Can't Remote Desktop (Remote Assistance) From Vista Ultimate (in Parallels)

I'm unable to connect to a remote windows machine (running Windows Vista Premium in a Dell machine) using Remote Assistance. I'm trying to connect from a Macbook (OSX 10.4.9) running Vista Ultimate in Parallels (3.0.4124.0). The macbook is connected to an airport express wireless network.

Most of the obvious issues, I've already corrected: All the ports (3389) have been opened. And Vista, on both ends of the remote assistance connection, has been configured to allow remote assistance. The IP address is the external IP address of the remote Vista machine.

I'm not a networking genius, so my guess is that I have NOT properly configured one of these:

1) Parallels Network adapter (I'm using the "bridged ethernet")

OR

2) Vista Ultimate in Parallels (My "Network and Sharing Center" says that my Vista is connected to my Macbook ONLY.) I have no problem connecting to websites using Internet Explorer. And I CAN Remote Desktop INTO the Parallels Vista from remote clients running RDC. BUT I CANNOT start a Remote Assistance session OUT of the Parallels Vista Ultimate.

OR

3) Airport Express (I have configured this ONLY for mapping (or is the correct term "forwarding"?) port 3389 to the internal (Parallels) Vista IP address.)

Is there anyone with experience using Remote Desktop Connection OR Remote Assistance from within a Parallels Vista?

 

I think I lost you somewhere in that description, so let me see if I understand this correctly

DellVista---NAT Router/Firewall---Internet---AP Extreme NAT/Firewall---Parallels---PVista

PVista is running in bridged mode, so has it's own IP assigned by the AP Extreme, you know this because you have internet access

Both DellVista and PVista have Enable Remote Assistance on (you only need it on the machine needing the help, not the one providing it)

Both NAT/FW boxes (AP Extreme is acting as one) have 3389 routed to their respective Vista machines

If you enable Remote Desktop on either, you can RDP into it from the other.

If you initiate a request for help from DellVista and (email/IM/whatever) the request password and link to PVista, you are unable to conenct from PVista to DellVista to offer that remote support.

Can you verify all of the above?

 

Correct. But here's how I'd diagram it:

DellVista---VistaFirewall---Internet---AP Express---OS X Firewall---Macbook---Parallels---VistaFirewall---PVista

(In a sense, your diagram is better because you skip the "OS X Firewall--Macbook" node. I've included it because it seems that Parallels Vista does NOT see any network beyond Parallels-Mac. Not sure whether that's an issue.)

Yes, that's also correct. I've been able to connect to Websites (through a browser) on PVista, which is running in bridged mode. And I specifically configured (mapped) the Airport port 3389 to port 3389 at the internal PVista IP address.

Then, as a test of the mapping (and the Airport--Macbook--Parallels--PVista network), I RDC'd INTO the Macbook's PVista from a remote computer running RDC. That remote computer is NOT the DellVista that I'm trying to Remote Assistance into. It's just another remote (connected across the Internet) Mac that I have physical access to. That RDC session INTO the PVista worked perfectly, giving me full control of PVista from a remote client.

Correct again. Although the woman (friend) on the DellVista end is computer illiterate, I talked her through the Remote Assistance configuration several times. It seems everything is good to go.

Yes, this, too, is right. On the DellVista, which is connected directly to the Internet (ISP), the Vista firewall has an exception opened for Remote Assistance (3389). On the Airport-Mac side, as I've said, the mapping of port 3389 to PVista seems to be working well (for incoming RDC, at least).

No, No, NO! (I know my original post is confusing (and misleading), so I've deleted/re-written some of it.)

On the DellVistaPremium side (as you probably know), the VistaPremium can't (without a hack in place) RDC at all, which is why, of course, I've been struggling with the Remote Assistance (which works with all flavors of Vista) instead. On the Mac-PVistaUltimate side, yes, I have succeeded in RDCing INTO it from a remote Mac client running Remote Desktop Connection (2.0.0 Beta, the July, 2007 release). So no problem at all assuming full remote control of PVista through RDC from another remote client computer.

Correct. But instead of the DellVista requesting assistance (by email, etc), I have the PVista initiate the connection by offering remote assistance. That is, on the PVista side, I type the external IP address of DellVista into the Remote Assistance dialog box. Then, after clicking "next" to initiate the connection, I wait until the Windows Remote Assistance dialog box pops up to tell me:

"Your offer to help could not be completed. Either Remote Assistance is unable to find the remote computer or you do not have permission to connect to the remote computer...."

So there we are. I guess, without my making any assumptions about what is likely to be the issue, the real question is:

What am I doing wrong? Or: How do I set up a Remote Assistance session to control a remote Vista machine from Mac parallels VistaUltimate?

 

So, actually, nothing between the internet and the PVista install that you've mentioned should be affecting your ability to do this, you don't even need the 3389 hole on that side.
Check out this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310629

 

Thanks for taking the time to search for that info, Hinckley. Unfortunately, the suggestions in that support article don't seem to work on VistaPremium -- although I can't be certain since I'm dealing with someone (on the remote DellVistaPremium end) who has no head for technology and who doesn't like experimenting to see what works and what doesn't. I understand her frustration, but....

I haven't given up on this quite yet, but I've started working on setting up a VNC server, which, of course, is equally difficult when dealing with someone who's impatient and technologically inept.

I know it's a hassle, but if anyone wants to help me test my outgoing Remote Assistance from my Parallels Vista, please post here. We'd have to arrange a time, and you'd have to send me your external IP address. You'd also have to configure your Vista to accept Remote Assistance connections. But I DON'T need to complete the connection and remote into your machine. I just need to know whether you see my attempt (a pop-up dialog box) to connect to you. (You would, of course, deny my connection attempt!)