I am trying to get "Remote Desktop" working from outside my home network (e.g. connect from work to my home computer [A]). I can use remote dektop from my laptop to the computer [A] from within my home network. However when I take my laptop to work and try to connect to the computer [A] it doesn't work. Therefore I must have set up remote desktop on both laptop and computer A correctly (both run Win XP Pro). My settings are: 1. ADSL connection 2. computer A (host) Win XP Pro and laptop (client) Win XP Pro 3. Netgear DG834G router 4. Home network with automatic IP detection 5. I enabled port forwarding of port 3389 to IP address of that comp A 6. I checked the automatically assigned IP address of computer A is the same as defined in the advanced rule for Netgear router 7. I tried both XP firewall and sygate firewall disabled 8. I checked my static IP address (through Netgear router statitics and "whatismyIP") For a start I don't know what to enter in the remote desktop connection settings: There are the 4 fields Computer, Username, password, Domain. Obviously I know Comp name, Username and password. When I connect my laptop within my home network I only have to type in the Computer field my unique comuter name for comp A, then username and password and it works. It also works if I use my internal IP address instead of the computer name! From outside I realise I have to use my external IP address but so far without luck. I tried all combinations I could think of. However I don't know what my Domain name is. I set up the advanced rule for my Netgear router to allow port forwarding which was described on a webpage which I cannot find at the moment but I think it is correct. At work I am connected via an Exchange Server and I don't know whether this is causing problems. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Your corporate firewall/proxy is probably blocking the connection. "Republicans in Congress are moving to ratify a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, thus ending the Iraq insurgency."

ok I can try a dial up connection from home which should work then. What do I enter to connect Computer = external IP Username = username Password = password Domain = ? where do I enter my computername?

Leave domain blank since you're not running a domain at your house. You either need a computer name or an IP address. You're entering your IP address, so that's it. "Republicans in Congress are moving to ratify a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, thus ending the Iraq insurgency."

The IP of your router goes in the "Computer" field. Trying it through a dial-up connection would be a good indicator of the problem. If you can still not connect, then you know there is some other problem in your settings. If it does work, then the problem is most likely with the connection at your work. In that case, you can try to change the port that RD uses. Do a search on MSKB for "Remote Desktop Port" for info on how to do that. Michael J

Thanks, I just tried with dial up and (after hours of frustration last weeks) a glimpse of hope it did work and now I know what to put where and how it should work!! Thanks everybody for your fast responses. I'll try at work tomorrow and feed back.

Today at work I had the same problem. I could not connect. I then plugged into the phoneline and used my dial-up connection and it worked. So now I think heropsycho (whataname) is right and my Server's firewall stops me from connecting. I'll have to ask my IT guy's next. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! I will post a new thread about safety (if a search doesn't provide me with an answer) so your great help/advise is appreciated once more.