Remote desktop using SSH tunneling

Principle

Sometimes you cannot open the external Windows RDP port TCP 3389. It can be for a security reason or simply because you do not manage your company's firewall.

To overcome this problem you can use a SSH tunnel. That's how it look like:

Requirements

• You must be able to SSH to the middle server (code.vehco.com in the example) from both ends [source + target].
• The source computer is a Windows workstation.
• The target computer can be anything: iPad, Windows, Linux, Android...

Source PC

Requirements:

• Windows computer with RDP enable
• Bitvise # Tunnelier -> http://www.bitvise.com/download-area

How to proceed ?

• Enable Windows RDP​
• Install bitvise # Tunnelier
• Create a SSH tunnel
  • Start Tunnelier
  • Go to the S2C tab
  • Add a new entry
    • LISTEN => remote server (code.vehco.com in that example)
      • LISTEN interface: 127.0.0.1 ​
      • LISTEN port: what_you_want (ex: 60001)
    • DESTINATION => local machine (RDP server)
      • DESTINATION interface: localhost
      • DESTINATION port: 3389
  • Go to the login tab
    • server: code.vehco.com
    • port: TCP 22
    • login: myLogin
    • passwd: myPassword

​Save your profile ! Start it

To start bitvise automatically: ​Create a new entry in your Windows > Start menu > startup ​folder put the following shortcut: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bitvise SSH Client\BvSsh.exe" -profile="portforward.tlp" –loginOnStartup

where "portforward.tlp" = the name of your profile

That's All !! :-) [!] You have to log-in on your PC for the SSH tunnel to work. [!] You should disable screensavers | energy savers otherwise your PC will NOT be available anymore.

Target PC (= your Laptop) # Windows Install a RDP client Install bitvise ​Go to the tab: S2C Add a new entry LISTEN => remote server (code.vehco.com) LISTEN interface: 127.0.0.1 ​ LISTEN port: what_you_put_earlier (ex: 60001) DESTINATION => local machine (RDP server) DESTINATION interface: localhost DESTINATION port: 3390 ​image001.png ​Allez dans l'onglet LOGIN server: code.vehco.com port: TCP 22 login: vadmin passwd: Julgran123

​Save your profile ! Start it !

>>> Start Windows RDP client Connection to: localhost:3390

That's All !! :-) [!] Don't forget to adjust the port number 60001

Target PC (= your Laptop) # Linux

1. Create a SSH tunnel: ssh -v -N -L 127.0.0.1:3390:127.0.0.1:60001 vadmin@code.vehco.com

​local computer (= your laptop) remote computer (= the code.vehco.com server) This will open locally the port TCP 3390 and bind it to the remote port TCP 60001.

2. Then execute a RDP client and connect to localhost:3390

That's All !! :-)​ [!] Don't forget to adjust the port number 60001