Question : Remote Desktop to XP PC - connection drops briefly

I often set up Remote Desktop on clients' PCs so that I can connect remotely to avoid onsite visits for mundane issues.

One particular machine has a tendancy to drop connections, displaying a message "Your connection has been lost. Trying to reconnect. Try 1 of 20" and it typically does reconnect on the 3rd or 4th connection attempt.

I don't have the same problem when connecting to other machines elsewhere, so presumably there is something on that machine that makes it lose my connection or somehow have a snooze for a minute or two.

The machine is connected via Zen Internet, a pretty well respected UK ISP, the connection has a static IP address and the Speedtouch router has ports opened and forwarded to the PC in question.  I'm sure it's not a IP address or port issue else the connection would never be made.  The connection is an 8mbps download, 384kbps upload so not fantastically fast but entirely workable when the RDP connection doesn't go to sleep.

I've connected variously from XP, Vista and Win 7 machines and not noticed that the connection is more prone to be dropped with one or the other - it seems to be the remote machine.  It has been set up this way for probably 2 years, and the dropping is new in the last 3-6 months, though I'm not aware of any changes made to the PC aside from Windows Updates (local user runs a limited account and couldn't install new apps if he wanted to)

Any ideas?

Answer : Remote Desktop to XP PC - connection drops briefly

How is their internet connection? Do they note brief interruptions also? What model / how old is the Speedtouch? Most of the 530's i have been in contact with in recent years have passed away, usually demonstrating they have had enough by dropping the connection repeatedly. Sound familiar?

Chris B