Remote Desktop Connection
 

I have a new puter with P4, 256Mb, 40Gig, XP Home. I've decided to keep the old one at this stage, P2, 233MMX, 256Mb, 8gig in 3 physical drives, Win98SE fully updated, mainly to run or store old software that I don't want to clutter up the new one with, and also to run a scanner that is incompatible with XP.

They are networked (peer to peer, crossover cable) with 10/100 eternet and it works fine. Internet Connection sharing works too, so I'm confident that my network is properly set up.

I want to be able to operate the old puter from the new one so I don't have to have two keyboard, mice, etc cluttering the desk. You can do that through Netmeeting (sharing the desktop) and I have that working but it's a bit slow and the colour depth is crappy.

I would like to try Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). XP and the MS Support site say that XP and 98 can do it providing you install RDC from the XP disk onto the 98 computer. I have done this per the XP wizard's instructions, but I can't get RDC to work. I keep getting the following error message

The client could not connect to the remote computer. Remote connections might not be enabled or the computer might be too busy to accept new connections. It is also possible that network problems are preventing your connection. Please try your connection again later. If the problem continues to occur, contact your administrator.

Troubleshooting from the XP help and support centre advises

Cause: The remote computer might not be set up to accept remote connections.

Solution: Try connecting to the remote computer at a later time. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator.

Cause: The remote computer might already have the maximum number of remote connections it is set up to accept.

Solution: Try connecting to the remote computer at a later time. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator.

Cause: Network problems might be preventing the connection.

Solution: Try connecting to the remote computer at a later time. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator.

but I don't find that very helpful because I am the server administrator, devoid of sufficient knowledge.:o Also, I don't think any of the suggestions re max number of remote connections, computer workload, etc apply.

Any help much appreciated.

AA

Not sure of the answer to using RDC between your 'puters - albeit that I use the exact same thing from home across our VPN to the office - but why not try WinVNC <-- click the link - as it's free and it works.

Reminder: As VNC is open source so is the security.

But VNC security ( and / or lack thereof ) shouldn't be too much of an issue with a network that's peer to peer, crossover cable - i.e. If you get hacked into on that then what can one say !? :eek:

I was mentioning it for the wider audience who may be on a permantely connected PC to the Internet and thus "at risk" if they installed VNC.

Thank you Crash Dive and Buttons. I don't think security is too much of an issue because, though I have broadband, it is not "always on". My greatest danger is myself and I don't have to be on line to do the damage :D

Without being ungrateful, CD, my preference is to try to make the RDC work if I can, my logic being that it's better to use the built-in software and make it do what it's supposed (and touted) to do rather than load up the system with add-ons that do the same thing.

Having said that, I looked at your link and it seems that WinVNC is pretty thin and therefore wouldn't be much of a burden. I'll try it if I can't get RDC working soon.

Cheers

AA