Windows Remote Desktop lets you use a Windows computer from another device, seeing its screen and controlling it as if you were sitting in front of it. It runs on the RDP protocol (Remote Desktop Protocol), built into Windows, and it is the standard way to work with a machine that lives somewhere else: the office, your home or a server in a datacenter.
What you need
- A Windows that can accept connections: Windows 10/11 Pro or Windows Server (Home editions cannot receive RDP connections, only start them).
- An RDP client on the device you connect from: included in every Windows, with free official apps for macOS, iOS and Android.
Enabling Remote Desktop on Windows 11
- Open Settings → System → Remote Desktop.
- Turn on the Remote Desktop switch and confirm.
- Keep Network Level Authentication (NLA) enabled: it rejects connections before authentication and stops much of the automated attacks.
- Note the computer name (or its IP) shown on that same screen.
On Windows Server, Remote Desktop is ready from the first boot: it is how the server is administered.
Connecting from another device
- From Windows: press
Win + R, typemstscand hit Enter. Enter the IP or computer name, your username and password. - From Mac, iPhone or Android: install the official Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) and add the machine by IP.
Inside the same network (your home, your office) this works right away. The complication starts when you want to connect from outside.
The problem: access from outside your network
To reach your home PC from the internet you need to open the RDP port (3389) on your router towards your machine, and three problems appear:
- Your IP changes (home connections usually have a dynamic IP, or plain CGNAT with no ports to open).
- The machine must stay powered on at home, consuming electricity.
- Exposing RDP to the internet is dangerous: bots scan port 3389 day and night trying passwords.
Never open port 3389 of your home PC to the whole internet without extra protection. If you have ever done it, check our RDP security guide.
The alternative: a Windows desktop on a VPS
The clean way to get a remote desktop reachable from anywhere is for the Windows machine to live in a datacenter instead of your home: a Windows VPS with RDP included.
- Fixed, dedicated IP: you always connect to the same address, from any network.
- Always on, with power, network and hardware handled by the datacenter.
- Stable, fast connection: in a Spanish datacenter, 1-20 ms away from any Spanish ISP, the RDP session feels like a local machine.
- Isolated from your personal computer: if something breaks or gets infected, your PC is not affected.
It is the same Windows desktop as always (Desktop, File Explorer and your programs) to work with an ERP, run accounting software, MetaTrader or office suites from your laptop, tablet or phone.
Minimum good practices
Whether you use your PC or a VPS, always apply the basics: a long, unique password, NLA enabled, an updated system and, if the desktop is exposed to the internet, restrict access by IP or change the port. We explain it step by step in the RDP security guide.