I have a small domain with a Windows 2008 server domain controller with a netgear router to the internet and a static Public IP number. I've been using Remote desktop hosts on the clients to control remotely from outside the router through the internet. The current clients are XP Pro and Vist Pro machines. The router is configured to pass the appropriate port number to client's internal IP #. All this works fine. I added a Windows 7 Professional client and set it up as a remote desktop host. It's remote desktop host port is the default 3389 and is so set in its registry. The problem I have is that I can control it remotely inside the router by using the computer name like so: "Win7Computer:3389" but I cannot connect from outside the router from the internet using the computer name like so on the client "24.98.233.115:3389". When I try I get the error "This computer can't connect to the remote computer. Try connecting again. If the problem continues, contact the owner of the remote computer or you network administrator." I've rebooted the Windows 7 machine. I've tried other port numbers. The router is configured correctly with no clashes on the port numbers. The Windows firewall is turned off. Possible problem areas. The Win 7 machine is a full upgrade from a previous Vista pro installation and subsequently the machine was renamed in the domain and switched to a reserved IP address. The server was rebooted. All looks well in the configuration settings. Where should I look next?

If so, then go to the Windows 7 client, open "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". Right-click on "Inbound Rules". Create a new "port" rule on 3389 with Action as "Allow the Connection". Select the "Domain" in the Profile page and finish creating the rule by giving it a name. After this is done, find this rule in the Inbound Rules list and go to it's properties. Click on the advanced tab. Under "Edge Traversal", select "Allow Edge Traversal". This should fix the problem. Please post here if this does not resolve the issue. Hope it helps! Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast.

Thanks for the tip but it didn't work. I still error through the router. I also have the Windows firewall turned off.

Can someone plase confirm that if the Windows firewall is turned off then the pass throughs, exceptions, rules, and other firewall configurations are meaningless? In my problem I have turned the Windows 7 Pro Windows Firewall off and don't want to play with the pass throughs if they are now meaningless. My problem persists. Remote Desktop is turned on and I can log into it using the computer name and port # (Windows7Comp:3389)but cannot login from the internet through the router using the external static IP number with the port # (123.123.123.123:3389). The router is configured properly and in the same manner that work with the XP and Vista machines. I removed the Windows 7 client from the domain, renamed it and then rejoined the domain. I gave it a new reserved IP number on the domain DHCP server. I can't think of anything else to try other than the Windows Firewall settings, but the firewall is turned off. Any thoughts?

Can you please give the details of the OS you're using to connect to the Windows 7 client? Because if you have Network Level Authentication enabled, the client will only accept requests from Vista or later OSs. I'm guessing you're connecting locally to the client using Vista and using a Windows XP box to connect over the internet. Is this the case? Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast.

Thanks for the response but not the problem. I can't log in through the router from neither an XP nor a Vista machine. My Remote desktop host settings are the one in the middle, to allow connections from any remote desktop. Actually, all three computers are sitting here side by side. I can log into the remote desktop on from the XP to Vista using (123.123.123.123.:3394) but neither the XP nor the Vista can log into the Windows 7 through the internet but can within the local network. As a test, I've also tried connecting from a computer off premises and not part of the domain. Do you know if turning off Windows Firewall in the Windows 7 machine would mean that I then don't have the fiddle with the Firewall settings any more and can narrow down my search? It seems that this is a router pass through issue but the settings are simple. Set up a security service for the port and then make a firewall rule to point it to the internal IP in question. I don't see a problem there. The 3389 port on the Windows 7 works because I can log in locally. It might be the DNS values on the server with some caching or other latency issues for the Windows 7 machine because I've upgraded the operating system from Vista to 7, renamed it and also changed its static IP number. I've also rebooted the server. This seems far fetched however because the Windows 7 can see the network and be seen by other machines on the network.

Hi, I would like to suggest you check the following article which might give you some hints: Remote Desktop disconnected or can’t connect to remote computer or Remote Desktop server (Terminal Server) that is running Windows Server 2008 Alex ZhaoPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.