Reply #3: May I suggest SSH or one of the many clones?

[bemildred]

The network setup looks like this:

(Internetland) --- (Cable WAN Address) -- (Cable LAN Address) -- (Dlink WAN Address) -- Dlink (LAN Address) -- (Your Desktop's IP Address)

1.) When you are out in internetland, you refer to your Desktop via the "Cable WAN Address", which may or may not be translated from a DNS "domain name".

2.) The cable modem and router then do whatever address translation and filtering they are set up to do.

3.) If the cable modem and router are set up to allow it, and to forward the traffic to the right place,
and your desktop firewall allows it, then the traffic will show up on your desktop on the designated port.

4.) There are firewalls on your desktop and the Dlink router that need to be set up to allow the traffic, and the router probably need to be told to forward FTP/SSH traffic from internetland to your desktop's LAN IP address.

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I have used SSH in the situation you describe, there are a number of Windoze versions, and it is much more secure. Of course, it's a big hassle however you do it, but nice once you get it working.