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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.

Before you begin

Make sure that:
  • Your remote PC and the device you want to use to access it are linked over Meshnet.
  • Your remote PC runs a Pro edition of Windows 10 or 11. To check this:
    1. 1.
      Select Start
       and open Settings.
    2. 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:
Copying the device's IP address or Nord name

Enable remote access on your PC

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. 1.
    Select Start
     and open Settings.
  2. 2.
    Go to System > Remote Desktop.
  3. 3.
    Turn on the Remote Desktop toggle.
    Turning on Remote Desktop
    ​
  4. 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.

Connect to your remote PC

You can use different remote desktop clients depending on the platform you are connecting from:
  • Microsoft Remote Desktop, available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
  • AnyDesk, available on all major operating systems and known for its wide range of features
  • NoMachine, available on all major platforms and known for its fast performance
  • Remmina, available on Linux

Using Microsoft Remote Desktop

To initiate a remote connection, follow the guidelines below.
Windows
macOS
iOS
Android
  1. 1.
    In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
  2. 2.
    In the dialog that opens, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
    Entering the Nord name
    ​
  3. 3.
    Click Connect.
  4. 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
      ​
      Entering the remote PC credentials
      ​
  5. 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.
Start by downloading and installing the Microsoft Remote Desktop app, available for free from the Mac App Store.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Open Microsoft Remote Desktop, click the plus (+) button, and select Add PC.
  2. 2.
    In the PC name box, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
    Entering Nord name of a remote PC
    ​
  3. 3.
    Select Add user account from the User account dropdown list.
  4. 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
      Entering remote PC authentication details
      ​
  5. 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. 6.
    Click Add to save changes and then click Add again.

Access your remote PC

  1. 1.
    Double-click the saved connection that you added.
  2. 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. 3.
    If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, click Show certificate and then select the Always trust checkbox.
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.
Start by downloading and installing the Microsoft Remote Desktop client from the iOS App Store.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Open RD Client.
  2. 2.
    On the PCs tab, tap the plus (+) button, and then select Add PC.
  3. 3.
    Tap PC name and enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
    The Nord name is entered in the PC name box.
  4. 4.
    Return to the previous menu and tap User account > Add user account.
  5. 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. 6.
    Optionally, tap Friendly name to give a nickname to your connection. This way, you can easily identify your Remote Desktop connections.
  7. 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.
Start by downloading and installing the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from Google Play.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Open RD Client.
  2. 2.
    On the PCs tab, tap the plus (+) button, and then select Add PC.
  3. 3.
    Select Add manually.
  4. 4.
    Under PC name, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
    Nord name of the remote PC
  5. 5.
    Under User account, select the Add user account option.
  6. 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
      Remote account username and password entered
  7. 7.
    Tap Save again.

Access your remote PC

  1. 1.
    From the main screen, select the saved connection that you added.
  2. 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. 3.
    If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, select the Never ask again for connections to this PC checkbox.
Having followed these steps, you should now be able to access and control your PC remotely using Microsoft Remote Desktop.

Using AnyDesk

Alternatively, you can establish a remote connection between your devices using AnyDesk.
Begin by downloading and installing the AnyDesk app on both your remote and local devices.

Enable unattended access

With the default configuration, AnyDesk requires the receiving device to manually accept an incoming connection. However, the app’s Unattended access feature allows you to access the remote machine without additional user input. To enable this option, on the remote computer:
  1. 1.
    Launch AnyDesk.
  2. 2.
    In the upper-right corner, click the General menu button and select Settings.
    Opening the Settings menu on the AnyDesk app.
  3. 3.
    On the left, select the Security section and click Unlock security settings.
  4. 4.
    Click Yes in the User account control dialog.
    Clicking Yes in the Windows User account control prompt.
  5. 5.
    From the Permissions profile dropdown list, select Unattended access and click Set password.
    The Unattended access permission profile is selected.
    ​
  6. 6.
    Enter a secure password that will be used for authentication and click Apply.
After applying the changes, you can connect to the remote device without having to manually accept the connection request.

Access your remote PC

To establish a remote connection from different platforms using AnyDesk, follow these steps:
Windows, macOS, and Linux
iOS and Android
To connect to the remote PC, on your local computer:
  1. 1.
    Launch AnyDesk.
  2. 2.
    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.
    Entering the Nord name of the remote PC and clicking connect on the AnyDesk app
    ​
  3. 3.
    In the Authorization dialog, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC and click OK.
    Entering the Unattended access password and clicking OK in the Authorization prompt.
    ​
    Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox so you wouldn’t need to enter the password in the future.
To connect to your remote PC, on your mobile device:
  1. 1.
    Open AnyDesk.
  2. 2.
    In the Remote address field, type in either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote PC and tap Connect.
    Entering the Nord name of the remote PC and clicking connect on the AnyDesk app
    ​
  3. 3.
    In the Authorization dialog, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC and tap OK.
    Entering the Unattended access password and tapping OK in the Authorization prompt.
    Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox so you wouldn’t need to enter the password in the future.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote PC using AnyDesk over Meshnet.

Using NoMachine

To establish a remote connection using NoMachine, proceed with the guidelines below.
Windows, macOS, and Linux
iOS and Android
Start by downloading the NoMachine app and installing it on both your remote and local computers.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Launch NoMachine on your local device and select the Add button to create a new connection.
  2. 2.
    Optionally, in the Name field, provide a custom name for the connection.
  3. 3.
    In the Host field, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the computer you want to access, and then select Add.
    In the Host field, the Meshnet IP is entered and the Add button is highlighted
  4. 4.
    On the NoMachine main screen, double-click the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
  5. 5.
    If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select OK to proceed.
  6. 6.
    Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
    • Username: your remote Mac account name
    • Password: the password you use to log in to your Mac
Start by downloading the NoMachine app and installing it on both your remote and local devices.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Launch NoMachine on your local device and select the Add button in the upper-left corner to create a new connection.
    The Add button is highlighted
  2. 2.
    Ensure that NX is selected as the protocol and tap Continue.
  3. 3.
    In the Host field, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the computer you want to access, and then select Continue.
    The Meshnet IP address of the remote PC is entered in the Host field, which is highlighted
  4. 4.
    Keep the default options for Authentication and Proxy.
  5. 5.
    Optionally, in the Name field, provide a custom name for the connection and tap Done.
  6. 6.
    On the NoMachine main screen, double-tap the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
  7. 7.
    Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
    • Username: your remote Mac account name
    • Password: the password you use to log in to your Mac
With these steps completed, you should now be able to access and control your PC remotely using NoMachine.

Using Remmina for remote connections from Linux

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.

Install the Remmina Remote Desktop Client

If you don't have Remmina installed on your system, install it using one of the methods described below.
Terminal
Ubuntu Software
  1. 1.
    Open the terminal.
  2. 2.
    Update the package manager list of available packages by running the following command:
    sudo apt update
    ​
  3. 3.
    Install Remmina by entering this command:
    sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-vnc
  1. 1.
    Open the Ubuntu Software application.
  2. 2.
    In the search bar, enter remmina and select the matching result.
    Entering Remmina in the search bar
  3. 3.
    Click the Install button.

Set up a remote connection

  1. 1.
    Open the Remmina app by going to Show applications and searching for remmina.
  2. 2.
    Click the "New connection profile" button in the upper-left corner of the application window.
  3. 3.
    Make sure RDP — Remote Desktop Protocol is selected in the Protocol box.
  4. 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
      Filling in the Server, Username, and Password boxes.
      ​
  5. 5.
    Click Save.
  6. 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.

See also

​
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Last modified 3d ago
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