Connecting via RDP - DigitalFyre Knowledge Base

If your VPS is running Windows Server, you can connect to it using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP gives you a full graphical desktop experience.

Prerequisites

Windows Server installed on your VPS — see Installing an OS
Your server’s IPv4 address — found on your VPS service page
Your Administrator password — set during OS installation, or reset via Password Resets

RDP Clients

macOS
Windows
Linux

Use the Windows App by Microsoft, available free from the Mac App Store. This is the official Microsoft RDP client for macOS and is the recommended option.

Open Windows App

Launch the Windows App from your Applications folder.

Add a PC

Click the + button and select Add PC.

Enter Connection Details

Enter your server’s IPv4 address in the PC name field and click Add.

Connect

Double-click the connection, enter Administrator as the username and your password when prompted.

Windows includes Remote Desktop Connection built in. No additional software is needed.

Open Remote Desktop Connection

Press Win + R, type mstsc, and press Enter.

Enter Your Server IP

Enter your server’s IPv4 address in the Computer field and click Connect.

Enter Credentials

Enter Administrator as the username and your password when prompted.

Several RDP clients are available for Linux. The most widely used options are:

Remmina — A full-featured remote desktop client with RDP support, available in most distribution repositories
FreeRDP — A command-line RDP client, also available in most repositories

Using Remmina:

Install Remmina

# Ubuntu / Debian
apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp

# AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux
dnf install remmina

Create a New Connection

Open Remmina, click the + button, and select RDP as the protocol.

Enter Connection Details

Enter your server’s IPv4 address, Administrator as the username, and your password. Click Save and Connect.

Default RDP Port

RDP listens on port 3389 by default. Ensure your Windows Server firewall allows inbound connections on this port. This is enabled by default on DigitalFyre Windows Server templates.

If you cannot connect, verify that Remote Desktop is enabled on your server. Connect via the VNC Console, open Server Manager > Local Server, and confirm Remote Desktop is set to Enabled.

Security Recommendation

RDP exposed directly to the internet is a common attack target. Consider restricting port 3389 to your own IP address via the Windows Firewall, or tunnelling RDP over SSH for additional security.

​Prerequisites

​RDP Clients

​Default RDP Port

​Security Recommendation

Prerequisites

RDP Clients

Default RDP Port

Security Recommendation