Question RDP alternative

[CU]

I remote into my company laptop from my personal computer when I work from home. That way I don't have to swap my keyboard, mice, etc. back and forth between the two computers. It works great. But, my companies VPN is blocking RDP now. VNC works, but then I am limited to my laptops low resolution instead of my 4k monitor as VNC will not change resolutions like RDP does. Are there any free RDP alternatives out there that I can try?

 

[mxnerd]

TeamViewer

 

[CU]

TeamViewer

Thanks, I will give TeamViewer a try. My laptop is only 1600x900, so hopefully when I connect with TeamViewer I can display it at 4K like RDP can.

 

[CU]

Just tried TeamViewer. I don't see a way to change the resolution to 4K to match my personal computer's monitor. It displays it at my laptops resolution of 1600x900. I need something that will let me pick the resolution like RDP does.

 

[mxnerd]

Don't know why you can't. It will be blurry though, since your laptop is only 1600x900. There is nothing you can do with that unless you can attach a 4K monitor to your laptop.

 

[CU]

I don't have all those resolutions. I assume your remote machine supports all those resolutions as it only shows what my laptop screen supports. And, yes scaling is not an option. RDP doesn't have this issue. So, I am trying to find something to replace it with. Turning out to be harder than I expected.

 

[mxnerd]

OK. I read your post wrong. Your laptop has lower resolution and it's the one being remote controlled?

You need dummy 4k HDMI adapter for your laptop.

Amazon.com : dummy hdmi plug 4k

 

[CU]

Was just reading about those dummy adaptors. Also, looking for some software that would trick it into allowing custom resolutions. But, that dummy adapter maybe the only options.

 

[mxnerd]

Also, looking for some software that would trick it into allowing custom resolutions.

Never heard of such things.

 

[PingSpike]

If I understand it correctly, you still bring the laptop home its just you need a way to share your monitor and keyboard? If that is true, have you considered a KVM switch?

 

[mikeymikec]

RDP is different to how other remote access applications work.

Other remote access applications show you 'the console': what you would expect to see if you were physically sitting at the computer using the default monitor. If a 1024x768 monitor is connected and running at native resolution, that's the size window / resolution the remote access app will show you.

RDP does not show you 'the console' as such. RDP makes the host work a bit like a mainframe. The client says it wants a desktop of such-and-such dimensions, so that's what the host serves up. A proper Windows Terminal Server will allow many people to be connected at once, all at different resolutions, and each can do whatever they like provided that they're signed in as different Windows users. 'Professional' editions of Windows allow up to 2 RDP connections simultaneously.

I don't know of an alternative to RDP on Windows.

 

[CU]

If I understand it correctly, you still bring the laptop home its just you need a way to share your monitor and keyboard? If that is true, have you considered a KVM switch?

Thought about a KVM, but a KVM that does 4K@60 isn't cheap. Right now RDP is still working. I just have to sign onto the VPN first then RDP into the laptop. Not sure how long that loop hole will last. If that loop hole closes it seems dummy monitor and teamviewer may be the way to go. I should be getting a new work laptop soon, so that may also change things. The new one should support a 4K screen. I could then just use a USB swtich for keyboard / mouse and connect my laptop to another input on my 4K monitor. It would be like a KVM I just have to push two buttons instead of one.

 

[PingSpike]

Thought about a KVM, but a KVM that does 4K@60 isn't cheap. Right now RDP is still working. I just have to sign onto the VPN first then RDP into the laptop. Not sure how long that loop hole will last. If that loop hole closes it seems dummy monitor and teamviewer may be the way to go. I should be getting a new work laptop soon, so that may also change things. The new one should support a 4K screen. I could then just use a USB swtich for keyboard / mouse and connect my laptop to another input on my 4K monitor. It would be like a KVM I just have to push two buttons instead of one.

Yeah, I think there are some cheapish HDMI switches that do 4K but you're right that changes things. The monitor switch plus USB switch is the cheapest and probably most reliable way to do it, if you don't mind the extra button presses. KVMs can be pretty flaky.

 

[ultimatebob]

Can you run RDP on a different port to get around the block?

 

[CU]

Can you run RDP on a different port to get around the block?

Haven't thought about changing the port. I will keep that in mind. For now it seems to work if I connect to the VPN first and then RDP to it.

 

[mxnerd]

According to PingSpike, you brought the laptop home besides your PC? If that's the case, why do you need to connect VPN first?

The traffic goes out to internet and then comes back. That slow you down quite a bit. Why not just RDP locally?

 

[CU]

According to PingSpike, you brought the laptop home besides your PC? If that's the case, why do you need to connect VPN first?

The traffic goes out to internet and then comes back. That slow you down quite a bit. Why not just RDP locally?

The laptop is on my desk beside my desktop all wired Ethernet to a 1gig internet connection. I connect the laptop to the VPN. Then I RDP from my desktop to the laptop. If I RPD first the VPN my company uses blocks the VPN connection when it detects the RDP connection. The VPN apparently only checks for the RDP connection when it connects.

I haven't noticed any slow down vs when they used the old VPN and I could RDP before the VPN connection was made.

 

[rasczak]

I remote into my company laptop from my personal computer when I work from home. That way I don't have to swap my keyboard, mice, etc. back and forth between the two computers. It works great. But, my companies VPN is blocking RDP now. VNC works, but then I am limited to my laptops low resolution instead of my 4k monitor as VNC will not change resolutions like RDP does. Are there any free RDP alternatives out there that I can try?

From a security perspective, you using a personal PC to RDP into the company network only speaks of bad things.

 

[CU]

I am remoting into my company provided laptop with company image so I don't have to use a KVM or manually switch keyboard, mouse, and monitor connections. The VPN connection is made from the laptop not my personal computer.

 

[rasczak]

Gotcha, i mis-read that.

 

[CU]

Got my new laptop from work. They disable RDP altogether now. So, running the VPN then RDP'ing into the laptop won't work. So, thoughts on what is better a dummy 4K hdmi plug and use something like VNC or TeamViewer. Or, use a USB switch and the second input on my monitor. The hardware solution is not as convenient to switch back and forth. It would require hitting the USB switch button and changing monitor inputs. But, no latency at all.

Has anyone used Stardock's Multiplicity? How does it compare to VNC or TeamViewer? Would I still need the dummy plug?

 

[mxnerd]

Virtual KVM Software: Best for 2023 [Out of 15 Tested]

It's common for PC owners to have a laptop or a second PC. However, it's not practical to use multiple computers with different displays, keyboards, and

www.raymond.cc

 

[CU]

Thanks for the free KVM link although they are really KM programs, no video. I also tried Stardock's Mutiplicity. You can not change the resolution, only stretch my laptops screen to 4K. That is not what I was looking for in Mutiplicity.

Also my new laptop's network type is public and windows will not let me set it to private. I think it is a company security policy. That prevented Mutiplicity from even connecting to it. I had to test it with my old one. I suspect that network issue will prevent just about every software solution from working.

 

[mxnerd]

Dummy 4K HDMI adapter probably is what you want then, because video resolution is all you care.

Whether the laptop will let you install any types of remote control software on your new laptop probably is also completely up to your company.

==

Tested. I set my Windows 10 virtual machine's network to public profile, RDP and Teamviewer both works.

 

[CU]

I got a usb switch to handle the keyboard and mouse then used controlmymonitor to write a one line batch file that I can run to switch inputs with a simple mouse click.