It's fast, simple, and free. Whether you need to access your work computer from home, view a file from your home computer while traveling, or share your screen with friends or colleagues, Chrome Remote Desktop connects you to your devices using the latest web technologies. Chrome Remote Desktop is also one of the top remote connection managers which is an extension of google chrome which allows the users to access the other systems remotely. It is basically a kind of plugin in the browser and mobile app which allows one system to connect with another system over a network and they can control it and perform. Click the Windows icon, bottom left corner of the screen. Right-click on This PC and select Properties.; In the section Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings in the middle of the screen make a note of your Computer name then close the window. Example Computer name: ITSS-WL-001234. In the Windows Search box type Remote settings.; Under Remote Desktop, select Allow connections from. You can use the Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc.exe) or Microsoft Remote Desktop app to connect to and control your Windows PC from a remote device. When you allow remote desktop connections to your PC, you can use another device to connect to your PC and have access to all of your apps, files, and network resources as if you were sitting at your desk.
Remote Desktop Manager is one of the most feature-rich remote management tools I know. Aside from helping you organize your Remote Desktop connections, it supports a plethora of protocols and even allows you to administer virtualization solutions and cloud environments.
AnyDesk is a remote session solution available for many platforms. Access a device using ID or Alias.
See also: AnyDesk_ID_and_Alias, Unattended Access, Windows Server and Address Book
How to access a Remote Desktop
- The Remote User provides his ID or Alias .
- Enter the ID/Alias in the Address-label on the local device to request a session.
- The Accept Window then shows up on the remote device. By accepting the request, the session is established.
Active Session
Upon exceed of the session limit (based on your license), AnyDesk displays the list of your active sessions.
Connection Table
Displays operating systems compatible. Connecting from left row to first column:
Windows | macOS | Linux | Android | iOS | ChromeOS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
macOS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Linux | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Android | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
iOS¹ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
ChromeOS² | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
¹ Remote Control to iOS/iPadOS devices is not supported.
² Remote Control to ChromeOS devices is not yet supported.
To use Remote Desktop Connection your work computer must be turned and not be in sleep mode. You may need to change your computer power and sleep/wake settings to ensure that the computer is always on. If your computer has a separate monitor it can be turned off, but the computer itself must be on.
Step 1: Set up your Amherst College Windows 10 computer to accept Remote Desktop connections
Get the computer name:
- On your work computer, search for This PC.
- In the search results, right-click on This PC and select Properties.
- From the section Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings in the middle of the screen write down your Computer name. For example, ITSS-WL-001234.
Give your Amherst account permission to use Remote Desktop:
- On the same window, in the left column, click Remote settings.
- Under Remote Desktop, select Allow remote connections to this computer.
- Click the Select Users button
- Regardless of whether you see a message that AMHERSTyour_Amherst_username already has access, do the following:
- Click the Add button.
- Enter AMHERSTyour_Amherst_username (e.g., AMHERSTmamherst) and click the Check Names button.
- Once your username is underlined, click OK, then click OK again.
Remote Desk Id
Get your computer's physical and IP addresses:
- In the Windows search box, type cmd then press Enter.
- Click Command Prompt search results.
- In the black command window type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
- In the data that returns, find the heading for your Ethernet adapter. It will be something like Ethernet adapter Local Area Connectionor Ethernet adapter Ethernet. Under that heading, locate the item IPv4 address and copy down the corresponding numeric IP address.
Examples of Amherst IP addresses: 148.85.123.12, 10.49.18.170, and 172.17.163.24. - Also under the Ethernet heading, locate and note the Physical address.
Example of a physical address (a.k.a, the MAC address): BC-5F-F4-6B-97-3B - When finished close the command window.
Step 2: Connect to the computer from off-campus
Set up a VPN connection
To use Remote Desktop Connection off-campus, you must use a VPN connection that you create on your home computer to establish a link to the Amherst network.
VERY IMPORTANT: If your work computer is in a building that has been moved to the new network, you cannot use the VPN connectoids supplied by Amherst IT. The connectoids only work with computers on the old network. If the IP address you noted above begins with 10.49 then your building is on the new network.
From your off-campus Windows computer, connect to your work computer
- Establish a link to the Amherst network using the VPN connection you created above.
- Search for Remote Desktop Connection. In the search results, right click on Remote Desktop Connection and select Pin to Taskbar. It will be easier to find there.
- Click on the Remote Desktop Connection icon on your taskbar. In the window your asked for the name of the computer your are connecting to. Enter the computer name you recorded above and press Connect. If you get a message that the computer can't be found, enter its IP address and try again. If you get a message that the IP address doesn't work, then you'll need to use the physical or MAC address that you recorded above:
- If your physical address is BC-5F-F4-6B-97-3B, then you'll enter the following into the Computer line of Remote Desktop Connection:
- mac-bc5ff46b973b.any.10net.amherst.edu
- If your physical address is BC-5F-F4-6B-97-3B, then you'll enter the following into the Computer line of Remote Desktop Connection:
- If you receive a certificate message, click the box that says don't show this again, then click Accept.
- You will be prompted for a username and password. Enter your Amherst username as follows:
AMHERSTyour_Amherst_username, then enter your Amherst password. - After you enter these logon credentials, you'll be connected to your office computer, and can begin to use the remote desktop connection.
Note that to save bandwidth, Remote Desktop Connection does not show desktop wallpaper or images. You will see your Windows computer desktop without any photo or special background you might have normally.
Connect from off-campus Macinstosh computer
Enter Remote Desk Id
- First connect to Amherst VPN.
Note: If your computer or network port in your office are 'behind the firewall' you must use VPN Firewall rather than the standard faculty/staff VPN or VPNConnect. People in financial, student affairs, career center, dining, facilities, and advancement all are likely to have computers or ports behind the firewall. - Next, go to Applications and click the Remote Desktop Connection icon.
- In Computer, enter the Windows computer IP address.
- Click Connect.
- You will be prompted for your Amherst user name and password.Enter your Amherst user name as follows:
AMHERSTyour_Amherst_username
then enter your Amherst password. - After you enter these logon credentials, you'll be connected to your office computer, and can begin to use the remote desktop connection.
Note that to save bandwidth, Remote Desktop Connection does not show desktop wallpaper or images. You will see your Windows computer desktop without any photo or special background you might have normally.
Anydesk Connect Online
Connect from off-campus iPad
Any Desk Remote Control Software
- First connect to Amherst VPN.
Note: If your computer or network port in your office are 'behind the firewall' you must use VPN Firewall rather than the standard faculty/staff VPN or VPNConnect. People in financial, student affairs, career center, dining, facilities, and advancement all are likely to have computers or ports behind the firewall. - Next, download the App RDP lite from the App Store. This is a free application. Alternately you can download the paid version of the App RDP. The free version of the App works well but feel free to visit the RDP website to get more information about the differences between the two versions to review the differences between the Apps.
- Once downloaded, select the RDP lite app and tap add new configuration.
- Type in the Windows computer IP address. If a leading # or other symbol fills by default, make sure to remove it. The IP address must begin with a digit, it cannot begin with # sign, leading spaces, letters, etc.
- Tap Connect to.
- There may be a slight lag with a black screen but then you should see the login screen or desktop for your office computer come up. You can then begin using the remote desktop connection.
- If nothing happens and you do not get your office computer login screen/desktop then most likely there is an error with the IP address you entered.