Problems with RDP to mini-PC

[StuartT]

I am finding RDP often won't connect to my mini-PC. Initially I set it up using the mini-PC's name, but sometimes it seems to want the IP address instead, so I have to connect to my router and find out what IP address it's been assigned in order to do that. 

This is a bit of a pain. Is there a solution?

[doublevodka]

If you set a static ip address for the mini-PC in the router it will always be the same which would be easiest, don't know the router however so can't advise how.

 

Alternatively this is worth a try - https://remotedesktop.google.com/home I have a PC that I remote onto at home and that allows easy access from a PC or mobile

[Dr_Ju_ju]

If your router/dhcp server can do it, set a static ipadress for the mac address of your mini pc

[scotty38]

You probably don't even need to update any dhcp scope etc, just setup a static address in the PC, just put it towards the top of the range and it'll be fine.

As it happens I have a managed router from my ISP so I can't change anything myself but I have assigned lots of statics to devices and never had any issues with DHCP assigning one of them to another device.

My Mele is setup like this and has been since I've had it, no issues.

Edited December 22, 2022 by scotty38

[StuartT]

ok, thanks all. Not sure how to set up a static IP, but I guess I will google that.

But why can it not connect with the name of the mini-PC? That won't change!

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Your router/dhcp server is also your primary DNS server, so it will hopefully be updated when the IP address changes, but there can often be a lag for this to happen.

It's one of the reasons I run my own DHCP/DNS system etc... 

[Ratlet]

What usually gets me with remote desktop is if the mini pc connects to a different WiFi.  We've got a couple different WiFi networks in the house and the mini pc sometimes connects to the wrong one.

I picked up a cheap WiFi extender that's setup to make its own WiFi network and plug the mini pc into that.  I can then remote into that if I connect to the network via WiFi.

[scotty38]

8 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

What usually gets me with remote desktop is if the mini pc connects to a different WiFi.  We've got a couple different WiFi networks in the house and the mini pc sometimes connects to the wrong one.

I picked up a cheap WiFi extender that's setup to make its own WiFi network and plug the mini pc into that.  I can then remote into that if I connect to the network via WiFi.

You can get tools to force it to connect to a specific AP, again something I had to do too as I fell foul of this one :-).

Since I built my Obs and had additional bits that needed connecting ie dome and Cloudwatcher, the cabling meant it made more sense to have my pc off board and run just one USB to the mount etc so my PC is now Ethernet connected anyway.

[StuartT]

14 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Your router/dhcp server is also your primary DNS server, so it will hopefully be updated when the IP address changes, but there can often be a lag for this to happen.

It's one of the reasons I run my own DHCP/DNS system etc... 

I don't understand this. Not sure what DHCP means

10 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

What usually gets me with remote desktop is if the mini pc connects to a different WiFi.  We've got a couple different WiFi networks in the house and the mini pc sometimes connects to the wrong one.

I picked up a cheap WiFi extender that's setup to make its own WiFi network and plug the mini pc into that.  I can then remote into that if I connect to the network via WiFi.

Ok, I only have the mini-PC connecting to the wifi extended network (I've not given it the password to the other one - so that solves that problem!)

[Dr_Ju_ju]

5 minutes ago, StuartT said:

Not sure what DHCP means

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol) is the standardised method for individual computers (PC's, phone's etc.) to get and IP address so that they can all 'talk' to each other.  

[scotty38]

23 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Your router/dhcp server is also your primary DNS server, so it will hopefully be updated when the IP address changes, but there can often be a lag for this to happen.

 

Maybe not, most likely external DNS server such as 8.8.8.8 for example and local resolution done via netbios names blah blah

[Rallemikken]

On 22/12/2022 at 16:47, StuartT said:

But why can it not connect with the name of the mini-PC? That won't change!

By name I recon you mean hostname. Routers don't care about hostnames, they only relate to mac-adresses or IP-adresses. Most operating systems has hostname-files, where they assign hostnames of other computers on your local network to certain IP or mac adresses. If the other computer on your LAN has the same IP as yesterday, well, then the assigned hostname will resolve. Otherwise you must provide the IP and this might (or might not) update the hostname-file on the computer you are currently sitting on.  Not all routers let you assign static IP-adresses. If not, look for a setting called "keep-alive" or something like that. Some routers put aside IP's that has disconnected, and keep them on wait until that device try to connect again. In this way you can keep a consistent IP over  time without beeing powered on al the time.

