Configuring Windows Firewall

Now you have to configure Windows Firewall to allow data to pass through the port you specified in the previous section. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Select Start, type wf.msc, and then press Enter. The Windows Firewall with Advanced Security window appears.
2. Click Inbound Rules.
3. In the Actions pane, click New Rule to launch the New Inbound Rule Wizard.
4. Click Port and then click Next. The Protocol and Ports dialog box appears.
5. Make sure the TCP is selected.
6. Activate the Specific Local Ports option and use the text box to type the port number you specified in the previous section.
7. Click Next. The Action dialog box appears.
8. Click Allow the Connection and then click Next. The Profile dialog box appears.
9. Activate the check box beside each profile you use (Domain, Private, or Public), and then click Next. The Name dialog box appears.
10. Use the Name text box to make up a name for this exception. This is the name that appears in the Exceptions tab, so make it reasonably descriptive (for example, Remote Desktop Alternate).
11. Click Finish to put the exception into effect.

Determining the Host IP Address

To connect to a remote desktop via the Internet, you need to specify an IP address rather than a computer name. (See "Using Dynamic DNS to Access Your Network," later in this tutorial, for a way to avoid using IP addresses.) The IP address you use depends on your Internet setup:

• If the Remote Desktop host computer connects directly to the Internet and your Internet service provider (ISP) supplied you with a static IP address, connect using that address.
• If the host computer connects directly to the Internet but your ISP supplies you with a dynamic IP address each time you connect, use the IPCONFIG utility to determine your current IP address. (That is, select Start, type command, and then select Command Prompt to get to the command line, type ipconfig, and press Enter.) Make note of the IPv4 Address value returned by IPCONFIG (you might need to scroll the output up to see it) and use that address to connect to the Remote Desktop host.
• If your network uses a router, determine that router's external IP address by examining the router's status page. When you set up your Remote Desktop connection, you connect to the router, which will then forward your connection (thanks to your efforts in the next section) to the Remote Desktop host.

TIP Another way to determine your router's external IP address is to navigate to any of the free services for determining your current IP. Here are two:

WhatISMyIP (www.whatismyip.com)
DynDNS (http://checkip.dyndns.org)