When it comes to controlling a server, it’s important to have access from anywhere; whether stuck in traffic or working from home, servers can be controlled from wherever you are in the world with a web browser. This can be achieved through either remote KVM access (keyboard video-monitor mouse) or RDP (remote desktop protocol). The former is not to be confused with Kernel-based Virtual Machines, though we’ll briefly explain how this works too, since you’ll probably be curious – especially if you utilise Linux-based servers!

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What is RDP and how does it work?

Remote desktop protocol allows access to a server’s desktop directly from a PC by presenting a graphical interface that can be interacted with. When running RDP, a window in the user’s PC pops up and shows what is happening on the server they are trying to access. This window can be interacted with to perform actions and commands on the server remotely.

In terms of how RDP works,  the local device – be it a Windows PC, Android, or macOS device – simply sends keyboard and mouse inputs and receives screen updates. Remote Desktop ensures a lightweight and secure solution for remote access, employing SSL and 128-bit encryption to safeguard data transmission. You’ll get full access to programs, files, network resources, and any connected peripherals – making it ideal for remote working.

Benefits of Remote Desktop

As Remote Desktop is a software-based remote access solution that comes built into Windows operating systems, this makes it super easy to set up without any additional hardware or software required. Some key benefits of using Remote Desktop include:

1. It’s a software-based solution

Since Remote Desktop is built into Windows, there is no need to purchase or install any additional software. The client is ready to use on any Windows machine. This makes deployment and ongoing management very simple. Even if you don’t have it already, it’s easy to access and download via the App Store.

2. Easy to set up

Getting started with Remote Desktop is straightforward for both administrators and end users. Administrators (you) simply enable Remote Desktop on the host server, create accounts, and configure any security policies. Users can quickly locate the Remote Desktop client in their Windows start menu and connect.

3. Flexibility 

Users can connect to a Remote Desktop host using multiple clients and devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. This enables remote access from nearly any device.

How to use RDP

As highlighted, the remote desktop protocol allows you to connect to a server from anywhere in the world. To get you started with RDP, we’ve outlined how to connect to a server, as well as which port is most typically used.

How to RDP to a server

RDP is often pre-installed on most Windows PCs, which allows you to get straight into connecting to a server. Here’s how to do it.

1. Configure

Ensure that the server you plan to RDP into is configured to accept Remote Desktop connections – fortunately, our servers are already equipped to, so you can usually skip this step. On Windows servers, this usually means that the Remote Desktop feature should be enabled, which is done through the System Properties. You'll need to check under 'Remote' settings to make sure 'Allow remote connections to this computer' is selected.

2. Gather your credentials

Next, you'll need the IP address or hostname of the server, as well as a username and password with permissions to access the server. If you're using a Windows computer, the Remote Desktop Connection client is built-in already – which you can find by searching for "Remote Desktop Connection" in the start menu. For macOS users, the Microsoft Remote Desktop app can be downloaded from the App Store.

3. Establish the connection

Once the RDP client is open, enter the IP address or hostname of the server into the 'Computer' field. Before clicking 'Connect', you can click on 'Show Options' to tweak advanced settings like display properties and local resources that you would like to use during the session. After setting this up, click 'Connect', and when prompted, enter the username and password for the server.

After this, you may get a security prompt asking if you trust the connection. If you know the connection type is the one you’re currently attempting –  you can confirm the prompt. Then the screen of your local device will display the desktop environment of the remote server. You can now interact with it as if you were physically present at the server's location. Just remember to log off or disconnect when you're done with your session to keep everything as secure as possible.

What port does RDP use?

When it comes to accessing a remote server via RDP, it’s important to prioritise security. As such, you should connect to a port that guarantees an encrypted connection that preserves the safety of your data and information; the recommended channel to run is TCP port 3389. Read more about TCP vs UDP traffic, as well as more information on our 10Gbps Servers.

What is a KVM?

Historically, a KVM switch allowed for multiple computers to be controlled from – as the abbreviation suggests – one keyboard, video monitor and mouse. The ‘switch’ part of this used to be much more literal. There would be a physical switch in hand whereby pressing ‘1’ would control ‘computer 1’, and pressing ‘2’ would control ‘computer 2’, and so on.

