Remote Desktop Connection troubles

[sanity1977]

Hey Everyone

I have a problem that has just presented itself and I have recently setup NAT on my server but don't think that has anything to do with it.

Whats happening is that when I try and perform remote desktop connection from one workstation to another using the computer name it comes back and says that the specified computer could not be found. Here's the catch ... If I use the IP address it works fine. If I turn off the firewall from the local machine that I was trying to remotely connect to then I can then use the computer name to remotely connect.

What am I missing here? The RDP port is open and it would have to be if it still connects via the IP address. The other thing is that if I then enable the firewall again from the local machine then I can still remotely login using the computer name for a little while but perhaps thats just because the firewall takes a little while to kick back in.

Anyone have any ideas? I know it doesn't matter if I just log in using the IP address but I'd like to know why this is happening. Oh by the way NAT is not set up on either of the two machines that I have just been referring to, it's on the server. Thats why I don't think it's due to that but maybe just coincidental that I have noticed it happening since installing it.

Thanks guys

[TheFlash428]

Sounds a firewall issue...

The RDP port may be open, but computers broadcast their names using the NETBIOS protocol, which is what makes computers available in network neighborhood. Your firewall is probably blocking NETBIOS broadcasts. You can still access it by computer name for a while after the firewall is turned back on most likely because the NETBIOS entry has been cached on the local machine, making it still available until it times out.

[allen2]

If you're using DNS resolution, then the computers you're trying to connect must be added to the dns or to your host (c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts).

Otherwise, it means you're using netbios resolution, then you have three choice:

- open the firewall and let the computer browser learn the names of the other computer in your subnet.

- add the name of the computers to the lmhosts (c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts).

- connect to a wins which can resolve the computer names: it can if the other computers are configured to use it, or if you added manually the addresses.