Trouble port forwarding 2Wire 3801HGV & Remote Desktop

[artmanphoto]

I just found PCWinTech.com and it has great information on port forwarding.  I am using a 2Wire 3801HGV (AT&T) modem/router that is connected to 3 hard wired networked desktop PC's running Windows 7 Professional.  I have used the PCWinTech Simple Port Tester software to test for my open ports.  I have also manually configured the 2Wire router according to the router instructions on the PCWinTech site and also have used the Simple Port Forwarding software download on the site.  It appears that the 3 computers are port forwarded correctly in the 2Wire router firewall but fail the open port test when the Simple Port Tester is used.  Please see attached screenshot for the Simple Port Tester and the screen shot for the 2Wire router firewall status screen that shows the 3 desktop PC's.  The IP addresses for the 3 PC's in the 2Wire router are "pooled addresses" not static IP's.  I also tried using static IP's with no success.

I use the Comodo firewall and I have gone into each machine and opened the respective port to allow incoming traffic from Remote Desktop.  I have also turned OFF the Comodo firewall and still cannot connect to the machines.  The computer names and ports are:

Digital 3390
Office  3391
Studio 3392

I have also changed the Remote Desktop listening port on each of the machines to the ports shown above.

I can connect by Remote Desktop to the various machines from my laptop when I am in range of the 2Wire wireless signal but cannot connect when I am at a remote location like Starbucks.  When I am at Starbucks and try to use Remote Desktop Connection I type in the IP number : port number and it doesn't connect.

I am trying to get the Remote Desktop to work so I can log into my machines when I am out of town.

Any ideas and help would really be apprciated.

Thanks!

[Shane]

Can you also post a screen shot of the port forwarding page in the router as well?

Also if you want to make this even easier, I don't use remote desktop myself, I use teamviewer (www.teamviewer.com)

No port forwarding needed

Shane

[artmanphoto]

Shane, thank you for your reply.  Please tell me which screen is the port forwarding page in the router so I can attach a screen shot  - I don't know which screen you mean.

I use the free non-commercial teamviewer to remotely connect to my daughter's computer to do various things for her.  Each time I connect to her machine she is on the phone and has to give me a password word that teamviewer generates.

On my 3 machines I want to be able to connect to them from my laptop when I am out of town.  If I install teamviewer on the 3 machines can I connect to them without a TeamViewer password that the machine (teamviewer) generates?  Hope you understand my question.

Thanks again for your help.

[Shane]

With teamviewer the ID will stay the same and wont change. You can then set a static password

If you don't want to use teamviewer then we just need to get your port forwarding working
http://www.pcwintech.com/2wire-generic-guide-2-all-models

Shane

[artmanphoto]

Thanks for the additional information on the teamviewer static password.  Do you set the static password somewhere in the teamviewer options?

Yesterday I followed the instructions in the 2-wire generic router link that you gave in your previous post.  Everything appears to configure perfectly (please see the 2-wire screen shot in my initial post).  I don't want to loose this port forwarding battle so I would really like to get the port forwarding to work.  I have successfully opened ports on Linksys and Netgear routers but this AT&T 2-wire router is a real bear.

You requested a screen shot of the port forwarding page in the 2-wire router.  I have probably been on that screen and don't know it's call the port forwarding screen.

Thanks.

[Shane]

The firewall page you posted is only the status page. You need to click the "Applications, Pinholes and DMZ" link at the top next to status
http://www.pcwintech.com/files/guides/port_forwarding/2wire_generic_2/000.png

I want to check the port forwarding rules

Yes Teamviewer gives you options on setting a static IP

Shane

[artmanphoto]

I have attached the port forwarding screen for you to look at.  Before I  made the screen shot I clicked on Filter Applications by "User Defined" so you could see the 3 computer names I am trying forward to.

Please let me know if you need anything else.  I really appreciate you working with me.

Bill

[Shane]

Looks like the rules where made but not applied

Look at step 6
http://www.pcwintech.com/2wire-generic-guide-2-all-models

So here is what you do. Since you have 3 machines you will do this 3 times.

At the top of the page you will click on the machine name for the first machine.
Then click user defined, then in the list choose the rule and click add.
Once done click save.

Now do the same thing for the other 2 system names up top.

Once that is done run my port tester program on one of the machines, only test the port that is going to that machine.
The port tester opens and listens on the port on the system SO testing the other ports will fail since they are pointing to the other systems

Shane

[artmanphoto]

I looked at step number 6 again and followed your instructions in the previous post.  I have attached a screen shot of the port forwarding screen.

At the top of the page I selected the computer name Studio then I clicked on User Defined.  The Studio machine appeared in the Hosted Applications list.  Then I clicked Add next to the Hosted Applications list and it said the configuration was successful.

I closed the router and used your port testing program on the Studio machine.  I removed the other two ports from the tester.  When I tested port 3392 which is the Studio machine the test results were Status: Port in use - Failed.

[Shane]

You will need to close the program using the port so my port tester can open and use the port for the test

Do that and run the tester again and let me know how it goes

Shane

[artmanphoto]

I don't know what program is using the port.  As a test, I closed all open programs, not running in the background memory (start up) and rebooted the machine.  Then I re-ran your port tester and the same port failed again with the Status Port in use.  I tried this on one of the other machines and the port test failed the same way with a Status of Port in use.

I don't want this 2-wire port forwarding thing to beat me but I'm almost ready to try teamviewer like you mentioned.

[Shane]

Since you can't stop them I did a port scan to your internet IP and all 3 ports reported all of them where open

Shane

[artmanphoto]

Thank you for helping me.  When you did a port scan of my internet IP was this the router public IP 99.68.52.163?

I just used the port scanner at yougetsignal.com for this IP and each of the 3 ports for each of the 3 computers and all three ports also showed open.

As a final test I will drive over to my local Starbuck's where they have free WiFi and test with my laptop to see if I can connect to the three machines.

Bill

[Shane]

Yeap

Looks like your all set.

Let me know your happy and set and I will lock this thread.

Shane

[artmanphoto]

Shane -

Everything is working.  I logged into all 3 machines from Starbucks using Remote Desktop.  I entered the router public IP address :port number for each of the 3 machines and I was immediately connected.

The instruction guides on your website are very accurate, clearly presented and easy to follow (although I did stumble on step 6!).

You have no idea how much I appreciate all the time you spent back and forth with me today.  I have been struggling with opening these ports on this AT&T 2 wire router for a couple of months and I was lucky to find your site.

Thanks again - hope you have a great week.

Bill Artman