Overview

If you enable Remote Desktop in Windows XP Professional, it will give you the ability to access your desktop from a remote location. You can access your applications, files and network resources as if you where sitting behind your computer. Remote Desktop is an evolution of the Terminal Services functionality formerly available only in the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server family of operating systems. Remote Desktop is not available in Windows XP Home Edition.

How to enable Remote Desktop

When you install Windows XP Professional, Remote Desktop is disabled by default. You need to enable Remote Desktop before you can use it to connect to the computer remotely:

• Make sure you are logged in as an Administrator
• Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties
• In System Properties, select the Remote tab
• Select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box

To enable remote access on your Windows XP computer, you need to be a member of the Administrators group or of the Remote Desktop Users group. To add users to the Remote Desktop Users group:

• Make sure you are logged in as an Administrator
• Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties

The names of the selected users appear in the Remote Desktop Users dialog box.

Establishing a Remote Desktop Session

After installing the appropriate client software on the client computer, you can connect to the remote computer:

• Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection
• In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, in the Computer box, type the name or IP address of a computer running Windows XP Professional for which you have Remote Desktop permissions
• Click Connect
• In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your user name, password, and domain (if required), and then click OK

You can pre-configure your Remote Desktop sessions by pressing the Options button in the Remote Desktop Connection. Here you can:

• Pre-configure your settings and click the Save As button. Enter a filename and click Save. Each time you want to open that particular session, click Open, and then double-click the filename.
• Adjust the display size of the Remote Desktop session to fit your display configuration. On the Display tab, move the Remote desktop size slider. You can also select the color depth.
• Adjust other actions, such as sound from the remote computer, keyboard functions, and local devices.
• Adjust the performance from the Experience tab, where you can adjust some windows effects of the Remote Connection.

Note: Terminal Services clients use TCP port 3389 to communicate with the remote computer, so you must ensure that this port is not blocked by a firewall.

Security in Remote Desktop

To enhance the security of a Remote Desktop session over the Internet, you should prevent automatic password passing. To do this, you can enable the Always prompt client for password upon connection in the Terminal Services Group Policy setting. When this setting is enabled, you must supply your password in the Windows Logon dialog box whenever you start a Remote Desktop session.

To access Terminal Services Group Policy

• Click Start > Run, type mmc in the Open: box, and click OK
• On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in
• In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click Add
• In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, click Group Policy, click Add, and then click Finish
• Click Close in the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, and click OK in the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box
• In the Console Root pane, double-click Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Terminal Services
• The Always prompt client for password upon connection policy is under Encryption and Security

You can further enhance security by using the settings under Client/Server data redirection here you can disable:

• Clipboard redirection
• Smart card device redirection
• COM port redirection
• Client printer redirection
• LPT port redirection
• Drive redirection
• Audio redirection

To use Internet Connection Sharing to share your Internet connection, the host computer must have one network adapter that is configured to connect to the internal network, and one network adapter or modem that is configured to connect to the Internet.

On the host computer

On the host computer, follow these steps to share the Internet connection:

1. Log on to the host computer as Administrator or as Owner.

2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

3. Click Network and Internet Connections.

4. Click Network Connections.

5. Right-click the connection that you use to connect to the Internet. For example, if you connect to the Internet by using a modem, right-click the connection that you want under Dial-up.

6. Click Properties.

7. Click the Advanced tab.

8. Under Internet Connection Sharing, select the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection check box.

9. Click OK. You receive the following message:

When Internet Connection Sharing is enabled, your LAN adapter will be set to use IP
address 192.168.0.1. Your computer may lose connectivity with other computers on
your network. If these other computers have static IP addresses, it is a good idea to set them
to obtain their IP addresses automatically. Are you sure you want to enable Internet
Connection Sharing?

10. Click Yes.

The connection to the Internet is shared to other computers on the local area network (LAN). The network adapter that is connected to the LAN is configured with a static IP address of 192.168.0.1and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

On the client computer

To connect to the Internet by using the shared connection, you must confirm the LAN adapter IP configuration, and then configure the client computer. To confirm the LAN adapter IP configuration, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the client computer as Administrator or as Owner.

2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

3. Click Network and Internet Connections.

4. Click Network Connections.

5. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.

6. Click the General tab, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in the This connection uses the following items list, and then click Properties.

7. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box, click Obtain an IP address automatically (if it is not already selected), and then click OK.

8. In the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box, click OK.

9. Quit Control Panel.

File sharing and network connectivity control panel applet has been subject to significant changes in Windows Vista. First of all, you get access to all networking options from one window. Network and sharing Center will help you set up sharing options, connect to a network, or configure your internet browser or firewall options in a several clicks.

Obviously, our first step will be clicking on File sharing, choosing "Enable file sharing" and clicking Apply

You should do the same to Printer sharing and Public folder sharing. Very important thing about Windows Vista is that simple file sharing is not enabled by default, unlike in XP. In order to enable it, you basically need to disable password protected sharing.
Other important thing is that when you share a resource (printer or folder), you should specify the user name of the person, you want to share resource with, or enter Everyone to share it for any user. Note, that default access level for a newly added user is reader. Usually, it's enough, but if you want to allow this person to modify your shared files, Contributor should be chosen.

Initial Problem:

Lots of questions are asked about problems somehow connected to printer's sharing. The reason of why do they appear mostly is linked to the way printer has been shared. The correct procedure of how to share your printer is described below.

Solution:

Follow this step-by-step instructions to share printer in Windows XP.

1) Go to Start and click Control Panel. Control Panel Window will appear, then double click Printers and faxes.

2) Printers and Faxes window will appear. Right click the printer you want to share, then click Sharing…

Note: Make sure you've enabled File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks on network card's properties.

3) Select Sharing tab and tick Share this printer to share the printer. You can type in a new name in the Share name text box to change your printer name on the network, however this will not change the printer name on your computer. Click Apply.

Note: If the other users using different version of Windows to access your printer, they will need to install printer driver themselves. You can help by installing additional printer drivers on your Windows XP, so that the printer driver will be installed when other users access the shared printer with different version of Windows. Click Additional Drivers, tick additional driver you would like to install. You will be prompted to install those additional drivers after clicking OK.

4) Once you have shared the printer, you will see there is a hand supporting your printer.

1. From the Start menu, click Printers And Faxes.

2. In the Printers And Faxes window, right-click the icon for the printer that you want to share and click Sharing.

3. In the Properties dialog box for the printer, on the Sharing tab, click Share This Printer.

4. In the Share Name text box, type in a share name, and then click OK.

After you have shared the printer, Windows XP Professional puts an open hand under
the printer icon, indicating that the printer is shared.