Ok, I'm running SBS2003 in the office and I want to access my work desktop from home. When I put in the IP address for the office I can only ever connect to the server desktop, and not my own. Anyone know how to set this up so I can access my desk PC?

You'd need to forward the ports through the gateway. The IP of your work desktop would be an internal IP I'm guessing (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x etc) so plugging in your external IP will get you nothing more than the server if it's the gateway.

Like here, my IP is 128.96.84.30 but that's the IP of my router, so if I wanted to connect to my PC I'd have to go into its setup pages and tell it to forward the remote desktop ports to my PC that I wanted to connect to. i.e. 10.0.0.2

p.s. anyone trying to connect to my "external" IP forget it, I just made that one up for the sake of the thread :)

Thanks Woop. I'll see if I can nut it out.

or better yet.

use Remote Web Workplace

you will need to forward ports 4125, 80 & 443 to the sbs server.
simply browse to your office's external ip using Internet Explorer & follow the prompts.

Sounds like you're using /console

Phase, he can connect to the server, he's trying to connect to his DESKTOP at work from home.

if you can get to the server, rdp from there to your desktop, but better, like the other guy said, use remote web workplace.

Remote web workplace and Outlook over HTTP is all the reason i need to use a SBS 2003 w/exchange

Ok, almost there. RWW is letting me connect through. I cant connect to my computer though but I think it may be in sleep mode. I'll set it not to sleep when I'm in the office tomorrow and see how that goes.

obviously make sure RDP is enabled on your desktop.

yourexternalip.com/tsweb

if you can get to your server from home, you could just remote desktop from the server to your desktop inside the work network using its internal IP

Phase, he can connect to the server, he's trying to connect to his DESKTOP at work from home.

You obviously have no idea what remote web workplace does.

If you login to it. There is an option that says 'connect to my computer at work' this will allow you to RDP into your desktop.

It works by redirecting the 4125 port to 3389 on the workstation (thus meaning you only have to have this one port forward setup on the router rather then a port forward per workstation requiring remote access.
Also hell of alot more secure as it uses SSL

yourexternalip.com/tsweb

This will not work as it only act's as a remote desktop client, it does no actual routing.

or you could vpn in... then use remote desktop on your pc at home..

Also hell of alot more secure as it uses SSL

Umm... but RDP is encrypted anyway, right?

You obviously have no idea what remote web workplace does.

My apologies, I figured it was just the web interface version of remote desktop. I've only ever seen the web interface used to connect to the server pc.

it does quite alot of other stuff to make it more secure.

Is Remote Web Workplace with RDP more secure than VPN?

Thanks to all. I've managed to connect to my work PC now. Remote Web Workplace does the trick. I only have a few minor bugs to now workout, like, why cant I log on as me when the computer is turned on and logged in as me? Maybe when I leave the office I should log out and leave it on the log in screen?

Anyway, I'll try that tonight.

why cant I log on as me when the computer is turned on and logged in as me? Maybe when I leave the office I should log out and leave it on the log in screen?

You can't do this because Windows XP Pro RDP only allow single session to the desktop that is why you needed to be log on to your desktop as someone already otherwise it won't work.

You can get around this but it'll break your EULA, need to replace termserv.exe and requires registry hacks. If you're really keen to do this then here's the instructions:

http://sig9.com/articles/concurrent-remote-desktop

Note use it at your own risk. I normally just leave myself logged on to my work desktop & home and just lock the screen.

Thus far Phase is correct and everyone else who has commented either has no idea at all, or hasn't used an SBS server to it's full capabilities and is guesstimating based on Server 2k or 2k3 "experience".

I suggest the OP touch base with Phase for further uncomplicated and accurate responses. :)

You can't do this because Windows XP Pro RDP only allow single session to the desktop that is why you needed to be log on to your desktop as someone already otherwise it won't work.

I think you misread what he said, he said it only works when he is not logged in..

It is true you can't have multiple sessions to the XP machine as it only supports using console (same as using mstsc /console)

However that doesn't explain your issue, as you should be able to just take control of the console session (provided the console is is logged in with the same account you are trying to remote in with.)

I would start off by checking your account is a local administrator on the workstation (administrative tools - computer management - Local Users and Groups - Groups - Double click Administrators..)

i do port forwarding.

normal 3389 to server at home. 3390 to desktop at home. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306759