Use Microsoft Remote Desktop for iOS to connect to a remote PC or virtual apps and desktops made available by your admin. With Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can be productive no matter where you are. GET STARTED Configure your PC for remote access using the information at https://aka.ms/rdsetup. If Remote Desktop is not used for system administration, remove all administrative access via RDP, and only allow user accounts requiring RDP service. For Departments that manage many machines remotely remove the local Administrator account from RDP access at and add a technical group instead. How to determine if a Remote Desktop session is using AVC444 mode and is using hardware encoding RDP logs an event to the eventlog which helps to determine if you are running in the AVC 444 mode and whether Hardware Encoding is used: Launch the Event Viewer in Windows on the RDP server and navigate to the following node: Applications.
There are numerous reasons behind the use of remote desktops, which play a crucial role in today’s IT software ecosystem. If you’re providing support services for desktops and laptops, working with virtual servers or applications, or working in a company in which the offices are distributed nationally or internationally, you’ll be using remote desktop software.
Windows systems come with a built-in protocol for remote connections. Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) provides a graphical interface through which users can connect to a remote computer via a network connection. However, there are now several RDP alternatives on the market, designed to address potential functionality gaps. My top recommendation for a remote desktop alternative is SolarWinds® Dameware®, offering an on-premises and a cloud version, both designed to facilitate the easy handling of remote desktop issues.
What Is RDP?
RDP, short for Remote Desktop Protocol, is a protocol developed by Microsoft. It allows you to connect to another computer using a graphical user interface, so you can interact with the remote machine. You can control a remote desktop session and delete or copy text between applications running on the host machine and the guest machine. This helps with remote troubleshooting and issue resolution, so IT staff won’t need to go directly to the computer experiencing the problem.
However, with the rise of cybercrime have come warnings about the security of RDP. Moreover, several RDP alternatives have appeared on the market, many of which offer much more in the way of capabilities depending on your specific needs. If you’re looking for an alternative to Remote Desktop Protocol, consider the options below.
Best Remote Desktop Alternatives
Dameware Remote Support is a significant upgrade from RDP, designed to provide all of the same features as the Microsoft protocol along with added features that help enhance problem resolution and cybersecurity on remote devices. Like RDP, DRS makes it easy to connect remotely to other computers. With additional features built to go beyond those in RDP, DRS makes for a comprehensive and easy-to-use remote desktop connection manager alternative.
Like RDP, DRS offers multi-platform remote access, with support for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. In an enterprise setting, for example, it can work across your Windows desktops, Linux servers, and Mac devices staff may connect with from home. That includes providing access to computers from Android and Apple devices including tablets, which are not supported in RDP.
Both RDP and DRS offer the ability to connect over both the internet and LAN. This is particularly important in DRS since this, along with the tool’s other features, can help facilitate straightforward troubleshooting. With both DRS and RDP, you can remotely reboot entire systems or stop services and processes if something is causing the system to fail. DRS is designed to go beyond that, though—it includes system tools that allow you to fix problems on a computer you’re connected to remotely without having to interrupt the user’s session. DRS, like RDP, also lets you directly copy and paste—or delete—text in applications between the host and guest machine.
Dameware Remote Support offers a free trial for up to 14 days.
Another good option to consider, particularly if you are working in a cloud-based IT environment, is Dameware Remote Everywhere. DRE is in some ways the same tool as DRS, but it offers slightly different features.
First, DRE is designed for use in the cloud, which means it is accessible from any compatible device with internet connection. RDP also connects to remote devices over the internet; however, a distinction between the two tools may arise when it comes to speed. While DRE has a particular focus on speed, with remote connections typically established within eight seconds, RDP typically has slower connection times.
DRE also includes additional features for taking screenshots and recording during remote sessions and connecting with the user through VoIP or video call. RDP doesn’t natively include these features, with the only way to record or take screenshots during remote sessions is by implementing outside tools and procedures.
Dameware Remote Everywhere offers a free trial for 14 days.
Royal TS provides support for RDP and other connection protocols, including VNC, SSH, FTP and SFTP, and connection through web-based interfaces. Like other professional tools, it includes credentials management and sharing features, so you don’t need to log in repeatedly. It also provides remote troubleshooting capabilities.
One of the unique features of Royal TS is it can create command tasks and key sequence tasks, which allow you to create your own tasks and automate parts of your troubleshooting processes. For example, ping and traceroute are built in, and you can automate repetitive tasks, so you can execute them as soon as a connection is established.
Royal TS distinguishes itself from RDP when it comes to credential allocation. While RDP lets you save and share credentials between teammates, it does not let you save credentials tied to a remote desktop gateway. Not only does Royal TS let you create objects and folders and dynamically allocate credentials, it also lets you link folders and connections to inherit credentials. These features are designed to facilitate strong access and security measures.
Royal TS offers a free download of its “Lite” version, which allows up to 10 connections and 10 credentials. The paid version is also available through the developer’s website.
If you’re looking for an RDP alternative specifically for use with Mac computers or mobile devices, Edovia produces many products, including several versions of Screens.
Windows Remote Desktop Rdp
Screens iOS allows you to control other computers from your iPhone or iPad, using an SSH connection. It can connect to Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and Windows PCs, using the Screens Connect app. You can view the current session (e.g., for troubleshooting), or start a new session.
Screens Mac provides the same capabilities as Screens iOS, but from Mac OS systems.
