Cannot open port using port forwarding || 5GEE Router

[DHawkesford]

I have the 5GEE Router for my home internet connection.

My work requires me to access a remote desktop using RDP (specifically Remote Desktop Connection) and a VPN (specifically OpenVPN).

I can access the remote desktop but the performance is very bad. It is difficult to do simple things like navigating a browser window. I have tried many solutions but none have improved the issue significantly. I don't think this is being caused by my personal laptop that I am remoting in from (it is an Acer Aspire 5) or by the internet connection (a speed test shows that I get good upload and download speeds with low latency). 

I am currently trying to forward port 3389 (used by Remote Desktop) to see if this helps. I have assigned a static IP to my laptop and have created a port forwarding rule, however when I check whether port 3389 is open using a website like https://canyouseeme.org/, it says that it is still closed.

Any help with opening this port would be much appreciated. 

[DHawkesford]

I have just learned that I do not need port forwarding in this situation.

This still leaves me with the issue of having really badly performing RDP sessions. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to improve them that would be appreciated.

[XRaySpeX]

Where is this remote desktop? Is it remote from your 5GEE mobile router & that you are trying to access it from the mobile router?

You don't need or use Port Forwarding for accessing remote sites on the Net. It is only for unsolicited remote sites accessing you.

[DHawkesford]

Yes, it is remote from my router. I had misunderstood how port forwarding is used.

Unfortunately this still leaves me with the issue of my RDP sessions being really bad. I know it is not an issue with the remote desktop itself as colleagues have used it without issue. I have also tried accessing the remote desktop using my personal desktop PC, and I get the same issue as with my personal laptop. Which makes me think that the issue is with my network/internet connection.

[XRaySpeX]

The fact that you are accessing the remote desktop albeit badly proves you don't need Port Forwarding.

[DHawkesford]

In hindsight that seems clear. My head is spinning from trying to solve this problem and reading about all sorts of network topics.

Perhaps I should make a separate post to focus on the RDP performance issue and not mention port forwarding?

[XRaySpeX]

Yes, but still carry on in the same thread. It's only that you highlighted Port Forwarding that I've concentrated on it.

[DHawkesford]

Apologies for being misleading.

This is what I know so far:

• Other colleagues can remote into the remote desktop which I use, and their RDP session runs very smoothly, so it is not an issue with the remote desktop
• I have tried using my personal desktop PC and my personal laptop, and both have the same issue. I think that they should both be good enough to run an RDP session smoothly as they have good performance with everything else
• I don't have any other problem with my internet connection. I get good upload and download speeds (typically around 20MB/s upload and download during the day, up to around 50MB/s in the evening, <10ms latency at all times of day), so I don't think it is a problem with my connection 

What I have tried to fix the issue:

• Running the RDP session with different settings (lower resolutions, different connection speeds) - some slight improvement here but it's still very bad
• Allowing Remote Desktop Connection through windows firewall (no difference as far as I can tell)
• Turning windows firewall completely off (no difference as far as I can tell)
• Monitoring network/disk/memory usage using task manager on both my personal laptop and on the remote desktop (none of these get very high)
• Setting the priority to 'realtime' in task manager (some slight improvement but it's still very bad)
• Using ethernet vs using wifi (no difference as far as I can tell)
• I would try remoting in without the VPN but for security reasons this is not an option that my work allows 

[XRaySpeX]

No, no apologies needed. The idea of Port Forwarding & its direction con be confusing & stumps many.