Remote Assistance error: "Remote connection failed...."

HI All,

Im experimenting with Remote assistance on the "help and support" of Windows XP.

My buddy lives down the road and he invited me onto his pc. I typed in the agreed password, i then got the message "attempting to connect ". Shortly after i keep getting the message "Remote connection failed because the remote host name could not be resolved "

We are both on Windows XP and AOL broadband and we are both signed into MSN messenger at the time as it suggests.

Both use zone alarm firewall but have both switched them off temporarliy for the purpose of direct connection.

Anyone any ideas about why we cant connect please. Any advice much appreciated.

regards

Richard UK

 

Have you used notepad to check that the invitation file contains the public IP address and not the private (non-routable) local address? Hardware routers may need UPnP firmware support. 301529

 

Thanks for your responce but the above sounds a little beyond me!!

Can anyone give me a step by step way of checking this please?
I can follow instructions but im no computer expert

I have loaded the file in Notepad but it means nothing at all to me just loads of code.

Richard

 

Take a look at this MS KB Article for more detailed information on checking the invitation.

 

Thanks for your reply

The link states :-

Edit the Remote Assistance invitation file to reflect the correct port number that Remote Assistance is using:
Create a new invitation, and then save the invitation as a file.
Open the file by using Notepad or another text editor.
Find the "RCTICKET=" section. Note that this section looks similar to the following section
RCTICKET= "65538,1,10.10.10.1:3389;user name.domain name.com:3389

where 10.10.10.1 is the IP address, user name.domain name.com is the fully qualified domain name or computer name, and 3389 is the port number.

***Change the port number from 3389 to the port that Remote Desktop has been configured to use.***

Save the file.
Send the invitation to the recipient.


I can follow the above, but how do i find out what the Port that remote desktop has been configured to use please!?

( See the *** section )

Thanks again

Richard UK

 

Remote Assistance

Greetings,

From what it looks like, you are trying to use the Remote Desktop Connection feature of XP Pro?

To my knowledge, Remote Assistance does not prompt you for a password.

There may be issues if you are using a NAT (network address translation built into a router).

If that's the case, check out the info from Microsoft on port numbers needed to use MSN http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/deployment/natfw/default.asp

If you need to open up a port, Remote Assistance uses port 3389.

Cheers,

Patrick,
Victoria, BC