remote desktop connection not possible

[mn]

I have installed a winxp (guest) on a Centos-6.5 (host) with the vbox additions. I also have enabled the remote desktop feature (authenticatio:null, port:3389). The host has a valid IP which I am connecting to it via ssh or vncviewer since my laptop is windows 10.

Now, from my laptop, I launch RDP and enter VALID_IP:3389. However, it says it can not connect with some possible reasons (which is a standard message of the windows RDP).

What is wrong with my setup? any idea?



UPDATE:
Problem has been solved. See the second page of this topic.

[Perryg]

LAN connection direct to the guest using standard RDP can only be achieved using Bridged as the adapter type in the guest. Without any other information it would be difficult to say what else could be your issue.

[mn]

I changed to Bridge but as you can see, the rdesktop on the host (or remote desktop on my windows and laptop) fail. Please see the picture.

Please note that it says a invalid setting. That invalid setting is shown when I check "Enable Server". See the second attached picture.

[Perryg]

Post the guests log file ( as an attachment ). Right click on the guest in the Main Manager then click show log. Save and post as an attachment. Compress if it is too large to post.

[mn]

Please see the log

[Perryg]

Using the VBox vRDP requires that you install the extension pack. Then you use the host IP and the defined port to reach the guest. Or you can use the Windows RDP to access the guest directly by setting up remote desktop in Bridged mode on the guest itself.

[mn]

I installed the extension pack. Still get the same time out error. this time, I don't see the "invalid setting" since the ext pack has been installed successfully. Please see the log file

[Perryg]

The log file does not show an attempt to use vRDP.

From the hosts terminal type VBoxManage showvminfo <VM Name> --details and post here. Replace <VM Name> with the actual name of the VM. Use " " if the name has a space in it.

[mn]

Excuse me.... please ignore this message. I wrongly pasted the log file while the guest was powered off. So I removed the log. I will post the output of the command later

[mn]

Here is the output of that command when it is running

Code: Select all

$ VBoxManage showvminfo winxp64  --details
Name:            winxp64
Groups:          /
Guest OS:        Windows XP (64-bit)
UUID:            8954cbeb-ba89-410b-91db-9d34336f1e0d
Config file:     /home/mahmood/VirtualBox VMs/winxp64/winxp64.vbox
Snapshot folder: /home/mahmood/VirtualBox VMs/winxp64/Snapshots
Log folder:      /home/mahmood/VirtualBox VMs/winxp64/Logs
Hardware UUID:   8954cbeb-ba89-410b-91db-9d34336f1e0d
Memory size:     20541MB
Page Fusion:     off
VRAM size:       70MB
CPU exec cap:    100%
HPET:            off
Chipset:         piix3
Firmware:        BIOS
Number of CPUs:  6
PAE:             off
Long Mode:       on
CPUID Portability Level: 0
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): DVD
Boot Device (2): HardDisk
Boot Device (3): Not Assigned
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          on
Time offset:     0ms
RTC:             local time
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Nested Paging:   on
Large Pages:     off
VT-x VPID:       on
VT-x unr. exec.: on
Paravirt. Provider: Default
State:           running (since 2016-03-17T09:16:40.004000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: on
2D Video Acceleration: on
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address:
Teleporter Password:
Tracing Enabled: off
Allow Tracing to Access VM: off
Tracing Configuration:
Autostart Enabled: off
Autostart Delay: 0
Default Frontend:
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
IDE (0, 0): /export/virtual/winxp64.vdi (UUID: 7ec3c673-5095-44d6-b08c-965120412d5c)
IDE (1, 0): Empty
NIC 1:           MAC: 0800270B54AA, Attachment: Bridged Interface 'eth1', Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: 82540EM, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: deny, Bandwidth group: none
NIC 2:           disabled
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
Pointing Device: USB Tablet
Keyboard Device: PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
UART 3:          disabled
UART 4:          disabled
LPT 1:           disabled
LPT 2:           disabled
Audio:           enabled (Driver: ALSA, Controller: AC97, Codec: STAC9700)
Clipboard Mode:  disabled
Drag and drop Mode: disabled
Session name:    GUI/Qt
Video mode:      1129x572x32 at 0,0 enabled
VRDE:            enabled (Address 0.0.0.0, Ports 5030, MultiConn: on, ReuseSingleConn: off, Authentication type: guest)
VRDE port:       5030
Video redirection: disabled
VRDE property: TCP/Ports  = "5030"
VRDE property: TCP/Address = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/Enabled = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/Quality = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/DownscaleProtection = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableDisplay = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableInput = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableAudio = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableUSB = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableClipboard = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableUpstreamAudio = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableRDPDR = <not set>
VRDE property: H3DRedirect/Enabled = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/Method = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/ServerCertificate = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/ServerPrivateKey = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/CACertificate = <not set>
VRDE property: Audio/RateCorrectionMode = <not set>
VRDE property: Audio/LogPath = <not set>
USB:             enabled
EHCI:            disabled
XHCI:            disabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Available remote USB devices:

