# Cannot remote desktop to a PC on a switch behind a router **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041 "2010-01-22T21:32:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![therover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@therover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therover)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/1 "2010-01-22T21:32:04Z")
I have tried everything but I cannot remote desktop to my machines that sit on a switch that is connected to my router. I can however connect to a PC that is directly on one of the router ports. I am running XP/ Vista/ and 7. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/2 "2010-01-22T22:07:05Z")
Can you ping it by IP address? Are you trying to connect via IP address instead of computer name? Is remote desktop enabled on the machine? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/3 "2010-01-22T22:09:32Z")
Are you looking for any solution, or are you looking for a specific solution using only Remote Desktop? If you want to fix your current config, you’ll have to try NAT port forwarding for the incoming connections to the machines connected to the switch. Here is one option you could try if all you need is to connect and control the remote PC: > **[Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion](https://www.copilot.com/)** > > Microsoft Copilot is your companion to inform, entertain and inspire. Get advice, feedback and straightforward answers. Try Copilot now. > [@](#): > > There is nothing to install, and nothing to configure—even if your computer is behind a firewall, proxy, or NAT. It’s secured by 128-bit SSL encryption, and we preconfigure everything for you to make sure that it just works. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/4 "2010-01-22T22:11:39Z")
Also you can verify if that computer is listening for connections by typing “netstat -a” into the command line. You should see an entry like COMPUTERNAME:3389. Also, windows 7 has a firewall enabled. You may need make an exception for port 3389 to allow incoming traffic from your LAN. ---
**Author:** ![therover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@therover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therover)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/5 "2010-01-22T22:22:36Z")
Tried netstat and its listening on the RDP ports. I have them enabled in the Windows firewall. I am trying to connect by IP address. I am using the IP address assigned to the router. The router is set to forward RDP requests to the PC’s IP address on my LAN. It seems somehow related to the fast the PC is on a switch hooked to the router. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/6 "2010-01-22T22:39:13Z")
Switches shouldnt make a difference. I guess you could have a faulty switch. Im having a hard time picturing your setup. Port forwarding will only work from the WAN interface, so if you on your LAN with, say, 192.168.1.10 and trying to do remote desktop to your 192.168.1.20 then thats the address you use. If you are on the internet then you need to use your WAN IP address like 8.8.8.8 to connect to that computer’s remote desktop. You can quickly verify your firewall setup by running: telnet IPADDRESS 3389 You should get a blank window. If it hangs on “connecting” then that means the port if being blocked. Also, RDP uses TCP not UDP. ---
**Author:** ![therover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@therover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therover)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/7 "2010-01-22T22:44:41Z")
That’s the issue. I am trying to remotely run this outside of my LAN. I am using the IP address of the router (assigned by the cable company). I can access a PC on the router but not on the swtich connected to the router. I have too many devices for the router so I had to add on. The ports are open. It just seems like the requests don’t make it to the switch. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/8 "2010-01-22T22:54:18Z")
> [@therover](#): > > That’s the issue. I am trying to remotely run this outside of my LAN. I am using the IP address of the router (assigned by the cable company). I can access a PC on the router but not on the swtich connected to the router. I have too many devices for the router so I had to add on. The ports are open. It just seems like the requests don’t make it to the switch. You need NAT port forwarding for that to work. You need to map the external IP address (the router address) to the internal IP address (the LAN address of the specific machine you want to connect to) for the specific applications you want to run/access on the internal machines from outside the LAN. > **[How To Set Up Port Forwarding - Port Forward](https://portforward.com/)** > > An explanation of port forwarding and the necessary steps to set up port forwarding in your router. ---
**Author:** ![therover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@therover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therover)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/9 "2010-01-22T23:01:42Z")
Well I have 3389 and other RDP ports set to forward to that machines IP address on the LAN. I will take a look at NAT settings. Thx ---
**Author:** ![therover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@therover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/therover)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/10 "2010-01-22T23:12:52Z")
Well I am getting thru with RDP but it is going to my wrong machine. I have it to forward to 192.168.1.103 but it is going to 192.168.1.100! ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-remote-desktop-to-a-pc-on-a-switch-behind-a-router/526041/11 "2010-01-23T00:27:09Z")
Try turning UPNP off on the router then restarting everything.