RDP and HTML5 Remote Access for iPhone and iPad

With TSplus Remote Access, the browser on a smartphone can directly connect to a Remote Desktop session on a Remote Access server. How does that work?

Why Remote Access for iPhone, iPad, smartphones and tablets?

Who hasn’t got an iPhone or smartphone in their pocket! Being connected has become practically indispensable in everyday life. Starting with calling from outside our homes to all sorts of online transactions, buying or reserving something online, payment, checking banking credentials, finding and booking transport, looking at a website and of course using Facebook, Google, WhatsApp and so many more. It’s also our camera, a way to do official paperwork and to read and reply to emails and other messages. Only recently, having a smartphone was a luxury. Now it has become a necessity.

Remotely Access PCs from a smartphone?

Has the smartphone replaced the PC? By no means! They have some overlap, but much of their use is different. On a PC, we have our productivity center, with applications such as Word, Excel or Outlook and our files, whether personal, professional or both. We also most likely have a printer which probably doubles as a scanner and a large amount of disk space. After 30 years using PCs, they’ve become part of our lives, as have RDP and similar features.

Creating a Bridge: Remote Access between Windows PCs and iPads, iPhones or other Devices.

On a mobile phone, we have games and applications, downloaded from the Apple or Play stores and sometimes very different ones from on a PC. These two pieces of equipment are regular everyday companions. They both access the Internet but rarely communicate together because until recently, no one really thought they could use their smartphone to access a PC or laptop.

Yet, that’s exactly what is possible, quickly and easily with Web Portal in TSplus Remote Access.

TSplus Remote Access for iPhone, iPad, Smartphones and Tablets

With TSplus Remote Access, the browser on a smartphone can directly connect to a Remote Desktop session on a Remote Access server. How does that work?

All you need to do is download the setup program onto your Windows Server or PC, execute it then restart your computer. That’s it. The installer is pre-set to do everything that’s needed to make remote access easy. It includes a web server and a HTML5 connection client. In a few clicks, you can generate SSL encryption keys for secure Remote Access. By default, it sets prerequisite Windows parameters so that you can connect remotely.

You then simply need to start up your web browser on your iPhone or iPad. No matter whether you ordinarily use Chrome, Safari, Firefox… There’s nothing to install and, thanks to the TSplus Remote Access HTML5 client, you just enter the Internet address of your Remote Access Server and connect.

Is there an Alternative for Remote Access from iPad, iPhone and more with Microsoft?

Remote Desktop has been a standard feature of Windows for over 20 years and, in theory, MS RDS is available on all most Windows PCs. In this case, why not install an MS RDS Remote Session Client Connector on your iPhone or tablet? Here are a few answers to that.

For one, in all honesty, most of us don’t like to install apps downloaded from either the Apple Store or Google Play. They take up memory, plus you never quite know what you’re about to install or whether it will be safe. Additionally, not everyone knows how to setup new applications. We probably even avoid installing the apps pushed by our various providers, if only to keep from having a screen full of application icons. Better stick to basics: Firefox, Messenger, WhatsApp, Maps and of course camera, SMS and telephone…

Locally Validate a Remote Connection?

Next, when using a Remote Desktop client connector for Android or iOS, the screen is rarely adapted to the very particular dimensions of a portable phone. Also, there is no mouse, and using the tactile screen can make using Windows applications more than tedious.

Finally, and most importantly, when requesting the connection, the remote PC shows a warning: “A session is open on the console of your PC. Wait for authorisation to activate a session”. And on your PC, miles away from where you are, a message will pop up: “Someone is requesting a connection. Do you accept this connection? If you do, then you will be disconnected from your session.” The problem being: how are you meant to validate that from miles away?

So many reasons why so few people use the standard Windows feature to remotely access PCs. Yes, there is a Microsoft alternative to TSplus Remote Access, but it can be complex and discouraging – especially for a deployment of any significant scale.

The right solution to Remotely Access Remote Desktop Sessions from iPad, iPhone and other devices.

A great solution comes from TSplus. It uses RDP and addresses the aforementioned barriers, restrictions and constraints. Nothing needs to be installed on your Android or iOS device. Simply fire up your favorite web browser. It also takes close to no setting up on your Windows PC. TSplus Web Edition installation program settings will automatically enable almost every necessary setting to give you instant secure remote usage of your desktop PC, even on a tiny touch screen.

Secure Remote Access from portable devices

Among other things, it ensures security via end-to-end encrypted traffic over the Internet. The TSplus Web server needs only one port for its HTTP, HTTPS and RDP protocols, which means you can set your firewall to block incoming traffic on most ports, leaving only 443 (HTTPS) accessible. This combination of SSL encryption and your firewall provides simple efficient security.

Clearly put, TSplus Web Access hides the complexities so you can easily enjoy the best of remotely accessing your PC.

Powerful Remote Access via iPad, iPhone, smartphone or tablet.

This powerful solution can also be used on any Windows Application Server to make it possible for multiple users to access the server over the internet. The same technology can as easily be used by an individual travelling for leisure or work as it can by a company that needs a large number of users to connect from anywhere on the globe using their workstations, tablets and smartphones.

Keeping Pace with our Remote Working Times

TSplus Remote Access has shown good performance for over 10 years and has benefitted from constant improvement based on user feedback worldwide.

Scalable Remote Access using RDP and HTML5, from any device

A user from a Small Business could use it to connect to his application server while away from work - from a hotel or a WiFi relay in a café or airport. A corporation is likely to use the Remote Desktop and HTML5 client to simplify the management of the multitude of workstations deployed throughout their various offices.

In any case, small or large, the goal remains the same:

• nothing to install on smartphones, tablets, or PCs from which you connect
• use what is already present by default on them all – the web browser
• benefit from best performance and use Windows applications or a whole Windows desktop on any modern PC or mobile device

To find out more about using RDP and HTML5 for remote access from iPads and iPhones or other smartphones and tablets, visit our website and download a 15-day trial of any TSplus product .