How to Configure Remote Desktop Through Router

Make sure ports are open and forwarded

If you’re looking to connect to your Windows PC from a remote location, there are several ways to do it. For instance, you couldtunnel VNC over SSH, allowing you to use the open-source VNC protocol over an encrypted SSH connection. The best method, however, is to use the Windows Remote Desktop tool.

There are some steps you’ll need to take before you’re ready to connect to a Windows PC remotely. You’ll need to configure Remote Desktop through your router, ensuring that the necessary ports are open and that port forwarding is active. To do this anduse Remote Desktopremotely, you’ll need to follow these steps.

Configuring Windows Firewall to Allow Remote Desktop Access

Before you can configure Remote Desktop connections through your router, you’ll need to make sure that Windows will allow ingoing and outgoing connections to your PC.

Changing the Default RDP Port on Windows 10

You have set up Windows Firewall to allow RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) connections. Now, you should change the default RDP port used by Windows for RDP connections fromport 3389to an alternative port number.

This is because therisk of Remote Desktop Protocol attacksis extremely high. While changing ports isn’t the only way to secure your RDP connections, it will help to slow down and limit the risks from random, port scanning bots that search for open RDP ports on your router.

Once you’ve made the changes to the default RDP port number, you’ll need to restart your PC. Any connections you make to your PC using RDP moving forward will need to be configured using the port number you selected (eg.10.0.0.10:1337rather than10.0.0.10:3389).

Enabling Port Forwarding on Your Network Router

You can now begin to configure your router to allow connections from the internet to your PC on your local network. The first step in this process is toenable port forwardingon your routerwithout letting hackers in.

With the RDP port mapped, port forwarding should be active and ready to allow Remote Desktop connections over the internet. You should be able to connect to your PC remotely using your public IP address and RDP port number, with your network router forwarding the requests to your PC.

Mapping Your IP Address Using a Dynamic DNS Service

Once port forwarding is active, you should be able to make Remote Desktop connections over the internet as long as the port forwarding rule is active, your PC is switched on and connected to your router, your internet connection is active, and yourpublic IP addressremains the same.

However, if your ISP uses dynamic IP addresses (IP addresses that regularly change), you won’t be able to connect if or when your public IP address changes. To get around this problem, you can map your IP addressusing a Dynamic DNS serviceso that, when your IP address changes, you can still make connections remotely.

Before you can use a Dynamic DNS service, however, you’ll need to set up an account with an appropriate provider likeNo-IP.

Alternatives to Remote Desktop

The steps above should allow you to configure Remote Desktop connections through your router. However, if your Remote Desktop connections aren’t working, or you’re unhappy with the quality, there arealternatives to RDPavailable. For instance, apps like TeamViewer will allow you to connect to your PC with ease.

You can also use variousRemote Desktop management toolsto maintain your connections, or you could think aboutsetting up a VPNto establish connections to your remote PC instead. You may also want to consider how to remotely shutdown or restart your PC to reset your PC if you run into problems.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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How to Configure Remote Desktop Through Router#

Configuring Windows Firewall to Allow Remote Desktop Access#

Changing the Default RDP Port on Windows 10#

Enabling Port Forwarding on Your Network Router#

Mapping Your IP Address Using a Dynamic DNS Service#

Alternatives to Remote Desktop#