How to set up remote desktop for your web clients

Even as the world opens up post-pandemic, remote working is projected to continue – and even increase – in many workplaces as we move into 2023. From an MSPs perspective, this means that organizational users will continue requiring remote access to their professional desktops, no matter where they’re working. This makes knowing how to setup remote desktop for your clients is essential. This quick guide walks you through how to setup Microsoft Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Web Client for your clients.

What is Remote Desktop Client?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Web Client allows your users to access their organization’s IT infrastructure wherever they are from a compatible web browser. They’ll be able to use and interact with apps or desktops on a remote desktop just as they would if they were physically sitting in front of their work computer. This solution helps you efficiently discover and manage your IT assets.

You can use a Remote Desktop Client on most devices, so this is a highly flexible option for users that are on the go. Some examples are:

• Windows Desktop client
• Android Client
• iOS client
• macOS client
• Web Client (we cover this below)

To be able to remotely access a PC, you’ll need to configure it correctly first:

• Ensure that your PC is actually compatible with the Remote Desktop client
• Allow Remote Desktop access by navigating to Settings > System > Remote Desktop
• Use the slider to allow Remote Desktop and turn it ‘on’. Click confirm.
• Note down the PC Name
• Add all relevant users that can connect remotely by clicking Select users that can remotely access this PC

How to set up Microsoft Remote Desktop client:

• On your client’s computer, install the client that is compatible with the version of Windows they are running
• Once installed, open the client from the Start menu
• From the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection in the search box
• Type the name of the PC you’re connecting to and click ‘Connect’

What is Remote Desktop Web Client?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Web Client allows your users to access their organisation’s IT infrastructure wherever they are from a compatible web browser.

They’ll be able to interact with apps or desktops on a remote desktop just as they would if they were sitting in front of their work computer.

How to setup Microsoft Remote Desktop Web Client

Before you start, you need to ensure that:

• You have added all the servers you will be using to the Server Manager. (Do this by opening Server Manager, clicking Manage > Add Servers, clicking Find Now, and then manually selecting each server in the deployment.) You can also create a session-based deployment.
• Your Remote Desktop deployment has a RD Gateway, an RD connection broker and RD Web Access that is running on Windows Server 2016 or 2019.
• Your deployment is configured to use per-user client access licenses (CALS) instead of per-device.
• Public trusted certificates are correctly configured for your Remote Desktop Gateway. (This grants users on public networks access to Windows desktops.)
• Any computers you will be connecting to remotely are running Windows 10 or Windows Server 2008R2 or later.

To install Microsoft Web Client:

• On the Remote Desktop Connection Broker (which manages any incoming remote desktop connections), get the certificate that is used for RD connections and export as a .cer file.
  Copy this .cer file to the server that is running the RD Web Role.
• Open an elevated PowerShell prompt on the Remote Desktop Web Access Server
•  
• Install the Remote Desktop Web Client management PowerShell module using the cmdlet: ‘Install-Module – Name RDWebClientManagement’
• Download RD Web Client by running the cmdlet ‘Install-RDWebClientPackage’
• Then run the cmdlet ‘Import-RDWebClientBrokerCert <.cerfile path> and ensure to replace the path with the one that you copied earlier from the RD Connection Broker.
• Then publish by running ‘Publish-RDWebClientPackage – Type Production – Latest’
• Run a check that you can properly access the web client URL in the following format: https://server_FQDN/RDWeb/webclient/index.html
• Then all you need to do is send users the URL for the web client and they should be able to login using their credentials.

What your client will need to use the Remote Desktop Web Client:

When you’ve set up Remote Desktop Web Client for your client, all they will need is:

• A computer that is running Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS or Linux (note that mobile devices aren’t currently supported)
• The URL
• Their credentials (username and password)
• A supported web browser

Your client simply needs to click the URL, enter their domain and username in the format DOMAIN\username as well as their password, click ‘Sign In’, and they’ll be able to use their remote desktop.