem solved thanks to dhardy, I have talked my Mom throgh setting up logmein and it works for what I need to do, set up email accounts and web browser settings. Thanks for all your suggestions.
Regards,
Del