[scotty38]

16 hours ago, Rallemikken said:

By name I recon you mean hostname. Routers don't care about hostnames, they only relate to mac-adresses or IP-adresses. Most operating systems has hostname-files, where they assign hostnames of other computers on your local network to certain IP or mac adresses. If the other computer on your LAN has the same IP as yesterday, well, then the assigned hostname will resolve. Otherwise you must provide the IP and this might (or might not) update the hostname-file on the computer you are currently sitting on.  Not all routers let you assign static IP-adresses. If not, look for a setting called "keep-alive" or something like that. Some routers put aside IP's that has disconnected, and keep them on wait until that device try to connect again. In this way you can keep a consistent IP over  time without beeing powered on al the time.

I still maintain you're making this too complcated and on a basic home network there's no need to worry about a hosts file or DNS name resolution. netBIOS should take care of it. It's a long, long time since I did this stuff and even then it was mainly Cisco networking rather than Microsoft. Ping the machine by name that you're trying to get to and then run nbtstat -c and it should be in the cache.

If my memory has been taken over by new developments then feel free to just ignore me and I'll carry on dribbling in the corner......

[whipdry]

I use an app called Fing (free version) on my mobile, it's useful for checking what's connected on what IP on a home network, I mainly use it for magic packets to NUC & pings to wifi relays (wakes them up) there are probibly other apps that do similar stuff. 

 

Peter

 

[StuartT]

On 24/12/2022 at 13:59, scotty38 said:

I still maintain you're making this too complcated and on a basic home network there's no need to worry about a hosts file or DNS name resolution.

don't worry. I didn't understand any of it anyway, so I've not done anything. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope my mini-PC connects each time (thus preventing me from having to enroll in a degree in computer engineering! 🤣)

[scotty38]

6 minutes ago, StuartT said:

don't worry. I didn't understand any of it anyway, so I've not done anything. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope my mini-PC connects each time (thus preventing me from having to enroll in a degree in computer engineering! 🤣)

hahaha... To be fair I just set my mele with a static address and rdp to that each time. Never had an issue......

[Stuart1971]

8 minutes ago, StuartT said:

don't worry. I didn't understand any of it anyway, so I've not done anything. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope my mini-PC connects each time (thus preventing me from having to enroll in a degree in computer engineering! 🤣)

The static IP address is the way to go, in your router settings there should be an option to make an ip address static, what service provider do you have and what model router…?

[StuartT]

1 minute ago, Stuart1971 said:

The static IP address is the way to go, in your router settings there should be an option to make an ip address static, what service provider do you have and what model router…?

Virgin. Hub 3.0

I'll see if I can find something understandable online. 

[StevieDvd]

Use arp- a

In a command window run arp -a and you'll see the devices on the network showing ip address & macaddress.  If you keep a note of the mac addresses of your devices you can see what ip address has been assigned to your mini-pc

If you get into the router to assign an ip number by mac address the above command will help too.

 

[scotty38]

Just make it static on the mele. If you're using 192.168.1.x addresses call it 192.168.1.200 and you'll be fine unless you have hundreds of devices on your network

[StuartT]

14 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

Use arp- a

In a command window run arp -a and you'll see the devices on the network showing ip address & macaddress.  If you keep a note of the mac addresses of your devices you can see what ip address has been assigned to your mini-pc

If you get into the router to assign an ip number by mac address the above command will help too.

 

Here's what that command listed before connecting the Mini PC (I am pretty sure I only have two devices connected, so I don't know why the list is so long)

 

Interface: 192.168.0.13 --- 0x4
  Internet Address      Physical Address      Type
  192.168.0.1           40-0d-10-9e-e4-08     dynamic
  192.168.0.255         ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff     static
  224.0.0.22            01-00-5e-00-00-16     static
  224.0.0.251           01-00-5e-00-00-fb     static
  224.0.0.252           01-00-5e-00-00-fc     static
  239.255.67.250        01-00-5e-7f-43-fa     static
  239.255.255.250       01-00-5e-7f-ff-fa     static
  255.255.255.255       ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff     static

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by StuartT

[StuartT]

and this is what the router shows. None of those addresses match the list above). So I have literally no idea what is going on

Edited December 28, 2022 by StuartT

[scotty38]

You can ignore all the non 192 addresses. Configure your mele with 192.168.0.200 and see how you get one

[scotty38]

And set up DNS somethign similar to below, check yours now with ipconfig/all

 

[StuartT]

2 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

And set up DNS somethign similar to below, check yours now with ipconfig/all

I don't know what you mean by this.

Probably just better to phone Virgin. I literally have no idea what any of this means, so I will probably break something.

Thanks anyway