Can't connect with windows remote desktop

Hello

System Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz 512k ram
Windows XP

I'm trying to connect to my friends computer via windows xp remote desktop.

I have configured windows remote desktop on her computer to allow access to her computer

I configured her router to allow access on port 3389 for window xp remote desktop

The trouble occurs when I try to set a static ip address

When I go to Control Panel > Network Connections > right click on LAN and choose Internet Properties TCP/IP and click on properties

I am following this page http://www.portforward.com/networking/static-xp.htm

I apparantly enter all the proper information and then I get the following message.

The combination of ip address and subnet mask is invalid. All of the bits in the host address portion of the ip address are set to 1

The webpage says set ip to 65.92.9.xxx after entering

Enter your computer's default gateway: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Enter your computer's current IP Address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Why won't this work for me. Or am I following the wrong instructions.

If I type in ipconfig /all aren't I just going to get a 192.168.xxx.xxx address

Or should I use the information from my modem itself at 192.168.2.1

It gives me all the info such as IP address
gateway address and dns servers.

If so all I should need to do is open a port on my friends router to get a connection....correct?

So again what I'm contemplating doing is taking the modem IP address and entering it statically in the control panel under network connections.

what do you think? Should this work?

Scott

You need to ensure that your friends ISP is providing a Public IP on the connection, if not your wasting your time. You dont have to statically assign an IP to the desired machine on the LAN, most modern ADSL router will allow you to statically assign an IP to a machine on the LAN using the name of the device or using the Ethernet Address (physically address of the network card).
Also; in your original posting the network card settings were imcomplete; you must enter an IP Address, subnet mask and default gateway and at least one DNS.
Set DHCP to your network card (as per brw02005), do the IP config /all and write down all the details, then go into the network card and set them manually into the appropriate fields. However; to prevent an IP conflict in the future on the LAN you will also want to manually set these details in your ADSL router. This coupled with the port forwarding and enabling of RDP on the macine itself should give you what you are after.