The Scottish champions shrugged aside their poor domestic form to earn a well deserved draw against the Italian side.
Inter took the lead somewhat against the run off play when Adriano headed home a Sinisa Mihajlovic corner.
However the Ibrox side showed great spirit when Peter Lovenkrands equalised five minutes later.
Having already qualified Inter were content to settle for the draw and as full-time came nearer Rangers were unsure whether to attack or not.
As it was the draw at Bratislava between Artmedia and FC Porto meant Rangers were through anyway, though it was a nail-biting last few minutes as they awaited conformation of the result.
In the first half Ranger keeper Ronald Waterreus did well to punch clear an inswinging corner by Mihajlovic, but from the next corner Adriano headed home.
It was a real setback for Rangers, but Thomas Buffel's superb pass released Lovenkrands from the halfway line and the Dane showed great composure before sliding the ball past Francesco Toldo.
The second half was even more of a cat and mouse game and a couple of dangerous long-range free-kicks from Mihajlovic were well saved by Waterreus.
Hamed Namouchi glanced a header inches wide from Robert Malcolm's free-kick, after Cristiano Zanetti was sent off for a second booking.
Then came the tumultuous scenes at the end as the home side celebrated a unique achievement.