Connecting to a server via Remote Desktop
It is most likely that Remote Desktop Protocol, or RDP, will be the primary way in which you interact with your windows server. Using an RDP client of some sort, you'll be able to get access to the full GUI of the remote server, as if you were sat in front of it with a screen plugged in.
The ability to connect via RDP should already be enabled on your Windows server, but if you're having any problems with a ANS server, it's worth contacting support for assistance.
Client software
Windows clients
Presuming you're using Windows, head to one of the following locations to access the Remote Desktop Connection utility, which is the standard RDP client.
On Windows 10:
Start > All Apps > Windows Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection
On previous versions of Windows:
Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection
The appearance of the RDP client is the same in all in-use versions of Microsoft Windows.
Once you have opened the client, you will be presented with the connection panel as below, within this panel, you will need to enter the IP address of the server that you wish to connect to. Once you have entered the IP address, select Connect. You will now be asked to enter a user name and password for the server which you are connecting to. Once you have entered the correct details, please confirm to establish the connection.
Alternatively, you can enter the user name and password for the remote server before you attempt to form the connection, to do this, on the RDP client, click the Options button. You will now be presented with a number of extra options, including the ability to enter the user name and password as below.
Mobile devices
Microsoft have recently developed an RDP Client for both Apple IOS and Android platforms. We will demonstrate how to connect using the IOS version of the app in this guide, however the process is the same for the android version of the app.
Firstly, you will need to install the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from the app store as below:
Once the app is installed, open it to access the Dashboard. From the Dashboard, you will need to select the + symbol in the top right hand corner of the app. This will present the Add New window. as below:
The Add New window will present 3 options to you. For the purposes of this guide, please select Desktop. You will now be presented with a new Desktop configuration panel as below. This panel will ask you for the IP address of the computer which you wish to access, as well as the user account that you wish to use.
Once you have entered the correct details your screen should look like the below example. Now select Save.
You will now be able to see the profile which you have just built on the RDP client dashboard, as below.
Once you are ready to connect to your server via Remote Desktop, you simply need to touch the profile, and the connection will be initialised.
The Desktop option can be misleading, this option will form a connection to a desktop computer and also to a server computer.
MacOS
Microsoft have also developed an RDP client for Apple MacOS. To form a connection using this tool, follow the below steps.
Firstly, as with the IOS version of the app, you will need to download the app from the App Store as below:
Once the app has been installed, you will need to launch it. To do this, open Launchpad, and select it from the list of applications as below:
You will now be presented with the RDP client as below:
From the above window, select the + New button. You will be presented with the Edit Remote Desktops window as below. You will need to enter the details for the server which you are attempting to connect to as demonstrated below.
Once you have entered the correct details, close the window by selecting the red close button in the top left hand corner of the window. You will now be taken back to the Microsoft Remote Desktop main window, where you will see the profile that you have just configured as below:
The last step is to now launch your remote desktop session, there are two ways that you can do this:
- By double clicking the profile which you have configured.
- By single clicking the profile and selecting the
Startbutton from the menu in theRemote Desktop App.
Once you have carried out one of the above actions, your Remote Desktop session will be initialised as below
Your connection should now be formed and you should be presented with the desktop of your server. If you are not, please check that you have entered the correct settings for your remote server.