Divide By Zero - a blog by Kamran Ayub

Last year, I had my desktop PC in my dorm here at the U of MN. When I went home, I needed a way to check my computer for email and do various other things like work remotely.

The University blocks the remote desktop port (3389) from outside, so how did I get it working?

I emailed 1-HELP and they said that if you use this VPN connection utility, you can remote desktop to your University computer.

1. Download and install the Cisco VPN utility
2. Restart your computer and run the “VPN Client�
3. Connect to the U of MN VPN network
4. Start Remote Desktop and type in your UMN computer’s IP
5. Voila! You should be good to go

If you are trying to remote desktop to your own university computer that’s NOT the University of Minnesota, consider searching for a VPN utility provided by your university.

Keep in mind: the VPN utility is encrypted so it works well for securing your wireless connection in public places. They also keep an eye on traffic, so don’t do anything suspicious while you’re on it.