How To Access a Computer Using Remote Desktop Behind the IT-100

Windows XP Professional has a feature called Remote Desktop. When Remote Desktop is enabled on your Windows XP computer, you can access it from a remote location. This is ideal if you are working at home and want to access files on your office computer. Both computers must have Remote Desktop enabled. You can use a LAN or wireless connection on the private network, a dialup or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection to access the office computer from the home computer. The IT-100's firewall does not allow remote connections by default in Medium Firewall. You must go through a multi-part process using both Advanced Firewall and Port Forwarding to allow a Remote Desktop session on a network managed by the IT-100.

NOTE: It is beyond the scope of this tutorial to provide instructions on how to enable Remote Desktop on a Windows XP Professional computer. To access these instructions on a Windows XP computer, right-click the My Computer icon and click Properties. On the Properties box, click the Remote tab. In the Remote Desktop section, click the What is Remote Desktop link to access Windows Help and Support pages on this subject.

Here's how you get started.

Create a Remote Desktop Firewall Service

1. Go to CoreVista Web

2. Expand the Firewall folder in the left-hand sidebar menu

3. Expand the Advanced Firewall folder

4. Click the Services file

• The Defined Services box appears

5. Click ADD in the upper right-hand corner of the box

• The Advanced Firewall Service Definition Creation box appears

6. Type Remote Desktop in the Description field

7. Type 3389 in both of the available Ports fields

8. Press the Ctrl key and use the cursor to click on both TCP and UDP in the Protocol box

9. Click CREATE

• The new Advanced Service Definition is created and appears in the Defined Services box on the main Services page.

Create a Remote Desktop Firewall Rule

1. With the Advanced Firewall folder still expanded, click the Rules file

• The Advanced Firewall Ruleset box appears

2. Click the ADD button in the upper right-hand corner of the Advanced Firewall Ruleset box

• The Advanced Firewall Rule Creation box appears

3. In the From drop down menu, select World

4. In the Source Service drop down menu, select All

5. In the To drop down menu, select World

6. In the Destination Service drop down menu, select Remote Desktop

7. In the Result drop down menu, select Accept

8. Click CREATE at the bottom of the box

• The new rule is added to the Advanced Firewall Ruleset box

Apply the New Firewall

1. Click directly on the Advanced Firewall folder in the menu

• The Advanced Firewall main page appears

2. In the Apply New Firewall box, click the APPLY button

• A test will be run and the page will refresh to the Confirm Firewall page in about 15 seconds

• The Confirm Firewall box appears

3. Click the COMMIT button

• The new firewall changes are now applied

Forward Remote Desktop Ports

1. Click the Port Forwarding folder in the left-hand sidebar menu

• The Port Forwarding Global Settings page appears

2. In the WAN -> LAN Forwarding box, click ADD

• The WAN --> LAN port forwarding creation box appears

3. In the WAN Start Port field, type 3389

4. In the WAN End Port field, type 3389

5. In the LAN Side IP Address field, type the IP Address of the machine you want to access remotely

6. In the LAN Start Port field, type 3389

7. Click ADD

•  You will now be able to use Remote Desktop to connect to the computer you want to control on the LAN behind the IT-100