How to Remotely Access a Raspberry Pi From Your PC
Do you need remote access to your Raspberry Pi’s desktop screen? Or, do you want to use a single keyboard for another computer and your Pi? You can do these by remotely accessing the Raspberry Pi’s desktop using VNC or RDP. By remotely controlling your Raspberry Pi, you can open up a raft of new possibilities for its uses.
What Are VNC and RDP?
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) are used to show the screen of a remote computer. VNC and RDP both have a server and a client to do this. The server computer packs its screen contents using algorithms and sends the data. The client computer or device unpacks the data and displays the contents on the local screen.
Both VNC and RDP servers are available for the Raspberry Pi, and they are quite easy to set up.
How to Set Up the VNC Server on Raspberry Pi
VNC Server is pre-installed on the Raspberry Pi OS. You can enable it through the GUI.
Navigate toMenu>Preferencesand openRaspberry Pi Configuration. Click theInterfacestab, and toggle the button next toVNC.The VNC service will now be enabled, and an icon is shown in the top menu bar.
How to Set Up the VNC Server on Raspberry Pi Using raspi-config
it’s possible to also use the raspi-config command-line tool to enable VNC. Open a Terminal window and enter this command:
SelectInterfaceOptions>VNC>Yesto enable the service
If you are already connected to a headless Raspberry Pi remotely via SSH, and can’t access the GUI easily, raspi-config is a useful tool for changing settings.
How to Set the VNC Screen Resolution of a Headless Raspberry Pi
Quite often, Raspberry Pis are used in headless setups; meaning the Pi is doing its job without being connected to a monitor. In such a case, if you access the Raspberry Pi using VNC, it will default to a resolution of 640x480.
You can change the headless resolution from the Display tab of the Raspberry Pi Configuration tool on the desktop. Alternatively, you can use raspi-config tool in the Terminal.
In raspi-config, navigate toDisplay Options>VNC ResolutionSelect the desired resolution.The setting will be applied when the Pi is restarted.
Find the IP Address of Your Raspberry Pi
To connect a remote computer to the Pi’s VNC Server you will need tofind the Raspberry Pi’s IP address. Open up a Terminal and use this command:
You will need to provide this IP address to the VNC client on the remote computer.
How to Access the Raspberry Pi With VNC Viewer on Windows
To access the screen of your Raspberry Pi on Windows, you need to install a VNC client. Since VNC Server used on the Pi is from RealVNC, there is better compatibility when using the firm’s client. ItsVNC Vieweris free to download.
Install the software and open the application. Go toFile>New Connection.Provide theIP addressof the Raspberry Pi, and give the connection a user-friendly name. Save the settings, and double-click to start the connection.
An authentication window will pop up. Provide the login credentials of the Pi; your username and password. Check theRemember passwordoption and clickOK. The VNC client will display the desktop screen of your Raspberry Pi.
How to Access the Raspberry Pi With VNC Viewer on Linux
There are many VNC clients available for Linux. Since VNC Server on the Raspberry Pi is a product of RealVNC and has UNIX authentication built-in, it is advisable to use RealVNC’s own VNC Viewer.
The software is free and is available asa .deb file, widely compatible with many popular Debian variants of Linux. You need to download the x64 or x86 version ofVNC Viewerdepending on the Linux system you are using.
Once downloaded, open the file with package installer and complete the setup. Open the program and clickUse RealVNC viewer without signing in. From here, use the same steps as with the Windows version of VNC Viewer listed above.
If you want to force the screen quality of VNC, you can click theOptionstab and change thePicture qualityfrom Automatic to High.
How to Set Up the RDP Server on Raspberry Pi
In Raspberry Pi OS, an RDP server is not installed by default—unlike VNC Server. To install it on the Pi, run these commands in the Terminal:
Unlike VNC, RDP requires a new user to be created as well. Use this command to create one:
That’s all the setup it needs. The RDP server does not need to be started manually—it will be up and running already.
How to Access the Raspberry Pi With RDP on Windows
An RDP client is pre-installed in Windows. Click the search icon, search for “RDP” and open the application.
Provide theIP addressof your Raspberry Pi and clickConnect. Upon initiating the connection, you are greeted with a warning that the identity of the remote computer cannot be verified. Check the boxDo not ask me again for connections to this computerto turn off the warning once for good.
RDP will then ask you the credentials. TheSessionmust be Xorg. Provide theUsernameandPasswordof the new user that you have created on the Pi. ClickOKand the screen of your Pi will show up.
How to Access the Raspberry Pi With RDP on Linux
An RDP client is not installed on Linux by default. There are many RDP viewers available for Linux, and a few of them support both RDP and VNC. Remmina is one such program. you may install it from the command line:
Once the installation is complete, open Remmina and add a new connection profile. InProtocol, selectRDP. Provide theIP addressof your Pi. Give theUsernameandPasswordof the new user you have created. ClickSaveandConnect.The Pi’s screen should show up.
Set Sufficient Timeout for VNC Connections
If there is no activity, the VNC connection will close automatically after an hour. However, this can be changed. The setting for this not in the VNC Viewer, but is in the VNC Server.
On your Pi, right-click the VNC icon in the top menu bar and selectOptions. SelectExpertfrom the left pane, and search for the parameterIdleTimeout. Set it to a large number and clickApplyandOK.
How to Set Up VNC and RDP for Optimum Viewing Experience
In theOptionssection of the VNC Viewer, you can set thePicture Quality. The High/Medium/Low settings define the quality of compression. For a Low setting, it is usually lots of lossy compression. Medium is a good balance between compression and bandwidth requirement.
With the High setting, it is usually lots of bandwidth with no compression at all. If the Raspberry Pi is on your local network, connect it with a Gigabit Ethernet cable and set the Picture Quality to High. You will get an excellent experience with VNC, even with remote video playback. VNC Server uses the Pi’s processor for compression. The upside of the High setting is the reduction of processor overhead.
If you access the Pi from a single computer, you canconsider a Gigabit crossover cable, which is even faster.
Both VNC and RDP Are Good, but Which Is Best?
VNC and RDP are both easy to use and feature rich. Each has its advantages. VNC Server is easy to enable on the Pi, whereas an RDP client is pre-installed on Windows. The choice between them depends on the OS you have on the server.
VNC Server from RealVNC is free on Raspberry Pi OS, whereas it is a paid option on other Linux distributions for the Pi. The RDP server is free, but it requires a new user to get going.
Headless servers do not need VNC all the time. The Linux command line is an even more powerful tool which you could access remotely using SSH.
Access and control your Raspberry Pi remotely via SSH from any computer or even an Android phone.
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