Scan to SMB via RDC?

[blackcat4866]

I was just reading about perrychilds vpn problem and it reminds me of a sort-of similar situation I've got.

We've got a remote office using a Remote Desktop Connection to access our Server 2008R2. They'd like to scan to email and/or SMB from a Copystar CS-C4035E scanner (non-SSL scanner) directly to the server. The two networks are on a different IP range. The only communication is via RDC. Is there a way to scan to SMB on the server or scan to email? We have tried using the server's URL with no luck, and that URL does not ping successfully. If the ping resolved to an address I would have tried that IP. According to our IT ping is not blocked on this server. We experimented with 4 different port designations, again no luck.

I do have local SMB scanning set up to the PC, and it works properly, but it adds one more step when the enduser must scan the document to the scan folder on the PC, copy/paste it to the server, then edit or email it as desired.

Could it have something to do with the users rights, in the RDC connection?
Thanks in advance. =^..^=

[TheOwl]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

If I read this right, then you have Remote Desktop Services running on a 2008 R2 server which you have a client accessing?

Now if this is the case, then you would use an IP address or name from the clients end to access the RDS server. When using RDP from the client computers, port 3389 is auotmatically used (as this is the default port for RDP).

On your router there are two important things.

1. The internet IP address (which is resolve maybe by your company name)
2. A port forward rule that says anything coming in on port 3389 must go to this internal IP (which would be the RDS server)

Now the same can be done for SMB. You would need to forward the port that the machine uses for SMB to the IP address of the RDS server. I would not recommend this as it does open your server up to attacks.

I am going to assume that you are using Exchange server for your email as well then. If this is the case, then your client would need a static IP address for their internet connection and a rule on your Exchange server set to allow outbound email from that IP address. Now when I say outbound, think it the same as sending an email from Outlook. It goes from Outlook to Exchange then to the internet and then to the receiving server.

Port 25 would already be forwarded from your router to the Exchange server, so you would be half way there already, it is just a matter of creating that rule that allows your customers IP address to send email to the server for relaying.

Email with Exchange 2010.pdf

Now I have assumed alot and please correct me if I am wrong or if you need clarifying on anything. As you know, I can dribble on a bit... lol

[blackcat4866]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics, but I think you're telling me:

1) The scan to SMB is possible, but entails a security risk.
2) The scan to email requires a relatively minor change to the email server to allow communication the remote PCs, specifically an IP address, and possibly credentials?

I'll forward the post to our local IT. He's done a pretty good job of translating it into a solution.
Thanks again Owl. =^..^=

[TheOwl]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

The main basis of it is that every internet connection has an IP address wheather it be a static one or dynamic and this is allocated to the router. It is the routers job to direct traffic from the internal network to the internet and back again making sure that the correct data goes to the correct client.

Port forwarding is used on routers to direct any inbound traffic on a specific port to the computer that hosts that server. If you have a webpage that is hosted on a server within your network, then there would be a rule that says "Any inbound traffic (from the internet to your router) on port 80 or 8080 will go to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx IP address on the internal network". The same is true for the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) which uses port 3389, Inbound email uses port 25, FTP server uses 21 and so on and these rules can be setup to go to individual IP addresses inside your network.

To get SMB scanning running, you would need to create one of these rules that allows your users that are outside of the network (hence they are using the Remote Desktop Services server which was also formaly known as Terminal Services) to send SMB data to the server in question.

It would be better that you used email though as SMB traffic could be an opening for an attack from the internet.

That is where that document comes into play as it will allow emails from the IP address of your clients router (because the router is what directs the traffic from the client computers) to be accepted by your Exchange server (assuming that you are running Exchange 2007 or 2010).

[blackcat4866]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

Better.
It's Exchange 2010.

I'm not entirely clear as to the difference between a port and an address.
The address concept is clear enough, analogous to a street address, or destination. But the port ... perhaps like the frequency, specifying communication of a specific type, for a specific purpose? And thusly able to to be regulated, allowing this, or blocking that.

I suppose there is some sort of general purpose list somewhere specifying that each port is for, like printing: 9100-9110.

So it's a router setting to direct external email traffic from a specific email senders IP to the email server?

I think the cobwebs are starting to clear. I hope you don't regret answering. =^..^=

[TheOwl]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

Of course I don't regret answering. I know what I am going on about, but actually writing down those thoughts so that someone else can understand is always a challenge.

You right about the ports like 9100 for printing. Certain applications and software run on certain ports. Think of the example you gave for the street address as compared to the IP address and now think of the actual person that the letter is addressed to as being the port number. If you address the letter to Joe, 123 ABC Street but it was acutally meant for Bob, 123 ABC Street, then the information was sent to the wrong port.

If your company is already running Exchange 2010, then your router would already be forwarding everything that comes in on port 25 to your Exchange server. So what is required is to find out what your customer's internet IP address is (if you use a clients computer and go to What's My IP?, that will tell you what their internet IP address is) and add that IP address to Exchange using that document. Then all you need to do is to setup the copier for SMTP server which is your Exchange server.

To do that, you would need to know what your companies internet IP address is (use What's My IP? again from your network) and use that IP address as the SMTP Server address on your copier. Now give the copier an email address that is from your domain (so it has the same information as your email address after the @) and technically it should then work.

[blackcat4866]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

Great comprehensive description. Even I can understand it.

A lot of us techs are IT amateurs, struggling to keep up. Thanks for taking the time. =^..^=

[TheOwl]

Re: Scan to SMB via RDC?

I used to be the same, now I'm an amatuer copier tech and pro IT tech... lmao