<none>

Currently Attached USB Devices:

<none>

Bandwidth groups:  <none>

Shared folders:  <none>

VRDE Connection:    not active
Clients so far:     0

Video capturing:    not active
Capture screens:    0
Capture file:       /home/mahmood/VirtualBox VMs/winxp64/winxp64.webm
Capture dimensions: 1024x768
Capture rate:       512 kbps
Capture FPS:        25

Guest:

Configured memory balloon size:      0 MB
OS type:                             Windows2003_64
Additions run level:                 3
Additions version:                   5.0.16 r105871


Guest Facilities:

Facility "VirtualBox Base Driver": active/running (last update: 2016/03/17 09:16:55 UTC)
Facility "VirtualBox System Service": active/running (last update: 2016/03/17 09:17:21 UTC)
Facility "VirtualBox Desktop Integration": active/running (last update: 2016/03/17 09:17:24 UTC)
Facility "Seamless Mode": active/running (last update: 2016/03/17 09:16:55 UTC)
Facility "Graphics Mode": active/running (last update: 2016/03/17 09:16:55 UTC)

[Perryg]

If you are using the host IP address and assigned port and still not getting a reply then I would look at a firewall issue.

[mn]

Which firewall? Host? my laptop? the Guest?

[Perryg]

Can you verify that you are really using the host IP address and not the guest please?

[mn]

Thanks for pointing that!
Thing is, what we use as a valid IP (say X), is actually mapped to another IP address (say Y) and the host's interface is actually Y (the output of ifconfig). I have no idea why the center did that for us maybe due to the security issues.

From my laptop, I use X for ssh. In the previous posts, I also used X with the remote desktop (laptop) and rdesktop (the host's terminal) and as you know, it failed!

Now, within the host's terminal, I ran

Code: Select all

rdesktop Y:5030

and see a black window opens. However, after some seconds it is automatically closed and I see this error:

Failed to negotiate protocol, retrying with plain RDP.
ERROR: Connection closed

For now let us focus on how I can use rdesktop within the host's terminal and forget the laptop. At least, now I can see a black window which is better than nothing!

[Perryg]

Thanks for pointing that!

I stated that several times but finally figured out that you did not pick up on it.

OK here is the skinny on how this should work.

1) If you are still trying to use the VBox vRDP ( vRDE as they now call it ) you use the host IP and the assigned port you setup.
2) Authentication should be set to none in the guest settings until you get it to work.

All of the errors you will see only mean that the connection did not succeed so they are pretty much useless. What you need to do is to start the guest with the proper settings and then try to connect to the guest. Then post the guests log file and the VBoxManage command I gave you before you stop the attempt or stop the guest.

Keep in mind that the cause can be the restrictions of you network, so we need to eliminate the usual causes before you proceed.