Any free ways to remote into multiple computers?
Due to my work, I need to remote into multiple computers at once. For example, in a mainframe room with 10 computers, I have to access each computer remotely to get my work done. What should I do now to access multiple computers remotely? It’s better to be free.}
- Question from Tom
How to use Remote Desktop to remote into multiple computers [extra setup]
To remote into multiple computers free, we can use Remote Desktop (RDP). We need some extra settings. In the next part, a detailed description of how to set up Remote Desktop for remoting into multiple PCs at once will be demonstrated.
Part 1. Change the RDP port number in Registry Editor
RDP default port 3389 only works for one computer, which means that if you want to connect to multiple computers at once, you must create a new port on each computer separately and then change the router accordingly to enable remote access to multiple computers.
Step 1. Press Windows + R to and then type "regedit" to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigation:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\ControlTerminal Server\WinStation\RDP-Tcp
Step 3. Double-click on "PortNumber" in the right pane and tick "Decimal". The default port number is 3389, but you can change it to any other value, for example, 3388.
Part 2. Allowing the port to go through the firewall
After the setup of the Port Number for each PC, now we could allow the port to go through the Firewall so that we can connect successfully.
Step 1. Press Win + R and type "control panel" and hit “OK”.
Step 2. Click on “System and Security” and then find "Windows Defender Firewall". Click on “Advanced settings”.
Step 3. Double-click on "Inbound Rules" and then select "New Rule".
Step 4. Select "Port" in the "Rule Type" screen, and click "Next".
Step 5. In the "Protocol and Port" screen, select "TCP", enter the port number, such as 3327, and click "Next".
Step 6. Select "Allow the connection" in the "Action" screen, and click "Next". In the "Profile" screen, check the "Domain", "Dedicated" and "Public" options according to your needs and click "Next".
Step 7. In the "Name" screen, enter the name of the new port, and click on "Finish".
✎ Note: The operation of changing the RDP port needs to be done on each remote computer separately.
Part 3. Assigning ports through the router
Step 1. Open the router configuration interface and find the Single Port Forwarding section.
Step 2. Enter the port number used to identify the computer or registry changes. For example, Desktop for the local computer and Laptop and Joe's PC for other remote computers.
Step 3. We also need to find the IPv4 address of each computer and assign it to the corresponding port number. Press "Win + R" and type "cmd", hit “OK”, and type "ipconfig" to find the computer's local IP address of the computer.
Part 4. Connecting to the new port
Now the setup is completed, you can connect to the object users one by one. But it needs to be mentioned that you should change the port number every time you connect to another user.
Step 1. Search "Remote Desktop Connection" in the search box.
Step 2. In the "General" tab, enter the IP address and user name of the host computer, and then click "Connect".
Step 3. In the Windows Security pop-up window, enter the password under this user name and click "OK".
Step 4. Click "Yes" for the Authentication pop-up window to successfully establish a remote connection. After that, you can remote into multiple computers in turn.
How to use AnyViewer to remote into multiple computers [simple and secure]
RDP can meet your basic needs for remote control, but we have to admit that the process of remote into multiple computers with RDP is too time-consuming and more troublesome. At this time, we strongly recommend a free & secure remote access software-- AnyViewer, to help you remote into multiple computers.
- The highlights:
- The operation is fairly easy and the connection speed is kind of appreciated.
- It is secured by Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) encryption, protecting your data from leakage, especially when you’re using it for business purposes.
- It's workable for multiple Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 Home Edition.
- For unattended access, you can remote into the computer with one click once you logged into the same account.
Step 1. Click the button to download, install and launch AnyViewer on all computers. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up to create an AnyViewer account.
Step 2. You can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Then, log into the same account on all computers where you want to establish a remote connection.
Step 3. On the computer that you start the remote sessions, go to Device, locate the computer you want to control, click it and click One-click control. Do the same to remote into another computer.
Step 4. Now you can remote control multiple computers simultaneously and you can manage the sessions on the tab.
Conclusion
Windows Remote Desktop can help you remote into multiple computers; however, the process is complicated and time-wasting. To remote desktop into two or multiple computers at once conveniently and easily, it's highly recommended to use AnyViewer, which even enables you to manage multiple sessions effortlessly.