Accessing a remote system, with a static IP address and a router

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Austin Powers - 22 Jan 2007 06:07 GMT

I have setup a friend with a static IP address at his work. At his work he
has a router with several machines attached to it. His machine has been
given a static IP address by the router.

How, from his home address does he get through his router to get to his
machine on his desk at work? I am guessing I need to use port forwarding,
on his router at work (say, by assigning port 50247 to his machine). But
how, from his home machine does he make contact with his machine on his desk
at work, from home?

Thanks.

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Austin Powers - 22 Jan 2007 06:23 GMT

I should add that he has Windows XP HOME Edition on both his computer at
home and at work.

>I have setup a friend with a static IP address at his work. At his work he
>has a router with several machines attached to it. His machine has been
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Thanks.

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Night with Wind - 22 Jan 2007 10:32 GMT

you can open a NAT with the port number in that router. and then, when
he contact that PC whinch in his work, his should use router's IP
address + that port number.

"Austin Powers 写道：
"

> I have setup a friend with a static IP address at his work. At his work he
> has a router with several machines attached to it. His machine has been
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Thanks.

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Sooner Al [MVP] - 22 Jan 2007 10:48 GMT

>I have setup a friend with a static IP address at his work. At his work he
>has a router with several machines attached to it. His machine has been
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Thanks.

What program are you going to use to remotely access the work PC? With XP
Home you can use UltraVNC for remote desktop access/control, file access,
etc. You need to open TCP Port 5900 through the work router to the static
LAN IP of the work PC. Call using the static public IP of the router.

http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/

Make sure you check with the office/work network administrators about this.
There may be company policies against connecting a trusted network with an
untrusted network (the home machine). They also may setup a VPN connection
if this is a legitimate work related need.

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Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...

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Austin Powers - 22 Jan 2007 13:09 GMT

He doesn't need to take control of the computer, just access the hard
drive., so does he just map a drive, on my machine at home to
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5900 ?

>>I have setup a friend with a static IP address at his work. At his work
>>he has a router with several machines attached to it. His machine has
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> with an untrusted network (the home machine). They also may setup a VPN
> connection if this is a legitimate work related need.

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Sooner Al [MVP] - 22 Jan 2007 13:58 GMT

> He doesn't need to take control of the computer, just access the hard
> drive., so does he just map a drive, on my machine at home to
> xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5900 ?

Use a VPN then and a *STRONG* password...

http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking/xp_vpn_server.htm
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networking/xp_vpn.htm

Note the router must be configured to pass both TCP Port 1723 and GRE
Protocol 47 traffic. The latter is sometimes called "PPTP Pass Through" or
"VPN Pass Through" depending on the router. Consult the users manual for
help. You can test this using the "PPTP Ping" and "VPN Traffic" sections on
this page...

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0105.mspx

If the router does not pass GRE Protocol 47 traffic, which is common with
many consumer grade routers, then free alternatives include OpenVPN,
SSL-Explorer or a SSH tunnel. Another free alternative is Hamachi. The
downside is you need to trust the third-party provider, ie. Hamachi.

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Austin Powers - 22 Jan 2007 21:24 GMT

All that I need to be able to do is access the drive, not control the PC.
Is there a simpler way that does not involve third party software? Ideally,
I'd like to be able to access the remote hard disk as, say, 'W:'.

Thanks.

>> He doesn't need to take control of the computer, just access the hard
>> drive., so does he just map a drive, on my machine at home to
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> SSL-Explorer or a SSH tunnel. Another free alternative is Hamachi. The
> downside is you need to trust the third-party provider, ie. Hamachi.

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Sooner Al [MVP] - 22 Jan 2007 22:50 GMT

> All that I need to be able to do is access the drive, not control the PC.
> Is there a simpler way that does not involve third party software?
> Ideally, I'd like to be able to access the remote hard disk as, say, 'W:'.
>
> Thanks.

The absolute easiest *AND* safest way, IMHO, is to setup a Secure Shell
(SSH) server and WebDrive which is a commercial program ($$$$). Use a
*STRONG* password. WebDrive allows you to map a remote drive through the SSH
tunnel.

I suggest the copSSH package as the server...copSSH is free...

http://www.itefix.no/phpws/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PA
GE_id=12&MMN_position=22:22

WebDrive...

http://www.southrivertech.com/products/webdrive/index.html

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Jack (MVP-Networking). - 22 Jan 2007 23:16 GMT

Hi
Joining Al, WebDrive is the Best solution under the circumstances as
described above.
Ultrs@VNC can be a Good solution too, it takes a little more work to set up,
but it is free.
Although it is a Remote control program, you do not need to use the Remote
Control per-se.
Using this part of it, http://www.ezlan.net/example/vnc_file.jpg , almost
like using Explorer. ;)
Jack (MVP-Networking).

>> All that I need to be able to do is access the drive, not control the
>> PC. Is there a simpler way that does not involve third party software?
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> http://www.southrivertech.com/products/webdrive/index.html

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Austin Powers - 23 Jan 2007 07:41 GMT

Thanks. I installed copSSH on my office computer and WebDrive on my home
computer (I'm learning as I go along and I'm guessing that's how I do
things). However, all I seem to get is 'Connection filed, 1' and
'Connection failed, 3' when I use WebDrive connect to my computer in the
office. I checked the WebDrive site and found no reference to what these
error codes mean.

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Sooner Al [MVP] - 23 Jan 2007 11:20 GMT

> Thanks. I installed copSSH on my office computer and WebDrive on my home
> computer (I'm learning as I go along and I'm guessing that's how I do
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>>
>> http://www.southrivertech.com/products/webdrive/index.html

I have never seen that error so here are things I would check...

1. Make sure you have "Activated" a user on the copSSH server PC. Make sure
you can logon locally to the copSSH server using that activated account ID
and password.

2. Make sure you have TCP Port 22 forwarded on any firewall and/or router
the copSSH server PC is behind or has running on it.

3. Make sure you calling the correct public IP for your copSSH server. This
is the IP assigned by the ISP at the office end.

4. Make sure your using the correct user ID and password in WebDrive when
your trying to logon to the copSSH server PC.

I don't have WebDrive installed right now and will be out and about today,
but will try to install tomorrow to help further if needed...

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Austin Powers - 31 Jan 2007 18:48 GMT

Thanks for your advice, however, I am giving up on copSSH. It just WILL NOT
LET ME LOG IN to the computer on my desk. I'm pulling my hair out. I have
WebDrive running (I have used it to log into the WebDrive server, but when I
try to log into to the one on my desk in the office it just fails.

Has anyone here ever had to 'debug' a situation like this with copSSH? I've
asked copSSH support (and I'm waiting for a reply) how can I even tell if
anything has tried to log in? I don't know if it is failing because of a
configuration, at the username name level, password level.

I see the cygwinsrv.exe service running, with user SvcCOPSSH, but only when
I am logged in as the user who installed copSSH. When I log in as the test
user, then I don't see it...I even re-installed it under the test user
account I created, but it still doesn't run. I can access the machine from
my home using GoToMyPC, , so this isn't an impossibility.

I am pulling my hair out, with this one. I have not made a since inch of
progress in 9 days, and I'm stumped.

Thanks.

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