Remote Desktop Connection works intermittently...

Hello,
32 people have viewed this so far with no answers, is there any information I can include that would help to make the problem easier to diagnose?

I am not a networking person but I need some assistance. I hired a networking person to enable remote desktop connection between 2 computers for me. The computer I am trying to connect to uses a switch to run internet between 2 computers but I only connect to one of those computers. No-ip is set up on both computers to standardize the ip addresses. What happens when I try and connect is as follows. If I have not connected for many hours (maybe 5 or more) remote desktop connection will not connect. In order for it to work I have to go to my logmein account and log into the computer there first then I log out and wait a few minutes...Then, when I try the remote connection again it will work, sometimes not the first time but it will work after a few tries. Then, for the rest of the day I can get in fine no matter how many times I log in or out using the remote connection. In the morning when I try again, it won't connect, I have to go to logmein once again and then it works...My networking person is at a loss so I am wondering if there is anyone out there who might be able to assist as it is really annoying.

If you need other information about the computers please let me know as I am not a networking person I am not sure which details are important...

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it.

Jennifer

Are you trying to access over the internet or from within your local network?
Do you have TCP port 3389 forwarded in your router to the internal IP of the PC that you want to connect to?

Keep in mind some of those, if not all, of the 32 people viewing your issue may have the same problem and were seeing if there was a solution. Try Don's recommendations and repor
t back. Also, what's everything connecting to for the internet. You said it goes to a switch...then what?

Thank you for replying
OK I looked at the settings of the router and I am connecting using port 3389...
Now your question about local access...does that answer this question or do I need to provide you more information. If you can tell me what to look for to figure out whether I am within my loca network I can let you know...

You are probably right, I didn't think of that. My thought in writing that statement was maybe that people were not responding because I didn't provide the correct information and and they needed more to assist...Thanks for bringing me back to reality!

Is your PC going to sleep by chance when this happens and somehow logmein wakes it back up; and then you're able to RDP into it?

Thank you for replying! I thought of that and I have changed all power settings to "never"...But it still does it, in fact after logging in yesterday I try and log in today and it won't let me again...So, alas, it still doesn't work...

Could you try swapping out routers to see if that's the culprit?

Is it mandatory that you use RDP to setup your remote connection?
Have you looked into using VNC instead?...(such as UltraVNC).
I know it may seem easier to use a Microsoft inbuilt program [RDP], but, I've never found a Microsoft program to be without some type of quirk or bug.

And, local network would be from behind the router [inside your own home].
Internet would be from another location outside of your home, like a coffee shop or from work. Since you have the port forwarded in your router, I assume you are connecting from outside of your local network [over the internet].

Folks, I have found the culprit but first let me thank you ALL for assisting with this issue...
It had to do with the silly power settings of the computer...There were advanced settings that were contradicting the general settings and in Windows 7 you can create your own power settings but still you have to go into the advanced settings and make sure that those settings mimic the general settings. So...I set everything to 'Never' and now I have been able to connect again and again, first thing in the morning, after a whole day of not connecting, or an hour later
It seems to me my 'network' person should have caught this especially since I paid him 3 times to fix it on top of the set up charges...However, I have learned a lot about routers and remote connection, which was great.
Again thanks for all your suggestions!
Jen