Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) On A Windows VPS

Nowadays, very few machines aren’t in some kind of network. Such a scenario facilitates the sharing of resources since we can remotely access other machines, provided we have that permission. Imagine you are at home, working on laptop PC, but you need to access your tower PC in another room? If the machines are connected and networked, everything is simple, fast and without the need to install any third-party applications. But how to enable remote access on Windows?

For Windows, we can use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to remotely tap into other Windows machines, even a remote Windows VPS . The use of the RDP protocol is very common among Windows machines since you don’t have to install any additional software for it to work. You just have to enable remote access and connect using the client!

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a multi-channel protocol that allows a user to connect to a computer running Microsoft Terminal Services. There are clients for most versions of Windows, and other operating systems including Linux and Mac OS X. The server by default listens on TCP port 3389. Version 5.1, released with Windows XP, includes several features like support for 24 bit color and sound.

So, what can you do with a RDP? Audio features allows users to run an audio program on the remote computer and have the sound redirected to the local computer. A File System Redirection functionality allows you to use local files on the remote machine. Also, printing becomes a lot easier, as the Printer Redirection allows users to use their local printers in the remote session as if it were a local or shared printer on the network. This is great for working environments. Port Forwarding allows programs running within the session to access serial and parallel local ports directly. And, as a final example among others, the Clipboard can be shared between the two computers.

In this article, I will demonstrate you on how to remotely connect to a computer with the Windows operating system via RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). This process is very useful because it allows for a remote connection between your computer/VPS from any device that supports this protocol (SmartPhones, Tablets, and other). You can use this in Windows 7; Windows Vista; Windows XP, and of course, Windows 8.

First, access “Properties” from your “Computer”. In the upper left corner of your screen, select “Remote Settings”. On the “Remote” command, choose “Allow remote connections to this computer”. Leave the option “Network Level” blank. Finally click “Apply” to complete the process.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7 the process is very similar to Windows 8, so this tutorial is 100% compatible with these versions (versions Server 2003, Server 2008 have not tested, but it must also be the same). In Windows XP, access the “Properties” from the “My Computer”. On the “Remote” option choose “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer”. Finally click “Apply” to complete the process.

What if you want to remotely access your computer outside your home network? Well, you can! In that case, you have to forward appropriate ports on your router. The default RDP port is 3389. In short you will need to forward port 3389 to your machine.

Let’s test it: we opened the windows application “Connecting to the Remote Desktop” (you can use another compatible application, like VNC). Enter the IP address (see the network connections) on the computer or your “Name on the Net” (see computer properties) and click “Connect”. Please be advised that if you’re trying to access outside your home network, and you forwarded port 3389, you should enter your IP outside (the IP provided to you by your ISP, or the IP of your Windows VPS) in order to access remotely.

With Remote Desktop, you use a PC as a “clone” of a desktop or a remote PC. This has the advantage of having all units and direct remote PC network resources on a single desktop. The Internet connection is simply relaying keystrokes, mouse coordinates and moving data back and forth, while the remote PC is controlling files, emails and navigation directly on the private network.