In this article, we'll proceed step-by-step on how to connect to the remote computer. We'll discover the different addresses we can enter into the client program to establish the remote connection. In addition, we'll illustrate how to bring up the remote connection via a Web browser.
Connecting to Your PC with the Traditional Client
Now you are all ready to remotely connect to your PC either from another computer on your network or from any computer on the Internet. First, we'll connect using the traditional client program (called Remote Desktop Connection) that's installed by default on most Windows versions. Figure 1 shows an example of the program.
Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection
Once the program loads, you can enter the path to your Remote Desktop PC into the Computer field and hit the Connect button. It's that simple. You do have a few different items you can use as a path, which include:
Computer Name: This is the Computer Name value of the computer that Windows uses to help you identify computers on a local network. You can use this only when you are on the same network as the Remote Desktop computer — not if you are connecting from a computer outside your home or office. You can find this value on a computer by right-clicking the My Computer or Computer icon on your desktop or the Start menu, clicking Properties, and, if in Windows XP, you need to click the Computer Name tab.
Local IP Address: This number (such as 192.168.1.103) also helps identify computers on a local network and is used by the network components when sending and receiving data. Like with the Computer Name, you can use this only when you are on the same network. You can find a computer's IP address by looking through the network connection status details in Windows.
Internet IP Address: This number is the IP address of your Internet connection or modem, assigned by your Internet service provider (ISP), used to identify computers or networks on the web. This is the number you want to use when connecting to your Remote Desktop PC when away from the home or office.
You can find your Internet IP address on your router's status pages under the WAN or Internet section, or you can google it to be detected by a Web site service. A word of caution: Your Internet IP changes — anywhere from daily to monthly — if you have a dynamic IP address. This type of address is typical on most residential, and even small business, Internet connections. You can call your ISP to see if you have a dynamic IP address or a static address.
Domain or Host Name: If you have a dynamic IP address (or you don't want to remember a static address), it's best to use a domain or host name to connect to your Remote Desktop PC. This requires signing up for a service (a few free ones are DynDNS, FreeDNS.afraid.org, and No-IP) and configuring your router with your account details so your host name stays updated when your IP address changes.
