Getting Remote Assistance Working In Thailand

[CBinParadise]

Please bear with me as I try to make this understandable to the max number of readers.

Remote Assistance is Windows software that lets you see the screen of another user's computer across the Internet.

It is a wonderful way to help Grandma, especially if you're a nice Grandson who is probably in Grandma's will, I hope.

The easiest way to do this is to have both ends get a Windows Live ID (aka a hotmail account). Then both sides start Windows Live Messenger, a chat client. Then Grandma sends a Remote Assistance request to Grandson. When he accepts, a connection is established between the two machines, and Grandson can see Grandma's entire screen (in a new scaled-down window on his own desktop). Grandma also sees her own screen. Grandma can also allow Grandson to take over her keyboard and mouse.

OK, now here's my problem:

I can get Remote Assistance working between a Thai computer and a USA computer --- but I can't get it working between two Thai systems.

RA works between my machine here in Thailand, and a machine in the USA. Either side can play Grandma; it works both ways. This is true even though my Thailand machine uses a True ADSL connection, which runs NAT, and gets dynamic IP addresses. The Thai computer is a Mac. I run Remote Assistance in a Win XP virtual machine under Parallels Desktop. I know, I'm amazed this works at all. But it works fine.

I have a second computer here in Thailand, a real PC running XP. It connects to the internet via a csloxinfo connection to my apartment building. There are hubs on each floor, and wired (or wireless) Internet connections available in each apartment. All of these connections also use NAT and Dynamic IP assignment.

I cannot establish an RA session between my Thai Mac and my Thai PC. The attempt fails with an error message saying that the PC's host name cannot be resolved via DNS. Of course I have googled this error --- the consensus seems to be that the error message may be misleading.

So, finally, my questions:

1. Has anybody ever gotten RA working over a csloxinfo connection? If so, please explain how.

2. The computer in the USA uses a cable modem, and it is assigned a static IP address which has a real live DNS record pointing to it. This may be the key difference.

3. Can I get a static IP address WITH A DNS entry from True ADSL? If yes, please tell me how -- they NEVER answer their phones.

Thanks a bunch ... CB

[Tywais]

3. Can I get a static IP address WITH A DNS entry from True ADSL? If yes, please tell me how -- they NEVER answer their phones.

I believe it is rather expensive to get a static IP from True. You might try DynDNS. Here is an explanation of how it works from Wiki.

[Crushdepth]

If you install the Hamachi VPN client on both computers it will assign both a static virtual IP (Hamachi uses its own private range of IP addresses). An added advantage is that you can then run your remote assistance connection over the encrypted VPN tunnel (its a good idea to set your firewall to *only* allow remote sessions to operate over the VPN network).

Edited September 20, 2008 by Crushdepth