VNC remote connection over WAN

[Godsninja]

I believe that's an accurate title. I would like to connect to my grandmothers computer as she is very old and needs help doing things online. In addition it would make it easier to check up on her by accepting skype calls. This would also help in playing Factorio (a game sort of like minecraft) with a friend.

I thought it would be practical to try and set something up within my own network and test the concept. I already use tightVNC server/viewer to control my media laptop from another laptop. What I was thinking of doing was to access this laptop over the internet, rather than through the LAN.

First thing I did was to make my laptops and home PC have static IP addresses, which is for future benefits of remote connections.

Next I tried to get a domain name redirect (DDNS) which I think worked to an extent, by I'm not sure of it's significance in this matter. (My understanding of it is like the previous concept of making static IP's within my LAN (but for the actual IP address), combined with pointers like in the C programming language)

When I tried to forward a port, it didn't seem to work. I have a TP Link router, and I would go to Forwarding > Virtual Server, and put in the ipv4 address. I would then use something like http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ to check if it was open or not. Nothing. I tried multiple ports including 5800.

I figured the request was being blocked at the modem, so I went into the modem settings and did the same thing (but with the routers ip address). Still nothing. In fact, all ports are blocked on my IP address. I did call the ISP but they said they don't deal with ports on their end, only at the modem (evident by them adding a port forward in my modem settings).

Back to the DDNS thing. I'm not sure how this would help in remote connection, I read about it here. I put in all the information in both the modem and router config settings, and still nothing. The router seems to always be "connecting" to it.

I seem to be having a fundamental misunderstanding with how this is supposed to work. If anyone could shed some light on how a normal secure remote connection over the internet works (WAN?) and with servers, I'd be very happy.

edit: I think the problem may be that I'm trying to connect to my own LAN, which might not make any sense. If I got someone to try to check the ports from another location (say if I went to my grandmothers, or had my friend try to join my game), then results may differ.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1YyScQzuKUbaW1wWk51Q0FuSkU

 

[Godsninja]

This thread can be removed. I can see how it's vague and hard to provide any sort of accurate answer.

 

[Alabalcho]

The easies way to connect to your gran'ma computer is to install TeamViewer on it as a service (always active), and connect to it from anywhere. No port forwarding needed, it just works - the only thing needed is to write down the TeamViwewr ID when you install it on her PC.

You can set up Skype to autoanswer the calls.

 

[Godsninja]

I recently did work it out. I got Real VNC on her PC. I added another domain DDNS on my No-ip account dedicated to her, just to make it a more permanent solution (and for parents), enabled the DDNS in her router options, and forwarded a port. I connect using TightVNC. I'll keep TeamViewer in mind for next time. It seems like a service that streamlines the whole process, but TBH, I like the learning aspect behind all this technical stuff 😉

To test it, I basically set the same thing up at my place, and connected to my old laptop from her place. After remote connecting to my old laptop at my place, from my new laptop at her place, I believe I remote connected back over to her place (where I was), onto her computer. That's pretty much it for this story.

Mods can close this thread, thanks!