Question Anyone regularly use RDP in a home environment?

[weeber]

I currently have 3 Win10 computers: 1) A desktop 3570K; 2) Plex & SageTV server Athlon X4-845; 3) HTPC AMD A10-7700K.

I'm moving soon and I'm starting to question the need for all these Win10 computers. I can get rid of the HTPC by using an Nvidia Shield. What I'm debating is upgrading the server to something more powerful (Ryzen or i5) and then using a thin client to remote into the server as a replacement for a dedicated desktop. The thin client would have the basics, but I would remote into the Server when more processing power was needed.

I don't game anymore, my desktop use is primarily limited to spreadsheets, tax preparation, image editing, and video transcoding (I would remote into the Server for transcoding). Maybe some gaming via Steam streaming would be a possibility. My main concern would be the ability to use two monitors, independently while remoted into the Server.

Does anyone use Windows remote desktop (or other alternative) routinely for something like this. I've messed around with TeamViewer, but my understanding is you can't use dual monitors unless the remote computer has two monitors - I want to keep the Server headless, if possible. For me the ability to use two monitors is a must.

Just curious if anyone has experience with doing something similar. My understanding is I would need Win10 Pro on the Server, but the thin client could be Win10 Home, is that correct?

 

[paperfist]

I use my main PC to RDP into my business 'server' which now runs Win10 Pro. It previously ran Win7 Enterprise.

The main PC recently ran triple monitors, but now runs a 36" & 27" as duals.

When I RDP in I can resize the client to make a split screen on the 36" or run it separately on the 27" while I continue to work on the 36".

 

[Carson Dyle]

I use RDP at home to manage a couple of Windows 2008 servers and sometimes to remote into a Windows 7 laptop that sits in another room. Just need to have Windows 7 Pro on the remote desktop or laptop machines if you want to use Windows RDP instead of a 3rd party remote application. I don't use Windows 10 (yet, but I suppose it's inevitable at some point). Works great. The only thing I can't do is access the BIOS on bootup, but it's extremely rare that I need to do so.

I have two monitors on my desktop machine. The RDP sessions appear in a window, but I think they can be full screen if you set the resolution of the remote session large enough. I have no use for full screen, but there's no problem using both monitors at the client.

 

[ElFenix]

i ran my server headless for a long time, using either RDP or VNC. it was fine until i started using it more like a desktop, and then the tiny bit of lag got to me.

 

[mxnerd]

You can buy dummy hdmi /displayport plug at Amazon to cheat the remote machine having monitors attached. I don't have personal experience.

 

[bob4432]

Use it probably 3-5x/week to get into a separate account on the HTPC while the main account is used for its duties from either a laptop or a Android phone on the same LAN. Has served me well for many years, and yes I have used VNC and found RDP to be superior, but never tried TeamViewer so cannot compare those. All my machines run Win10Pro. For my uses latency is not an issue as I am at least on AC WiFi or a direct 1GbE connection if that matters.

 

[LikeLinus]

Almost daily. While my rack has a monitor and keyboard/mouse setup, I always log into my server via Remote Desktop with my Surface Pro. That way I can manage it from anywhere in the house. Love how easy it is to use. I'll also use RDP to log into my HTPCs throughout the house for installing new versions of Kodi and such.

 

[paperfist]

Do any of you that use RDP have an issue where the machine you are RDPing into clones the desktop background picture of the machine you are RDPing from?

 

[bob4432]

Do any of you that use RDP have an issue where the machine you are RDPing into clones the desktop background picture of the machine you are RDPing from?

Not yet, FWIW, using Win10Pro into a Win10Pro machine

 

[KentState]

Do any of you that use RDP have an issue where the machine you are RDPing into clones the desktop background picture of the machine you are RDPing from?

If you are using Windows 10 with a MS account, it will save your background and sync them across any desktop you access. In a home environment, it will load up the full RDP experience which includes wallpaper.

@weeber I've used RDP at home with headless machines for a long time. Even use Hyper-V on the workstation to host multiple VM's. I will also caution you with the Shield TV. I have one, use it with our main TV and while it does a great job, it has annoying limitations. I'm actually transitioning more to using a direct connection to my media PC and less of streaming media to the Shield TV.

 

[paperfist]

If you are using Windows 10 with a MS account, it will save your background and sync them across any desktop you access. In a home environment, it will load up the full RDP experience which includes wallpaper.

Both run 10 Pro, but neither have MS accounts. I only use local accounts.

The ‘server’ I RDP into will keep its own background for a while and then suddenly the one my desktop uses will appear.

I use the built in screen capture tool a lot, I wonder if that tiggers it...

 

[KentState]

Both run 10 Pro, but neither have MS accounts. I only use local accounts.

The ‘server’ I RDP into will keep its own background for a while and then suddenly the one my desktop uses will appear.

I use the built in screen capture tool a lot, I wonder if that tiggers it...

Interesting. May just be a Windows 10 bug. I know I had a lot of strange issues that didn't happen in earlier products. The syncing background does mess with me as I sometimes think i'm in a different machine.

 

[Homerboy]

Why not get single machine, run something like unRaid on it and toss on a windows 10 VM?