Accessing your Windows Server remotely with RDP
If you need to access your Windows Server remotely, enabling RDP is a great choice. With RDP, you can connect to your server over LAN and the internet (with the help of an RDP gateway). Setting up RDP is incredibly useful, especially for those who need to access Windows Server from a remote off-site location. In this guide, we’ll go over how to set up RDP on your Windows server and how to connect to it remotely.
How to set up a Remote Desktop Connection on Windows Server
To enable Remote Desktop on your Windows Server, you need to open the Server Manager application by searching for it in the Windows Start Menu. Once Server Manager is open, select “Local Server” in the left-hand sidebar to access your Windows Server settings. Look for “Remote Desktop” in the “Properties” area; by default, it is disabled. To enable Remote Desktop, click on the “Disabled” option to open the Remote Desktop menu.
In the Remote Desktop menu, select “Allow remote connections to this computer.” Additionally, select “Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended).”
Click on the “Select Users” button to add the user account(s) you wish to allow to connect over RDP. Ensure each user you add has a strong and memorable password, then click “OK.”
Finally, click on the “Apply” button to save the changes made to your Windows Server.
How to set up an RDP gateway
To allow LAN users to access the server desktop, you can set up Remote Desktop access via the server manager and add users. However, this won’t enable access to the server over the Internet.
Note: Setting up an RDP gateway is optional, and it should not be set up unless you are certain that you need it.
If you require Remote Desktop access over the internet, you need to set up a Remote Desktop Gateway on Windows Server. To do this, begin by launching the Windows Server Manager app.
Once the app is open, choose “Add Roles and Features.” In the left-hand sidebar, click “Server Selection.” Then, select your server and click “Next.”
Once you have selected your server, navigate to “Server Roles” and choose “Remote Desktop Services.” Click the “Next” button to proceed.
Skip over the “Features” section and click “Next.” You will then be prompted to configure “Remote Desktop Services.” Under “Role Services” for “Remote Desktop Services,” select “Remote Desktop Gateway” from the list. Click the “Next” button to proceed. On the “Confirmation” page, review the outline and then click the “Install” button to install the RDP gateway role.
Configuring your RDP gateway
After setting up the RDP gateway role, open the “Remote Desktop Gateway Manager” by searching for it in the Start menu. Once the program is open, right-click on your server and select “Properties.”
In the “Properties” window of Remote Desktop Gateway Manager, click the “SSL Certificate” tab. Then, select the “Create Self-Signed Certificate” option to generate a self-signed certificate for the RD Gateway server.
After creating the self-signed certificate, go back to the “SSL Certificate” tab and select the “Select an existing certificate” option. This will allow you to choose the self-signed certificate you just created.
Once you’ve created your SSL certificate, close the properties window. Then, select your server in RD Gateway Manager. After selecting your server, look for “Configuration Status” and select “Create Connection Authorization Policy.” You can then configure your connection policy and specify the group.
To view the groups on your Windows Server, open a PowerShell window and enter the following command:
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Group -Filter "LocalAccount='True'" | Select Name
Once you’ve configured your connection authorization policy, do the same for “Resource Authorization Policies.” When you have finished configuring everything, close the RD Gateway Manager.
How to connect to your Windows Server via RDP
To connect to your Windows Server via RDP on Windows, follow these steps. First, press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then, type “mstsc” and press Enter to launch the Remote Desktop Connection app.
In the Remote Desktop Connection tool, enter the Windows Server hostname or IP address. Click “Show Options” to view the “User name” field, then enter a username from the Windows Server. Next, click the “Connect” button to establish a connection to your Windows Server via RDP on Windows.
