I'm trying to get my remote desktop connection web service working. It works if I use my internal IP (192.168.2.4) however I cannot get to it from my external IP. I have a Belkin F5D7230-4. I went into Virtual Servers (port forwarding) and forwarded ports 3389 (TCP & UDP) and 80. When I put in my external IP address, I simply get my router page. If I throw in the /tsweb for RDC, it gives me "Page cannot be displayed." I then threw a generic page out under c:\windows\web and tried to connect to that, but had no luck. I then tried changing my tcp port for IIS on my "Default Website" (under Admin Tools > Internet Information Services) and then tried http://<external ip>:<new port>\tsweb and got nothing. My Windows Firewall is disabled, though I tried enabling and opening the ports there as well. Do I need to get outside of my network for the external IP to work? I don't believe my modem is a router - it's a Touchstone Telephony Modem (Comcast). Thanks!

Hi, there. Yes, you need to go outside of your network to get the external IP address to work. Its a security feature to not route packets from the inside to the external IP address, or to route packets from the outside with addresses for internal IP addresses.

You can surf to your external ip address from the inside by bouncing your requests off of a web anonymizer. Here's a link to start you out:

http://www.livinginternet.com/i/is_anon_...

Try it outside your network (i.e.from a friends house or a Starbucks) .

The only forwarding you should need to do is port 3389 TCP, I have dozens of these setup and they all work properly. I suspect yours is actually working but you just are prevented from reaching it through your internal network.

If you provide your IP I could check it from here, I would just get your login screen so there is no security risk.