Remote desktop works, remote assistance doesn't

I'm trying to help another user via remote assistance.

I configured my firewall and theirs (both widows firewall and hardware
router) to allow port 3389 (port forwarding on the remote side - so if I
connect to remoteIP at port 3389, it gets forwarded to their machine).
(Both sides are connected in this manner: DSL -> WirelessRouter/NAT device
-> cable ->computer. Local machines: Vista Ultimate and XPPro, remote machine
is XPPro.)

Once I did so, I could use MSTSC to connect to their machine.
I cannot get remote assistance to work.
I have tried using Messenger->Askfor RemoteAssistance.
I have tried creating an invitation file.
I have used GPEDIT to enable remote offers for assistance, then tried to
offer.
I have tried entirely disabling windows firewall on both machines.

All with the same results -- apparently my machine cannot see their machine.

What else does remote assistance need that MSTSC doesn't?

I am not sure I understand the issue. Can you access the remote computer
using remote desktop or MSTSC? If you can use remote desktop but not remote
assistance, it could be a third part software. For troubleshooting, start
both computers with clean boot.

How to run Windows OS with a clean ...With MSCONFIG, you also can configure
a clean boot to disable common startup ... To perform a clean boot, please
follow these steps: 1) Run MSCONFIG.EXE. ...
www.chicagotech.net/netforums/viewtopic.php?t=57


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"Joe Porkka [MSFT]" wrote in message

> I'm trying to help another user via remote assistance.
>
> I configured my firewall and theirs (both widows firewall and hardware
> router) to allow port 3389 (port forwarding on the remote side - so if I
> connect to remoteIP at port 3389, it gets forwarded to their machine).
> (Both sides are connected in this manner: DSL -> WirelessRouter/NAT device
> -> cable ->computer. Local machines: Vista Ultimate and XPPro, remote
> machine
> is XPPro.)
>
> Once I did so, I could use MSTSC to connect to their machine.
> I cannot get remote assistance to work.
> I have tried using Messenger->Askfor RemoteAssistance.
> I have tried creating an invitation file.
> I have used GPEDIT to enable remote offers for assistance, then tried to
> offer.
> I have tried entirely disabling windows firewall on both machines.
>
> All with the same results -- apparently my machine cannot see their
> machine.
>
> What else does remote assistance need that MSTSC doesn't?
>
>