Configure an Incoming Connection to use Callback

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 7

You can use this procedure to configure your dial-up host computer to automatically call back the calling computer when it attempts to connect.

This allows the host computer to be responsible for any phone charges incurred, and also can provide a level of security when you limit the phone numbers to which Windows will call back a client computer.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To configure an incoming connection to use callback

  1. Open the Network Connections folder and view available connections.

  2. Right-click Incoming Connections, and then click Properties.

Note

If you have created an incoming connection but Incoming Connections is not visible in the Network Connections folder, you must configure folder options to show hidden files and folders. To do so, press ALT, and then click Tools and Folder Options. In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab. In Advanced settings, in Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders, and then click OK.

  1. On the Users tab, click the user for which you want to configure callback, and then click Properties.

  2. On the Callback tab, do one of the following:

    • If you do not want to use callback for incoming connections, click Do not allow callback.

    • If you want to give incoming connections the option of setting a specific callback number, click Allow the caller to set the callback number.

    • If you want to consistently use the same callback number, click Always use the following callback number, and then type the number.

Additional considerations

  • Using a preset callback number provides some additional security because a user can only successfully complete the connection if the call is made from the specified phone number. That security comes at the cost of flexibility however, and is not a useful option for users who travel to different locations.

See Also

Concepts

Configure Incoming Connections
Configure Network Connections