Chances are good you have a NAT router, something that looks like one of these:

     Unfortunately, we ran out of IP addresses on the internet (kind of like running out of telephone numbers as a town expands) so connecting two personal computers without configuration is impossible because of the workaround: to get around this IP address shortage we now use something like "extensions" in the telephone world.  The first thing you will need to do is setup a static IP address on your computer.

     While following the guide in the previous link, do not just "Pick an ip address and enter it into the IP Address box", you will need to pick one and then check if someone else is already using it.  Chances are good that if you pick 192.168.x.y where x is usually 1 (you find x when you run "ipconfig /all" in the guide), and y is some number between 2 and 49, you will not have any problems, but to check, open a command window: start{MENU}>run{MENU ITEM}>Open:["cmd"]{INPUT BOX}>OK{BUTTON}. And then enter "ping 192.168.x.y" (without quotes) (using the x and y as defined above in this paragraph) and hit enter.  You should see four "Request timed out." messages:

C:\Documents and Settings\Justin>ping 192.168.0.20

Pinging 192.168.0.20 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.20:

    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Documents and Settings\Justin>

     If you see replies, change the address you are pinging until you find one that does not respond.  It is important to note that if you are sending requests to the wrong range (192.168.2.20 instead of 192.168.1.20), you will receive "Request timed out." messages, but choosing such an address will not work: it will be unroutable.  You must choose an address within your subnet (you found your subnet when you ran "ipconfig /all" on the command line in the "setup a static IP address on your computer" guide listed above).

     After that, you will need to login to your router and forward a port to the IP address you used when you setup a static IP address on your computer.  For Dlink's DI-604 see this guide; for Linksys's BEFSR41, see this gude.  If your router configuration does not look like either of those, go to the list of routers, select your router, click on the "Click here to skip this advertisement..." link in the top right corner of your browser, go to an entry with "VNC" in it (such as "RealVNC", "TightVNC", "VNC", "UltraVNC", etc.) and follow the instructions.

     The default password for your router is given in the port forwarding guide you found above.  If you cannot find the password to your router (you receive a prompt when you enter your router's IP address into your browser), you will have to hard reset it.  There are many different ways to do this and I recommend you call your router manufactorer.  You can also have a look at the router default password list. 

     If your router has a default password, change it immediately, use a strong password, and write it down in your password management system.

     After you do get in to your router, continue to follow the guide for your router.  After you have forwarded the port to your computer, make sure that the windows firewall has an opening for that port.  To create a listening port, follow these instructions (in HSL):

1. start{MENU}>
2. Control Panel{MENU ITEM}>
3. Windows Firewall{ITEM}/* this may be under "Security Center" on some versions of Windows*/>
4. Don't allow exceptions[uncheck]{CHECK BOX}>
5. Exceptions{TAB}>
6. Add Port...{BUTTON}>
7. Name:["VNC Server Listening Port"]{TEXT FIELD}>
8. Port Number:[5900]{TEXT FIELD}>
9. TCP{RADIO BUTTON}
10. OK{BUTTON}>
11. OK{BUTTON}>

     To test your firewall configuration work, try connecting to the server you are running from another computer inside your subnet.  As long as both computers are inside the same subnet, you will not have to worry about the port being forwarded; port forwarding is only nessisary across subnets (for example, between your home computer and your work computer).

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