Connect to a Windows device
Learn how to access a Windows computer over Meshnet from Windows, macOS, or Linux.
To log in to your Windows PC remotely over Meshnet, you need to set up remote access on your Windows PC and use a remote desktop client on the device from which you are connecting.
Make sure that:
- Your remote PC runs a Pro edition of Windows 10 or 11. To check this:
- 1.Select Startand open Settings.
- 2.Go to System > About and look for Edition.
- Your remote PC is turned on.
Also, it's a good idea to look up the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the computer you're connecting to in your NordVPN app. You can copy this information by going to Meshnet
and clicking the device’s Nord name or IP address, as shown:
Note
For this scenario, Windows 11 Pro will be used as an example, but the instructions should also apply to Windows 10 Pro.
Set up your PC to accept remote connections:
- 1.Select Startand open Settings.
- 2.Go to System > Remote Desktop.
- 3.Turn on the Remote Desktop toggle.
- 4.Select Confirm.
Have ready the name for the account you're using on your PC.
Tip
To check if your account has permission to access this PC remotely, select Remote Desktop users under Remote Desktop, and then find your user account name in the dialog that appears.
Below are the steps to connect to a remote Windows computer.
From Windows
From macOS
From Linux
From iOS
From Android
Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up:
- 1.In the search box on the taskbar, type
Remote Desktop Connectionand then click Remote Desktop Connection. - 2.In the dialog that opens, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
- 3.Click Connect.
- 4.Enter the following information, and then click OK:
- Your remote PC account name
- The password you use to log in to your remote PC
- 5.You may receive a warning indicating that the identity of the remote computer 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 access and control your PC remotely.
Use Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up.
- 1.Open Microsoft Remote Desktop, click the plus (+) button, and select Add PC.
- 2.In the PC name box, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
- 3.Select Add user account from the User account dropdown list.
- 4.Enter your remote desktop credentials to save for use with this connection.
- Username: your remote PC account name
- Password: the password you use to log in to your remote PC
- 5.Optionally, you can give a nickname to your connection in the Friendly name field. It is a way to easily identify your Remote Desktop connections.
- 6.Click Add to save changes and then click Add again.
- 1.Double-click the saved connection that you added.
- 2.You may receive a warning indicating that the digital certificate of the computer you're trying to access cannot be verified. When connecting to a trusted computer, such as one on your Meshnet, click Continue.
- 3.If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, click Show certificate and then select the Always trust checkbox. You should now be able to access and control your PC remotely.
Note
An error may sometimes occur when you try to connect to a Windows computer from a Mac. If this is the case, ensure your firewall or antivirus software on the Windows computer isn't blocking the connection. Your specific network settings can also affect the connection.
Note
The instructions below apply primarily to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or above, but if you use a different distribution of Linux, the procedure should remain similar.
You can use the Remmina Remote Desktop Client to work with Windows desktops from a Linux device.
If you don't have Remmina installed on your system, install it using one of the methods described below.
- 1.Open the terminal.
- 2.Update the package manager list of available packages by running the following command:sudo apt update
- 3.Install Remmina by entering this command:sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-vnc
- 1.Open the Ubuntu Software application.
- 2.In the search bar, enter
remminaand select the matching result.
- 3.Click the Install button.
- 1.Open the Remmina app by going to Show applications and searching for remmina.
- 2.Click the New connection profilebutton in the upper-left corner of the application window.
- 3.Make sure RDP — Remote Desktop Protocol is selected in the Protocol box.
- 4.Under Basic, enter the information to create a reusable connection.
- Server: the Nord name or the Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access
- Username: your remote PC account name
- Password: the password you use to log in to your remote PC
- 5.Click Save.
- 6.Accept the certificate presented by the server to verify that you trust the computer you are trying to access.
The new connection will appear in the Remmina window. You can double-click it whenever you want to initiate a remote desktop session.
To connect to your PC from an iOS device, use the Microsoft Remote Desktop client designed for iOS.
- 1.Open RD Client.
- 2.On the PCs tab, tap the plus (+) button, and then select Add PC.
- 3.Tap PC name and enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
- 4.Return to the previous menu and tap User account > Add user account.
- 5.Enter the following information to save for use with this connection:
- Your remote PC account name
- The password you use to log in to your remote PC
- 6.Optionally, tap Friendly name to give a nickname to your connection. This way, you can easily identify your Remote Desktop connections.
- 7.Tap Save, select the account you've just created, and tap Save again.
The new connection will appear under PCs. Tap it whenever you want to initiate a remote desktop session.
To connect to your PC from an Android device, use the Microsoft Remote Desktop client designed for Android.
- 1.Open RD Client.
- 2.On the PCs tab, tap the plus (+) button, and then select Add PC.
- 3.Select Add manually.
- 4.Under PC name, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
- 5.Under User account, select the Add user account option.
- 6.Enter the following information to save for use with this connection and tap Save:
- Your remote PC account name
- The password you use to log in to your remote PC
- 7.Tap Save again.
- 1.From the main screen, select the saved connection that you added.
- 2.You may receive a warning indicating that the digital certificate of the computer you're trying to access cannot be verified. When connecting to a trusted computer, such as one on your Meshnet, tap Connect.
- 3.If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, select the Never ask again for connections to this PC checkbox. You should now be able to access and control your PC remotely.