Guide to Remote Desktop
Connection
Updated on: 24 April 2013
Illustrations from Windows 7
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Guide to Remote Desktop Connection
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A. Introduction
This guide shows the step by step instructions on how to access to your office Windows computer
remotely, from another computer on campus or off-campus.
This allows you to use the installed programs and files stored on your office computer.
B. Accessing your office computer from another computer
This part will illustrate the steps to set up your computer to access your files and programs from
another computer on campus.
The software you would be using is called Remote Desktop Connection, included in Windows.
Checklist
Before using Remote Desktop Connection, do the following 6 checks. This is to get your
computer ready for remote access. You would only need to do this once.
Joining your office computer to NUS domain
Refer here for the instructions to join your office computer to the NUSSTF or NUSSTU
domain.
Leaving your office computer turned on
Your office computer must be powered on and connected to the network via LAN.
Knowing your office computer’s name
Go to Start > Control Panel > System > under Computer Name, note down the computer
name. In the below example, the computer’s name is “G3V6D2S”.
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Verifying your administrative privileges
Go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts > check that your
user ID is added into the Administrators group. Only an administrator of the computer is
allowed for remote access.
Allowing access to Remote Desktop on Windows Firewall
Go to Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Allow a program or feature through
Windows Firewall > Change Settings > look for “Remote Desktop” > tick on both Domain and
Home/Work > click OK.
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Enabling the Remote Desktop feature
Go to Start > Control Panel > System > click Remote Settings on the left menu > under
Remote tab, tick on “Allow connection from computers running any version of Remote
Desktop”. And click OK.
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Using Remote Desktop Connection
After you have done the 6 checks, your office computer is now ready for the remote access from
another computer.
1. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection.
2. Enter your office computer’s name and click Connect.
3. You would be prompted for the login credentials – login with your NUSNET UserID and
password to either NUSSTF (staff) or NUSSTU (student) or NUSEXT (visitor) domain.
4. Once logged in successfully, you would have full access to your office computer. From there
on, you could access to your files and installed programs as if you are working from the
actual computer on campus.
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C. Accessing your office computer from Off-Campus
This part will guide you on the steps to establish the VPN connection, to allow your access to the
office computer from your home computer, or from your laptop connected to a hotel or institution’s
network.
1. Make sure that you have proper internet access from the off-campus computer first.
If you do not have the internet access, check with your local Internet Service Provider.
2. Visit https://webvpn.nus.edu.sg/ to login to NUS Web VPN with your NUSNET UserID and
Password.
For the domain, choose NUSSTF for Staff, NUSSTU for Students and NUSEXT for Visitors.
3. You will next be prompted to install the Juniper Network Connect software.
4. Once the VPN is connected, you will see a padlock icon on your task bar
5. You may now use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to your office computer.
Refer here for more VPN FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide, if you encounter problems with the
NUS Web VPN.
Note that the user experience of using Remote Desktop Connection from off-campus will depend
on the speed of your Internet Service Provider.
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