There is a free trial of Screens Mac, and a free version, called Screens Express, with limited usage for specific circumstances. Screens Mac is downloadable through the Edovia website. You can buy Screens iOS from the App Store.
Terminals is an open-source remote desktop manager intended to manage the problem of controlling multiple connections simultaneously. It integrates RDP as one of the protocols it supports, but also works with VNC, VMRC, SSH, Telnet, RAS, Citrix ICA, and HTTP and HTTPs.
It includes several basic features to make the remote connection experience smoother, including a multi-tab interface, resizable windows, customizable toolbars, and a connections history, so you can see which machines you have connected to recently. You can also search by server name and look at protocol notes. This tool is high-quality, but basic, and it may not be suitable for a large enterprise needing a greater set of features for IT support and troubleshooting management.
You can download Terminals for free on Github.
As a free tool, Terminals is a mRemoteNG alternative. For a comparison of mRemoteNG vs. Terminals, look at both repositories in Github to view the documentation, as it gets a little technical.
How to Choose an RDP Alternative
There are several factors behind choosing a good RDP alternative, but your decision will in large part depend on the number of connections you’re dealing with, the type of information in your environment (e.g., if it’s sensitive and needs extra security), and the size of your enterprise.
A free or open-source tool might be suitable in a low-risk, small business environment, in which case Terminals is a good choice. For a large enterprise or a company with sensitive data, invest in a professional tool such as Dameware Remote Support or Dameware Remote Everywhere.
-->This article describes the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that's used for communication between the Terminal Server and the Terminal Server Client. RDP is encapsulated and encrypted within TCP.
Original product version: Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: 186607
Summary
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager
RDP is based on, and is an extension of, the T-120 family of protocol standards. A multichannel capable protocol allows for separate virtual channels for carrying the following information:
- presentation data
- serial device communication
- licensing information
- highly encrypted data, such as keyboard, mouse activity
RDP is an extension of the core T.Share protocol. Several other capabilities are retained as part of the RDP, such as the architectural features necessary to support multipoint (multiparty sessions). Multipoint data delivery allows data from an application to be delivered in real time to multiple parties, such as Virtual Whiteboards. It doesn't require to send the same data to each session individually.
In this first release of Windows Terminal Server, we're concentrating on providing reliable and fast point-to-point (single-session) communications. Only one data channel is used in the initial release of Terminal Server 4.0. However, the flexibility of RDP gives plenty of room for functionality in future products.
One reason that Microsoft decided to implement RDP for connectivity purposes within Windows NT Terminal Server is that it provides an extensible base to build many more capabilities. RDP provides 64,000 separate channels for data transmission. However, current transmission activities are only using a single channel (for keyboard, mouse, and presentation data).
RDP is designed to support many different types of Network topologies, such as ISDN, POTS. RDP is also designed to support many LAN protocols, such as IPX, NetBIOS, TCP/IP. The current version of RDP will only run over TCP/IP. With customer feedback, other protocol support may be added in future versions.
The activity involved in sending and receiving data through the RDP stack is essentially the same as the seven-layer OSI model standards for common LAN networking today. Data from an application or service to be transmitted is passed down through the protocol stacks. It's sectioned, directed to a channel (through MCS), encrypted, wrapped, framed, packaged onto the network protocol, and finally addressed and sent over the wire to the client. The returned data works the same way only in reverse. The packet is stripped of its address, then unwrapped, decrypted, and so on. Finally the data is presented to the application for use. Key portions of the protocol stack modifications occur between the fourth and seventh layers, where the data is:
- encrypted
- wrapped
- framed
- directed to a channel
- prioritized
One of the key points for application developers is that, in using RDP, Microsoft has abstracted away the complexities of dealing with the protocol stack. It allows them to write clean, well-designed, well-behaved 32-bit applications. Then the RDP stack implemented by the Terminal Server and its client connections takes care of the rest.
For more information about how applications interact on the Terminal Server, and what to know when developing applications for a Windows Terminal Server infrastructure, see the following white paper:
Optimizing Applications for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Four components worth discussing within the RDP stack instance are:
- the Multipoint Communication Service (MCSMUX)
- the Generic Conference Control (GCC)
- Wdtshare.sys
- Tdtcp.sys
Microsoft Remote Desktop Rdp Client
MCSmux and GCC are part of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) T.120 family. The MCS is made up of two standards:
Microsoft Remote Desktop Rdp Client
- T.122: It defines the multipoint services
- T.125: It specifies the data transmission protocol
Microsoft Remote Desktop Download
MCSMux controls:
- channel assignment by multiplexing data onto predefined virtual channels within the protocol
- priority levels
- segmentation of data being sent
It essentially abstracts the multiple RDP stacks into a single entity, from the perspective of the GCC. GCC is responsible for management of those multiple channels. The GCC allows the creation and deletion of session connections and controls resources provided by MCS. Each Terminal Server protocol (currently, only RDP and Citrix's ICA are supported) will have a protocol stack instance loaded (a listener stack awaiting a connection request). The Terminal Server device driver coordinates and manages the RDP protocol activity. It's made up of smaller components:
- an RDP driver (Wdtshare.sys) for UI transfer, compression, encryption, framing, and so on.
- a transport driver (Tdtcp.sys) to package the protocol onto the underlying network protocol, TCP/IP.
RDP was developed to be entirely independent of its underlying transport stack, in this case TCP/IP. It means that we can add other transport drivers for other network protocols as customers needs for them grow, with little or no significant changes to the foundational parts of the protocol. They're key elements to the performance and extendibility of RDP on the network.