Need a hack to RDP to a Virtual Machine on a terminal server w 1 IP

We have a computer running Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
v5.2.x, Service Pack 1 (Server2k3)

On this computer we have installed VMWare Server Console v.1.0.0 build-24927

On the VMWare Server, we have installed a computer (image) running MS
WinXP Pro with SP2.

The host computer (Server2k3) has a single network card and a single
IP address available to it. We don?t have access to any more IPs.

We use this connection to log into the host computer's Terminal
Services and through that connection we have set up the VMWare image
(WinXP). This image connects to the internet via a bridged connection
(through the Server2k3 host) and resides on the host computer. VM Ware
Server 10 offers multiple kinds of virtual network adaptors. We unsed
the one called NAT, since we only have 1 IP.

We would like to find a way to log into log directly into the VMWare
image computer's terminal services without first going through the
host (Server2k3) computer.

Here is the info on how to How to change Terminal Server's listening
port: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/187623/

OUR SOLUTION (the Solution we tried and Almost got it working?)

We almost got it working by using a port forwarding app called STL
Port Forward.  We changed the RDP (terminal services) port to 5678 and
then ran STL Port Forward on the host to forward port 5678 to the IP
number of the VM. It almost worked.  We can connect to it from across
the Internet by using the RDP client (remote desktop connection) and
using this for a server name. myterminalserver:5678, and it goes to
the login screen of the VM but then suddenly gives and error of
?Because of an error in data encryption, the session will end. Please
try connecting to the remote computer again.?  Any suggestions?

My Questions:

Can you give a clue as to how to fix our solution?

Is there a better solution to do this?

Do we even need to change the Terminal Server's listening port?


Thanx in advnce

Hi,

I'm not sure about the exact nature of your problem, but the way I see
it your config is as follows

Server2k3 runs a copy of XP to which you want RDP access.  You access
it now by logging into server2k3 and then using the client there to
log into the RDP server of the vm.

I have no experience with vmware virtual server but it should have the
ability to forward internal ports to external ones.  So you could have
your XP RDP port (3389) forwarded to external IP port 5678.

I do know that vmware workstation comes with an application called
"Manage Virtual Networks" that allows you to setup an
internal->external port forwarding.

I have an example of this showing 4 screenshots for an internal port
22 to external port 22 mapping which may be useful at:

http://www.anjli.me.uk/vmware-question/s1.jpg
http://www.anjli.me.uk/vmware-question/s2.jpg
http://www.anjli.me.uk/vmware-question/s3.jpg
http://www.anjli.me.uk/vmware-question/s4.jpg

The way I do this is as follows.

On my firewall i have port 4389 and 4390 on a port forward. 4389
forwards onto 3389 of the 2003 server, 4390 forwards onto port 3389 of
the WinXP virtual server internal IP.

This works very well for me and should work equally well for you.

--Keystroke-ga