MSN Remote assistance

[cil254]

Anyone uses it ? Does it allow you to fully control the other pary's computer ?
I'm running Zone Alarm Pro on XP Pro and a D-link router, the other party has no firewall/router and is running XP Home.
Do I need to enable some services on XP and some ports on the firewall/router for this to work ?

[Rehan]

It's done over port 3389. On your end, you may need to allow Zone Alarm to permit traffic through that port. On the other person's end, the built-in firewall feature on WinXP may need to be configured...and I think the steps for that would depend on which service pack is installed.

[Gee]

If you are requesting help from someone else. Then you may have to open some ports on Zone Alarm to all them thru.

If you have a router, why do you need Zone Alarm? Unless you are restricting your own outgoing traffic?

If you want to help your friend. All he / she has to do is send you an MSN or email and you click on the token.

If they permit you. You can take complete control of their machine.

[Suresh]

It uses the REmote Desktop feature of XP
port 3389 as stated.
So you might have to allow that application in zone alarm

[Gee]

You have to open it in both Zone Alarm and the router. But not the Windows Firewall.

The Windows Firewall has this port open by default.

[Suresh]

er...Remote desktop is not an exception (activated) by default bro.

[Gee]

er...Remote desktop is not an exception (activated) by default bro.

Isn't that what I just said?

[Rehan]

er...Remote desktop is not an exception (activated) by default bro.
If I enable Windows Firewall on my system, then Remote Assistance is already checked in the list of Exceptions. That agrees with what Gee said.

[cil254]

Thanks to all for the answers.
I'm trying to help somebody rather than getting help.
On their side, they have no FW or router, straight connection through DSL modem.
On my side I have ZA and a router.
To answer Gee's question I'm using ZA because it provides application control. The built FW in the router prevents incoming connections, but does not prevent apps on your PC to make outside connections.
ZA warns you when an app tries to connect to the outside.
So I guess, in my case I just need to enable ZA and router for the remote desktop port.

[Gee]

Thanks to all for the answers.
I'm trying to help somebody rather than getting help.
On their side, they have no FW or router, straight connection through DSL modem.
On my side I have ZA and a router.
To answer Gee's question I'm using ZA because it provides application control. The built FW in the router prevents incoming connections, but does not prevent apps on your PC to make outside connections.
ZA warns you when an app tries to connect to the outside.
So I guess, in my case I just need
to enable ZA and router for the remote desktop port.

In that case, you don't have to do anything. Your friend just has to make a request thru email or MSN.

[cil254]

In that case, you don't have to do anything. Your friend just has to make a request thru email or MSN.

Don't I have to allow port 3389 on my router/Firewall ?

[Gee]

Don't I have to allow port 3389 on my router/Firewall ?

You don't need to do anything with your router and I doubt you will need to do anything with ZoneAlarm. But depending on how you set up ZoneAlarm, you may have to change the rules to allow traffic from Remote Desktop / Remote Assistance as safe outbound traffic. But you will not need to open any ports.

[Firestorm ZERO]

I used Remote Assistance to help my friend. As far as I remember, I didn't have to open ports on my router or anything on Zonealarm. My friend had no firewall or router so he didn't have to do anything. The only problem I had was I turned off some services needed for RA in WinXP (I tweaked it up to make it faster ;)) So I had to turn on some services and reboot to get Remote Assistance to work.

[cil254]

I used Remote Assistance to help my friend. As far as I remember, I didn't have to open ports on my router or anything on Zonealarm. My friend had no firewall or router so he didn't have to do anything. The only problem I had was I turned off some services needed for RA in WinXP (I tweaked it up to make it faster ;)) So I had to turn on some services and reboot to get Remote Assistance to work.

Yeah, I did the same thing, I turned off quite a few service, do you remember which ones are needed for RA ?