Remote Desktop & LinkSys WRT54G v5


R

Rev. Michael L. Burns

Network Guru
Member
I have an XP Pro desktop cumputer in my office and an XP Pro notebook I use when away from my desk. I am trying to set up Remote Desktop on both systems with the hope of accessing/controlling the computers from each other.

I am using a Linksys WRT54G v5 router. I can run Remote Desktop on my notebook and connect to and use my desktop from it without problems. However, if I try to Remote Desktop my notebook from my desktop I get a black screen on the desktop after it connects to the notebook. It seems to connect to the notebook since the notebook screen swithches to the user logon screen to lock out anyone from using it while it is being used by another pc. As I said, the desktop screen goes black after connecting to the notebook wth only the yellow bar at the top indicating that it is coonected.

If I turn off the wireless on my noebook and connect it to the router by cable I can Remote Desktop from either computer to the other with no problems but then they are both on the same side of the router. It appears to be a wireless configuation problem with the router but I'm not sure.

How can I configure the router to allow both pc's to use Remote Desktop?

Thanks,
Michael
sdbpastor@charter.net
 
I only experience this problem when using a wireless connection. Can remote desktop both ways with no problems when both computers are connected to the router by cable.

Can remote desktop to the desktop from the notebook when notebook is connected by wireless. Works fine in that direction. Cannot get Remote desktop to work from the desktop to the notebook.

Michael
 
Got it, and that is a good one, I concur that wireless connection works fine when connecting from wireless to a device wired or otherwise on the internet, I have never tried to do it the other way. Hopefully someone will have also seen this before and get in here, however if no one does I will test this and see what i see, though i dont think i will have time until friday to test.
 
when i get a black screen like that i try an alt tab...then back up...soundes like norton or windoiws firewall is poping up with the do you want to allow this connection type box..
 
I just did ythe same on mine with no diffaculty!..from tower system through 10/100 connection to windows XP Pro notebook connected through wireless G to wrt54gl

no problem!!
try checking antivirus, or antispyware software...

and of course the alt tab as well..
 
Checked eveerything that I could think of. Both systems are setup the same as far as anti-virus, firewall, etc. Even disabled firewall on both ends to test it to no avail. Can still only RD into my office network from notebook but not the other way around. I can ping the other computer from either computer with no problems.

As mentioned earlier, if I try to Remote Desktop my notebook from my desktop I get a black screen on the desktop after it connects to the notebook. It seems to connect to the notebook since the notebook screen swithches to the user logon screen to lock out anyone from using it while it is being used by another pc.

A curious thing happens though, if after the attempt to RD to my notebook fails and I log back in to my notebook, I notice that my notebook no longer shows my desktop background. Instead of my normal Gateway background the backgrouind is dark blue on the notebook. If I change the background back again and attempt to RD into the notebook again it once again switches to the login screen (which I think it is supposed to do). After the RD attempt fails, if I log into the notebook again the background is changed to dark blue again. RD into the desktop from the notebook has no effect on desktop background. I tried changing the background to 'None" before trying it again but that didn't help, not that I expected it to. Also, screen resalution, color, etc is set identically on both pc's. Only difference is that notebook is wide screen, desktop isn't. However, this presents no problem when both pc's are connected by cable to the router (can RD either way then with no problem) so I don't think this is the problem when using a wireless connection. Tried disabling Bitmap caching as suggested in some other newsgroups that remedied their similar black screen problems but still no change. Can still only RD into compueter behind router but not out.

I also have verified that port forwarding is enabled and by running CanYouSeeMe (http://www.canyouseeme.org/) I have verified from both computers that port 3389 is not being blocked by my ISP.

Michael
 
As mentioned try looking at the firewall settings, when you are connected wired it is obviously setup correctly however the firewall settings for the wired and wireless adapters are independent of one another. Make sure the wireless firewall settings match the wired settings and see how it goes from there.
 
I thought about that but I completely disabled the firewall on both the notebook and the desktop and I can still only RD in one direction. Also tried disabling all security setting in router but no change.

Michael
 
I have just now gotten it to work but I don't understand why what I changed made it work but changing it back breaks it again. Here is what I did.

As I mentioned in my original post, as soon as I tried to RD from desktop into the notebook, the notebook would switch to the user logon screen as it should and then the desktop would go to a blank screen and eventually disconnect. I got to wondering if Fast User Switching might have something to do with it. I first tried disabling Fast User Switching on the desktop since that was the system I was setting in front of at the time, but it didn't help so I re-enabled it. I then disabled Fast User Switching on the notebook and I can now RD from desktop to notebook perfectly. I can also go the other way, RD from notebook to desktop with no problems as well. Although I only needed to disable Fast User Switching on the notebook I went ahead and disabled it on the desktop as well just to be safe.

Don't really understand what's going on here but at least it works and since I am the only user on either pc I really don't need Fast User Switching. However, I am curious as to why Fast User Switching presented no problem in either direction when I was not going wireless (both computers connected to router by cable.

Michael
 
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