Issue
A Vista workstation remote need to go thru a firewall when connecting to the Vista server will this work?
Product Line
TAC Vista
Environment
Vista Workstation
Cause
Workstation is using DCOM to communicate with the Vista server, DCOM is using port 135 initially but then a random port is used.
Workstation will contact the server on port 135 but then the server will respond on a random port. This makes it very hard to use workstation through firewalls (it is difficult to open a port when that port number is not known).
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Resolution
It is possible to via registry settings limit DCOM to use a range of 100 ports. But usually it is hard to get the IT department to open 100 ports.
The way that people usually go through firewalls is using a extra Vista server which is communicating via TCP on port 45612 through the firewall and then connect the workstation to this Vista server, if the server is empty it doesn't cost a extra license.
