I am having a problem accessing Remote desktop on my office PC running XP Pro w/RDP turned on. The machine is not behind any network hardware firewall. It is running ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 6.5.xxx.xx. To enable remote desktop on the XP Pro machine, I configured ZA to allow the default port 3389 for TCP/UDP In/Out with High Secuity Internet Profile. I am able to connect to the machine from the internet, but the connection drops within a minute or two. It also takes a long time to get the RDP login screen (I do not experience this problem in a trusted zone, so definitely its a problem with the internet zone only). Since RDP runs as a service I have not been able to configure seperate permissions for it as a executable/make it a trusted program. My questions: (1) Why am I experiencing this problem (only in the internet zone; not trusted) even after opening TCP (& UDP) port 3389 In/Out? (2) Once a RDP client on the internet initiates connection through the open port 3389, will MS Terminal Server attempt to shift the connection to another free port as in the case of passive FTP?

NAT enabled on your router? port forwarding properly configured? ever tried without zone alarm running? i'm using hamachi & vnc (ultraVNC, but real or tight are as good as any) this combo never caused any toubles ... goes thru hardware firewalls, nat routers ... no probs ever. both free. Today's subliminal thought is: 'Calm down ... it's only ones and zeros.' icq 10183575

This machine is a part of my University's network and is open to the internet. RDP works very well without zone alarm running and even works well within the trusted zone. Obviously some configuration about the higher security internet zone, even with open TCP/UDP In/Out 3389 port, is causing the problems.

post your prob in the zone labs user forum. u r more likely to get help there. http://forums.zonelabs.com/zonelabs i used to be a fan of zone alarm for a long time myself ... but i changed after release of 6.x. it went kinda bitchy on serveral occasions which i didn't like. using iSafer now, free open source fw ... a simple firewall and nothing else. highly functinonal, low on system resources .. without scaring the living daylights out of the user if a program is trying to make use of another program :-) http://winsockfirewall.sourceforge.net/ Today's subliminal thought is: 'Calm down ... it's only ones and zeros.' icq 10183575

Mattie thanks for the link - Zone Alarm does scare a lot of users with its popups. "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - BILL CLINTON