Remote machine access

Owned by Wesley Chatham
Last updated: May 31, 2023 by Veran Flavour
2 min read

 

For undergraduates

Software for courses is delivered via the Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop at https://avd.uwaterloo.ca .

For staff, faculty, grads

These instructions will work for on-campus machines that are connected directly to the network with a wired (Ethernet) connection and an assigned IP address. If you do not have an assigned IP address and want to remote into your workstation, please fill out the IP Request Form.

In order for these instructions to work you must be connected to the Campus VPN and be in the Remote Desktop Users group on the machine you are accessing. 

Connecting from a Windows computer

  • From the Start menu search "Remote Desktop Connection."

  • Click "Show Options" and enter the following credentials when prompted:

    • Computer: YourMachineName

    • User name: nexus\yourWatIAMuserid

  • Click "Connect."

Connecting from a Mac, to a Windows computer

Mac does not come with built-in remote desktop software suitable for accessing Windows machines. You will need to doTwnload a remote desktop client from the App Store in order to access a Windows workstation. We recommend you try the latest version of Microsoft Remote Desktop, since it is developed by Microsoft and is most reliable to function with Windows.  Once you've done that, the important information is:

  • Confirm you are connected to the Campus VPN.

  • Enter your registered hostname as "hostname.uwaterloo.ca"

  • Use "Nexus\userid" if it's a Nexus machine, or "machine name\account name" if it isn't.

  • Use your WatIAM password.

Connecting from Mac, to a Mac

  • On your workstation:

    • Go to Menu > System Preferences > Sharing

    • Select "Remote Management."

    • Select your on-campus workstation from the dropdown.

    • Select "Screen sharing." Choose a user account on your workstation that you want to be able to share the screen.

    • Notice the VNC address on the right of the dialogue. It should look like vnc://hostname.uwaterloo.ca.

    • Save your settings.

  • On the other device:

    • Open Safari.

    • Type the VNC address from the above step.

    • When prompted, enter the account name from your workstation and the password associated with it.

  • To close the session:

    • The session can be closed from either side.

    • Click the icon that looks like two windows overlapping and select "Disconnect."

Troubleshooting

If you still can't connect, please check the following troubleshooting steps:

  • Ensure your computer is properly connected to the Internet. You can try disconnecting and reconnecting to get a fresh connection.

  • Ensure the campus VPN software is installed, running, and connected. Other VPN clients will not work; you must use the Cisco AnyConnect client.  If your VPN client is older, you may have to uninstall it and download the latest version.

  • Check to make sure you are correctly added to the Remote Desktop Users group on the target machine.

  • Verify that the machine name is correct.

  • Make sure you are disconnected from any non-UW VPNs

  • Try the fully qualified domain names, one at a time:

  • Ensure your local firewall is allowing port TCP/3389.

  • Windows

    • Go to the "Control Panel" then click "System and Security" and then click "Windows Firewall." 

    • Click "Advanced settings" on the left side. Ensure that "Inbound Rules" for Remote Desktop is "Enabled."

  • Other operating systems