Connect to a Windows device
Learn how to access a Windows computer over Meshnet remotely from any platform.
To log in to your Windows PC remotely over Meshnet, enable remote access on your PC and use a remote desktop app on the device you're connecting from.
Before you begin
Make sure that:
Both the Windows device you wish to access remotely (remote PC) and the device you're using to connect are linked over Meshnet.
Your remote PC is on.
Your remote PC runs a Pro edition of Windows 10 or 11.
To check your PC edition
On your PC, select Start
and open Settings.Go to System > About.
Under Windows specifications, look for Edition.
Set up your remote PC for access
Before you can connect to your remote PC, you'll need to enable Remote Desktop on it.
Select Start
and open Settings.Go to System > Remote Desktop
Turn on the Remote Desktop toggle.
Select Confirm when prompted.
Finding PC account credentials
You will be prompted to enter authentication details when attempting a remote connection to your Windows PC. The credentials you must enter depend on the type of Windows account the PC is using.
If you're using a Microsoft account, you can use either:
Your Microsoft account's email address and password. Example
Your Windows account's username and Microsoft account's password. Example
If you're using a local Windows account, you need to use the account's username and password.
Tip
To view your Windows account's username, run the following command in PowerShell:
$env:usernameConnect to your remote PC
For Windows-only connections, follow these steps on the device you're using to connect:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
In the search box on the taskbar, type
Remote Desktop Connectionand click Remote Desktop Connection
.
In the dialog that opens, paste either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
Click Connect.
Enter the following information, and then click OK:
Your remote PC account name
The password you use to log in to your remote PC
See the Finding PC account credentials section above for more details regarding correct credential usage.
You may receive a warning indicating that the remote computer's identity cannot be verified. When connecting to a trusted computer, such as one on your Meshnet, click Yes to continue.
Tip
If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, select the Don't ask me again for connections to this computer checkbox.
You should now be able to securely access and control your PC remotely.
Alternative remote desktop tools
You can also use other remote access software like NoMachine or AnyDesk to establish a remote connection between your devices.
Using NoMachine
Once remote access is configured on the target PC, install the NoMachine 
app on both your remote and local devices.
Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux using NoMachine
On your local machine:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the device you want to access.
Launch NoMachine and select the Add button to create a new connection.
Fill in the following information and, in the upper-right corner, click Add:
In the Name field, enter a custom name to identify the connection.
In the Host field, paste the copied Nord name of the device you want to access. Example
Double-click the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select OK to proceed.
Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
Username: your remote PC account name
Password: the password you use to log in to your remote PC Example
See the Finding PC account credentials section above for more details regarding correct credential usage.
You should now be able to securely access and control your PC remotely.
Connect from Android or iPhone/iPad using NoMachine
On your mobile device, perform the following steps to add a remote PC connection:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
Open NoMachine and select the Add button in the upper-left corner to create a new connection.
Ensure that NX is selected as the protocol and tap Continue.
In the Host field, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the computer you want to access, and then select Continue.
Keep the default options for Authentication and Proxy.
Optionally, in the Name field, provide a custom name for the connection and tap Done.
To access your remote PC:
On the NoMachine main screen, double-tap the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select OK to proceed.
Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
Username: your remote PC account name
Password: the password you use to log in to your remote PC Example
See the Finding PC account credentials section above for more details regarding correct credential usage.
You should now be able to securely access and control your PC remotely.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using NoMachine over Meshnet.
Using AnyDesk
Once remote access is configured on the target PC, install the AnyDesk 
app on both the PC and the device you're connecting from.
For this setup, you won't need remote PC account credentials. Instead, you can use either manual approval on the remote PC or set up a dedicated unattended access password.
Optional: Enable unattended access with AnyDesk
By default, AnyDesk needs manual approval for incoming connections. To bypass this, you can enable the app’s Unattended access feature:
On the remote computer, launch AnyDesk you installed earlier.
In the upper-right corner, click the Main Menu button and select Settings.
From the menu on the left, under Security, select Access.
Under Unattended access, click Set password.
Enter and confirm a secure password that will be used for authentication, and then click Apply.
After applying the changes, connect to the device without manual approval by following the platform-specific instructions below.
Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux using AnyDesk
On your local machine:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the device you want to access.
Launch AnyDesk you installed earlier.
In the remote address field at the top, enter either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote PC and click Connect.
If you set up an unattended password on the remote PC:
In the Authorization dialog that appears, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC and click OK.
Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote device to accept the connection request manually.
Connect from Android or iPhone/iPad using AnyDesk
On your mobile device:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
Open AnyDesk you installed earlier.
In the remote address field, paste either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote PC and tap the arrow button to connect.
If you set up an unattended password on the remote PC:
In the Authorization dialog, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC and tap OK.
Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote device to accept the connection request manually.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using AnyDesk over Meshnet.
Checklist for a successful connection
If you encounter issues while attempting to connect, check that:
See also
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