How to Use Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10

As the most popular desktop operating system on the planet, chances are that you or someone you know own a device running Windows 10. However, there may be some cases where you want to control it from distant. Perhaps you need some data from another device, or you have a friend or family member with a problem to deal with.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can work around this, one of which is Remote Desktop Connection, a feature built into the Windows 10 software.

Can I use Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10?

Remote Desktop Connection is an option available to anyone running Windows 10, so it’s probably better to ask where you should use it.

For most people, the answer is probably no. Remote Desktop Connection is not easy to set up correctly when compared to services like VNC or Team Viewer.

Those services also provide remote access to the PC. If all you want is to view the files on your hard drive or help your friends and family with remote support, then we definitely recommend these solutions as friendly alternatives. than.

And with cloud storage being so affordable these days, not to mention multiple platforms, we also recommend storing your files on one of these services as an easier and more convenient way to access them without leaving your home PC. so you can see its files. Even a NAS drive is a better solution.

There is another problem with Remote Desktop Connection. While all versions of Windows 10 can remotely connect to another Windows 10 PC, Windows 10 Pro only allow remote access. So if you have Windows 10 Home edition, you won’t find any setting to enable Remote Desktop Connection on your PC, but you can still connect to another PC running Windows 10 Pro.

How to setup Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10?

Ok, so you have read the warnings and decided to continue using Remote Desktop Connection on your Windows 10 Pro device. What’s next?

You must first allow remote access to your target PC. Open Data management program And find This PC. Right click on the name and select Characteristic > Remote setup.

In the Remote Control section, make sure that Allow remote connection to this computer options selected and deselected Only allow connections from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication. As you’ll see, you should get on with this, hence why this guide isn’t for everyone.

Of course, you can always come back to it later to add that extra layer of security to your PC. Now click Apply and OK

Next, you will need to know the IP address of this target computer so that it can be found on the network.

To do this, hold down the Windows key and press R. In the box that appears, type cmd and press enter. In the terminal window that appears, type ipconfig and press enter.

You should see a bunch of information appear, but the one you want is the IPv4 Address. Record this (that’s a few numbers and full stops) and also note down the Default Gateway IP address.

The IPv4 address will allow you to access your PC on the local network, but if you want to access it from the WAN (i.e. if you are at work and want to dial home) then open a browser and type in the bar address. in whatismyipaddress, then write down the address.

Once you have set up the target PC to allow access and have an IP address, you can migrate to the remote computer.

On it, open the Start Menu, start typing “Remote Desktop” and select Remote desktop connection when it appears in the search results.

Then, in the box that appears, enter the IP address and click Link. You will be prompted to enter your username and password, then the PC will be ready for you as if you were sitting in front of it.

Can I connect to my PC over the internet?

Things get even more complicated if you want to access your PC that is not on the same local area network (LAN).

First, you need to make sure the Windows Firewall is not blocking the Remote Desktop. You can check this by opening the Windows Firewall section in Settings and Control Panel and selecting Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.

If you’re already using a third-party Firewell, perhaps through some anti-virus software, you’ll have to temporarily disable the feature before continuing.

Next you will need to configure your router so that it knows the correct address for your computer (do this using the Default Gateway and WAN Settings you wrote about earlier) and enable the Port Forwarding setting so that it points to Port 3389. As Router Settings are different on each router, you should read our guide on How to forward ports on your router to understand all.

As you can see, this is definitely one for tech enthusiasts.

It should be noted that if you plan to remotely connect to a PC like this often, the external IP address (WAN) may change. That’s because most broadband providers don’t give you a static IP address (i.e. the same address every time your router connects to your provider).

To avoid having to look up your address again every time this happens, you can sign up for a dynamic DNS service, such as noip.com, as this gives you an easy-to-remember domain name you can connect to and will track any changes to your external IP address. Many routers have built-in support for dynamic DNS, so check your manual and choose one of the services supported by your router.

With all of this done, you should now be able to open the Windows Start Menu, search for Remote Desktop, select Remote Desktop Connection, then in the box that appears, enter the IP address and click Connect. Enter your username and password, then you will have full access to the target PC.