How to Enable Windows to Make and Accept a Remote Desktop Connection
Information
This tutorial will show you how to enable Remote Desktop Connection, and to connect remotely in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.
Warning
While all editions of Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 can be a remote desktop client...
- Only the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions can host a remote desktop connection.
- Only the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions can host a remote desktop connection.
- Only the Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions can host a remote desktop connection.
FIRST
To Enable Remote Connection
1. Go to Control Panel>System>Advanced System Settings
2. Go to Remote tab.
3. Under Remote Assistance, put a check mark on Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer.
Note: This automatically adds Remote Desktop exception to Windows Firewall.
4. Click on Apply.
OPTION ONE
To Connect to a Remote Desktop (Local Area Connectivity)
1. Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>Remote Desktop Connection
NOTE: You could also press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type mstsc.exe, and press Enter.
2. Enter the
Computer Name or
IP address of the computer you wish to connect to.
3. For more connection options, click on Options
NOTE: Here you can save the connection profile, adjust display properties, run specified programs upon connection, adjust connection bandwidth, etc. For more information on specific tabs, click on Help.
4. Click on
Connect.
5. Enter your log in credentials of a user account on the remote computer that is allowed to do a remote desktop connection.
OPTION TWO
Enable Windows to Accept Remote Desktop Connection (Local Area Connectivity)
1. Go to Control Panel>System>Advanced System Settings
2. Go to Remote tab.
3. Under Remote Assistance, put a check mark on Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer
Note: This automatically adds Remote Desktop exception in Windows Firewall.
4. Click on Advanced...
5. Put a check mark on Allow this computer to be controlled remotely.
6. Click on OK.
Note: This automatically adds Remote Assistance exception in Windows Firewall.
7. Remote Desktop Connection behind a router (Single computer)
A) Configure your router's port forwarding to allow connections on port 3389
B) Now in RDC just type the IP address supplied by your ISP
8. Remote Desktop Connection behind a router (Multiple computers)
A) For each computer you want to remotely connect to you have to configure each computer to listen to different ports to avoid port conflicts by changing the registry key in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
B) Port Numbers are in Decimal format
Note: To avoid conflict with other programs it is suggested to select a port between 49152 and 65535.
C) Now take that number you've chosen your computer to listen to and configure your router to port forward to that number
D) To connect to that computer your format will now be ISPIPAddress:PortNumber (ex. 222.222.2.8:1234) to connect to that specific computer behind the router
Important: If you have a firewall software running, that too has to be configured to allow communication to the port you opened in your router as well.
Note: The above steps assumes that you're not part of a domain.