Question: I started to use WindowsXP several years ago, and I really liked the ability to use remote desktop to connect to my school computer from my home computer also running WindowsXP. Using the IP address and the same login information I use at school, I have been able to connect to my office computer’s desktop very quickly from home. Now I can no longer do that. Any ideas why this may not be working? My configuration settings have not changed.
The IT Guy says:
It is possible that your school district’s IT department may have started using a more aggressive firewall solution that is blocking incoming remote desktop connection requests. A straightforward workaround to this situation in most cases is to obtain a VPN (virtual private networking) login account for your district’s network, and log into the VPN first before attempting the remote desktop connection.
Many IT staffs have a VPN setup for their internal use, but may not advertise its existence to teachers and administrators. The VPN likely uses the same domain authentication scheme used on client desktops, however, so besides the time required to field new configuration questions from users there are not many reasons why IT staffs should limit VPN use to themselves.
After logging into the district VPN, you will have established an effective “tunnel†through the district firewall. Remote access requests, including remote desktop as well as remote database access (like to Filemaker databases), should work fine as long as your VPN connection remains up.
Next Tip: Problem viewing blog RSS feeds
