Trying to use pcAnywhere over dsl

[PeyoteBob]

I'm trying to connect two computers on different networks (both using windstream dsl) using pcAnywhere, but I've run into some networking issues. I previously had a double NAT situation which has been resolved, and now the host computer is ping-able from the remote, but I still cannot connect to the host through pcAnywhere.

Here are the ping and tracert results from remote ip address to host ip address:
C:\>ping 98.16.xxx.xxx

Pinging 98.16.xxx.xxx with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 98.16.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=123
Reply from 98.16.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=123
Reply from 98.16.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=123
Reply from 98.16.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=123

Ping statistics for 98.16.xxx.xxx:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 21ms, Maximum = 24ms, Average = 22ms

C:\>tracert 98.16.xxx.xxx

Tracing route to hxxx.xxx.16.98.dynamic.ip.windstream.net [98.16.xxx.xxx]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.254.254
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 22 ms 18 ms 20 ms hxxx.xxx.16.98.dynamic.ip.windstream.net [98.16.
xxx.xxx]
6 21 ms 21 ms 20 ms hxxx.xxx.16.98.dynamic.ip.windstream.net [98.16.
xxx.xxx]

I appreciate any and all help on this issue as I'm currently at a loss about how to resolve the problem of not being able to connect through pcAnywhere.

[PeyoteBob]

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 06.11.2009 14:44
IP address: 98.16.xxx.xxx
Client OS: Windows XP

TCP options string: 020405ac01010402
MSS: 1452
MTU: 1492
TCP Window: 65535 (NOT multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 0 bits
Unscaled RWIN : 65535
Recommended RWINs: 63888, 127776, 255552, 511104, 1022208
BDP limit (200ms): 2621kbps (328KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 1049kbps (131KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 114
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

« SpeedGuide.net Speed Test Results »
5823 kbps down (~5.82 Mbps, 711 KB/s)↓
241 kbps up (~0.24 Mbps, 29 KB/s)↑
5120 KB downloaded in 7.203 seconds
2048 KB uploaded in 69.531 seconds
Tested on: 2009.06.11 14:48 EDT
Tested from: hostkitty.net
Test Link: http://www.speedguide.net/speedtest/results.php?test=2453965
Latency: 56ms
Provider: dynamic.ip.windstream.net
Location: US

All results are from host computer.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Can you describe the exact layout please?
Modem make/model
Router make/model
Computer..wired into router? wireless? Software firewalls? Any other equipement between the computer and the router?
Any other equipement in the mix

[YeOldeStonecat]

To sum it up.....without knowing further details...

I take it that the 98.16.xxx.xxx address is the WAN IP address of the network that the PcAnywhere host computer is on, correct?

Now..say you have a Linksys router, default settings...and its LAN IP address is 192.168.1.1, therefore any/all PCs behind it will be 192.168.1.100 and on up.....
Create a reservation for your host machine so its LAN IP address is always the same...when you port fordward, your host needs the same IP address each and every time it boots up, because you port forward to an internal IP address. If a computer changes its internal IP address one day...the port forward will still be pointing to the old IP address..and therefore not work. So say you give your PcAnywhere host an IP of 192.168.1.150.
Port forward ports...oh...hmmm....haven't used PcAnywhere in many many years....but if I recall it used ports 5631tcp and 5632udp. So forward those ports to 192.168.1.150.

Make sure your PcAnywhere host has a very good password, encryption is set, and it's set to lock windows workstation...and your Windows login is good, as well as a strong administrator password.

Now, from a remote computer....fire up pcanywhere and plug in the WAN IP address of your remote network...98.16.xxx.xxx. It should prompt you with the login.

Honestly though....those old school remote access apps like PcAnywhere, *VNC, CarbonCopy, Timbuktu....not many people use those anymore since WinXP came out, with remote desktop....and even easier...since some web/citrix like based apps came out like LogMeIn Free. No firewall stuff to deal with, no WAN IP to deal with, etc. Can't get much easier than LogMeIN.

[PeyoteBob]

Sorry about the lack of info, but I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

It turned out that there was a double NAT situation on the remote end as well. Once that was taken care of the remote and host could connect.

I'm setting this up for a family member who is an amateur astronomer. He has some computer controlled scope mounts, and wants to be able to control them from the house. He has a colleague in Texas that will be able to control the scopes from his location (hopefully) using pcAnywhere.