Remote Desktop is ideal for connecting to a Windows computer from another part of the network. You can access local drives, printers, files, etc. as if you were sitting in front. While this is great, a problem arises when you have multiple computers on a network that you want to access from outside the network. Access from inside is granted to every client with RDP enabled, but when you are outside the network and using a router, for example, connecting via RDP is only available natively for a computer. Indeed, all computers on the network use the same RDP port.
ContentsChange the RDP port number in the registryAllow the port to pass through the firewallAssign the port via the routerConnect with the new portConclusionConsider this:your desktop is configured for remote connections through the default RDP port. You are with friends and you need access to your office. You would connect as usual, implicitly setting port 3389 as the default. Your router at home is configured to forward these requests remotely to your office. Everything is fine until you need to access your laptop. The natural idea would be to define another rule in the router to forward another RDP request to the laptop. However, it is impossible for the router to forward RDP requests to two computers without setting a different port between the two.
That's why we then need to explicitly create a new RDP port on the laptop, make the necessary changes to the router, and then you can connect to the laptop or desktop with no problem.
Let's see how it's done.
Step 1. Find Regedit in the Start menu to open the Registry Editor .
Navigate through the folders on the left to find the RDP-Tcp folder in this path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
We are looking to change the DWORD (32-bit) Value for Port Number .
It is best to save yourself from possible future problems by backing up your registry. Find out how to back up your registry here.
Step 2. Double-click Port Number in the right pane, then select Decimal for the Base type. Selection Hexadecimal would require you to know the equivalent hexadecimal value of the common decimal value.
The default is 3389 but you can change it to anything you want. I find it useful to change the numbers up or down one value at a time for easy recall.
Note: If your ultimate plan is to change the RDP port number on multiple computers on your network, it's best to write down the computer and port number for future reference. These steps are the same for each computer you need to modify.
The port has been set, so now we need to tell Windows Firewall that it is a safe port to communicate. By default, 3389 is allowed but since we changed it, we also need to change this firewall.
Step 1. Look for firewall window in the Start menu and click on Windows Firewall with Advanced Security .
Step 2. Right-click Inbound Rules and choose New Rule.
Step 3. We need to go through this wizard to finish adding this rule. Select Port on the first step, then proceed to the Protocols and Ports page.
Choose TCP then enter the port you chose in the registry next to Specific local ports .
Click Next and choose Allow connection in the action the window. The next page is used to select the profiles in which this port should be authorized. These will change according to your desire and necessity. I've kept all of this checked for myself.
The last step is to name the new rule. It is useful to state what this rule is for if you need to change it in the future.
Follow these same steps on each machine undergoing the RDP port change.
Now that the port is configured and allowed to pass through the firewall, the next task is to point the new port number to the specific internal IP address so that outside requests are correctly understood.
Step 1. Open your router's configuration page. Ours is http://192.168.1.2 .
Step 2. Look for Unique Port Forwarding section like we did when setting up an FTP server.
Step 3. Enter a descriptive name to identify the computer and the port number for the registry change.
For example, we entered Desktop to specify my computer and External Port and Internal Port the sections are populated with the port number we modified above:3388 .
The local IP address is required for the destination address on the right as shown in the image above. Find your local IP address by opening Command Prompt from the start menu and entering ipconfig . Find the IPv4 Address from each computer and assign the port number and description in the router accordingly.
When the port is changed, connecting to the remote computer via Remote Desktop is a bit different. By default, port 3389 is used and therefore no additional text is required when connecting. Because we changed this port, we also need to change how we connect.
With Remote Desktop open, you will need to enter the computer name in this format:
COMPUTER:PORT
Here are some examples of port numbers that we changed and reflected in the router:
REMOTE SERVER:3388 SERVERNAME:3387 COMPUTER:3386
REMOTE SERVER, SERVER NAME, and THE COMPUTER will be the name of the computer you are connecting to.
These instructions are essential for anyone who wants to access their computer on a network with other RDP clients already configured. Set them up and you can access all your laptops and other home computers remotely, from anyone's network.