However, this KVM switch technology has advanced to allow remote access over the internet, where although the ‘switch’ functionality is still there in theory, it’s more of a button on a screen than a button in hand. This turns ‘KVM switch’ technology into ‘Network KVM', 'KVM over IP’, or ‘IPKVM’.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine

KVM also stands for Kernel-based Virtual Machine, which differs from the KVM we’ve been referring to in this post. This type of KVM uses virtualisation to control multiple guest operating systems on a single Linux server or host.

With Kernel-based VMs, you can create, start, pause, and stop virtual machines just like a regular PC. The key difference is that virtual machines access the same hardware resources on the host, like CPU, memory, and storage. This allows you to run multiple operating systems and applications in isolation on a single server or PC.

A key advantage of KVM is that you can use common tools like SSH, and rdesktop to access the graphical console of multiple VMs. This provides a familiar user experience similar to remotely controlling a physical server, except you are connecting to a virtual machine console running on the host server.

What is the difference between KVM and KVM switch?

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and a KVM switch are completely different. A KVM essentially lets one computer act like several smaller computers – each running its own tasks. People often use KVMs when they want to run different kinds of software on the same machine without them interfering with each other. However, a KVM switch is a physical device that lets you use one keyboard, one screen, and one mouse to control multiple computers. It's like having a remote control that can switch between different channels on a TV. So, while a KVM helps one computer act like many, a KVM switch helps you control many computers with one set of controls.

What’s the difference between RDP and KVM?

Although they sound very similar in principle, there are important differences between RDP and KVM switches.

The key difference is that, with a KVM switch, the user’s PC is directly controlling the machine, whereas with RDP it’s only controlling a graphical representation of the machine.

This slight nuance can have larger effects; for instance, because the window displayed in RDP is only a representation of the ‘actual’ desktop, there will likely be a slight delay between the user’s commands and the server’s actions or responses. This lag isn’t a problem for remote KVM access because it is controlling the server directly from a PC, without the ‘middleman’.

For the management of multiple servers, network KVM has a slight advantage; changing between servers is more efficient with IPKVM, because it’s theoretically as simple as pressing a button to change between servers. RDP, on the other hand, requires more steps to change from controlling one server to controlling another, so it takes more time.

Why use KVM?

Besides KVM allowing users to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, monitor, and mouse. Here are some of the key benefits of using KVM:

1. It’s a hardware-based solution

KVM switches are essentially hardware devices that allow seamless switching between computers. If you’re unable to use software to remotely access a device or server, then this is the next best thing.

2. It usually comes with dedicated bandwidth

With KVM, each connected computer has dedicated bandwidth to the switch. This avoids bandwidth-sharing issues, which can often happen with remote desktop software.

3. Reduced latency

The dedicated hardware connections provide much lower latency compared to a remote desktop network-based approach, which results in snappier performance.

4. Often more secure

With the dedicated hardware connections, KVM offers better security than a remote desktop's networking approach which can expose access over a network and may be easier for hackers to intercept if the proper security protocols aren’t in place.

Direct vs remote server control

KVM switch allows for unrestricted access to all areas because the PC is actually controlling the server machine. As such, KVM is more useful for troubleshooting network and BIOS issues, as it can access and control all of these factors. It’s also possible to perform hardware reboots and install/uninstall software through remote KVM.

These more ‘external’ functions are more difficult with RDP because, unlike KVM, the connection with the server is not direct. As such, RDP is often limited to ‘third-party’ access because the requests aren’t coming from the server itself.

However, RDP is not without use. Firstly, remote desktop functionality is pre-installed for free on most Windows devices, which means no additional hardware or software is required. This expansive availability is helpful in an emergency, and if something does go wrong with a server, it’s reassuring to know that RDP is available from most PCs and laptops – there is even an RDP app available on both the Android and Apple app stores; all that is required is the IP address of the server that needs access, and the login credentials.

For day-to-day tasks like checking backups, monitoring disk usage, and changing account credentials, RDP is often considered the better option. For more advanced tasks like troubleshooting and installing, however, a KVM switch may be the better option.

So, as part of a wider remote server control strategy, a combination of both RDP and KVM is the best solution by far.

To provide complete remote server control, both RDP and KVM access are available as standard with both Dedicated Servers and Cloud Servers from Fasthosts. Contact us to find out more information on how RDP and KVM can help you manage your own server with us.