1

So here's the situation. I'm technically savvy, but weak on networking. I'm attempting to connect via Remote Desktop from my MacBook Pro to my desktop PC. It IS working if I connect using the internal, static IP of my desktop but I can't get it to connect over the internet. The primary reason I want to be able to connect remotely is so that, while on the road, I can just remote into my home computer and work using my desktop's resources.

I cannot get static IP addresses with my internet service so I use noip.org to resolve a custom domain to whatever my current dynamic IP happens to be.

I have 4G LTE home internet service from AT&T. I was previously with Verizon (same 4G style service). All was working fine when I was with Verizon. Since the switch to AT&T, I can't get it to work and there are a couple of puzzling facts.

Here are some of the need-to-know items:

  • I assigned my desktop a static internal IP address (192.168.0.11).
  • I port forwarded port 3389 (TCP + UDP) to 192.168.0.11 on my AT&T router.

That should be all I need to do. I know my desktop is set up properly as it worked with Verizon and it works using internal IP addresses. My MacBook is set up to connect to "mysubdomain.noip.org". Again, this worked with Verizon. Since it's not working, I'm taking that out of the mix and just trying to drop my public IP in there.

However, I'm having trouble even determining what my public IP should be. Everywhere I look says my public IP is different. Here's a sample of what various sources say it is right now (I've changed the last set of numbers just for privacy).

  • NO-IP: 166.176.59.201
  • whatismyip.org: 166.170.14.69
  • checkip.dyndns.org: 166.170.14.69
  • Google: 166.176.59.216

166.170.14.69 is the only one responding to a ping.

I'm not sure why I'd be getting a different result on all of these (except the middle two). The first step I think is figuring out what my actual public IP is and trying to connect to it.

The second step would be figuring out why no-ip.org specifically isn't resolving to the "right" one. I need to get them to be able to resolve the proper IP so that I can reliably connect to my home router from remote locations.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: trace info to 8.8.8.8:

C:\Users\scott>tracert 8.8.8.8

Tracing route to google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2    48 ms    39 ms    40 ms  172.26.96.169
  3   220 ms    48 ms    41 ms  172.26.96.9
  4    42 ms    37 ms    40 ms  107.72.231.164
  5    71 ms    38 ms    41 ms  12.83.188.161
  6    94 ms    44 ms    52 ms  12.83.179.49
  7    99 ms    52 ms    43 ms  12.123.132.173
  8     *       48 ms    49 ms  12.91.217.158
  9     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 10   112 ms    43 ms    44 ms  64.233.174.190
 11    69 ms    68 ms    79 ms  72.14.239.160
 12    66 ms    74 ms    63 ms  216.239.46.171
 13     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 14    75 ms    68 ms    69 ms  google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]

Trace complete.
Improve this question
3
  • 1
    It is sometimes the case - moreso with wireless vs wired connections - that a public IP address isn't directly assigned to your router interface. A private address is instead, and this is NATted to a public address as it exits the ISP network. As there are multiple routing paths out of the network, it can get different IPs. It also means in this scenario that port-forwarding will not work. Check your router status page and see what IP is assigned to the 4G interface.
    – Paul
    Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 0:26
  • This is probably the case...router admin page doesn't even indicate a public IP unfortunately. I may be SOL.
    – Scott
    Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 0:29
  • Could you try a traceroute (tracert on windows`) to 8.8.8.8? That should give clues. edit your q and paste it in.
    – Paul
    Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 0:30

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

I suspect that NATing is happening on the ISP side. This can be difficult to overcome, as you don't have control to that level of the configuration. I have two solutions that you could try:

1)Setup Chrome Remote Desktop through the Chrome browser. I believe this works by bouncing off of Googles servers, thus would punch through a NAT because it will be established by both "clients", your macbook and home desktop.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrome-remote-desktop/gbchcmhmhahfdphkhkmpfmihenigjmpp

2) Setup a VPN that you will connect to and then use your local RDP then, since you'll be on the same (virtual) private network. Your computer wont know the difference, except for maybe a bit more lag. Something like this should help: https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx

Improve this answer
0
0

I solved this exact issue a day or two ago...tried every variation of NAT loopback and UPNP on my router with no change. Pixel 2 would either time out or show a single desktop frame but couldn't interact and times out shortly after. On 4G it works perfectly.

What fixed it for me was to clear the option, on the host, for "some devices can connect without a PIN." As long as I put in my PIN each time I connect, it works every single time on the same network. If I save it, it works on that first connection, but never again.

Let me know if this is your issue as well...it blew my mind when this worked, but I had no way of ever knowing because as soon as you tick that box to connect without PIN you never see the option again without clearing the app data or disabling it on the host.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .