How to use remote desktop with Host Name?

Question

I have setup my old PC as the server. It has Window XP Professional with Service Pack 3. Remote desktop is enabled and everything is in place (read the last paragraph).

My new PC is Windows 7 Professional and I want to use it as my client. Even here pretty much everything that is necessary works (read the last paragraph).

So on the server I used "ipconfig /all" and found out that the host name is "sam-ac" and the Connection-specific DNS Suffix is "at.hathway.net". Therefore on my client pc I tried typing the computer address as "sam-ac.at.hathway.net" expecting the Remote Desktop Client to take me to the log in screen of my server. Instead it pops up a message reading something similar to "Remote desktop can't find the computer "sam-ac.at.hathway.net". This might mean that "sam-ac.at.hathway.net" doesn't belong to the specified network. Verify the computer name and domain you are trying to connect to." The link I referred to is: http://www.tr.txstate.edu/get-connected/computerservices/remote-desktop-setup.html

I do have a way to use remote desktop. I obtain an ip address and I use the static ip option. My server is directly connected to the internet through a cable modem. So the ip address I see by Googling "my ip" is exactly the same as I see using "ipconfig /all". Effectively I can access my server from anywhere on the internet. Even when I am connected to the internet through my university vpn using my client pc. This method works really well except for the fact that my ISP changes the ip address assigned to me every other day. So I have to set the obtain ip address automatically option on my server, then get a working ip address and then set that as my static address. I want to get around this setting-resetting of ip address every other day. This will be really useful if I am on a weeklong trip away from home. Please recommend any solution.

Answer 1

If I understand you wish to access your system with RDP from a location off your local network. If that is the case, have a look at something like Dynamic DNS. There are others as well and a Google serach will help. Your system will need a client to keep the system updated. Once setup, you will access via a name like server.dyndns.org. The name is chosen by you but uses one of the Dynamic DNS providers domain names.

Many small routers support Dynamic DNS. For example, D-Link offers the service with their routers and it works well. I use it daily.

Your alternative is to register a domain and setup DNS with the provider and configure the needed records for acccess.

Answer 2

Two answers... try just connecting to "sam-ac" if you are in the same domain... and second try to hit the 3389 port from your machine and see the results... either through nc, tcp ping, or just pull up wireshark and try to connect to rdesktop again... let me know what you get as a result of both. :)