Early Look at Remote Desktop For Windows 8


Start Screen on Developer Preview

Perhaps the only app that is bundled with the Windows 8 Developer Preview that is not only a demo of the new runtime (WinRT) is the Remote Desktop app. This is more in line with what we should see from all of the typical Windows utilities in the new Metro UI context. Instructions and screen shots for using RDC in Windows 8 are after the break.

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Windows Home Server 2011 Connector on Windows 8 Developer Preview


Connect to Home Server Screen

It looks like the Windows Home Server 2011 connector software will install on the Windows 8 Developer Preview. One oddity is that I had to visit http://:65510/connect instead of the usual http:///connect to get Internet Explorer 10 to see the page from the home server. After that little trick, everything else went as expected. Let’s be clear, the Windows 8 Developer Preview is pre-beta software, so tread carefully.

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Work Around ISP Blocking Ports for Windows Home Server 2011


Home Server 2011 Login Screen

Windows Home Server offers you remote access to all of your files, that is, if your ISP lets you run a server on ports 80, 443 and 4125. Not every home ISP allows you to run inbound traffic on those ports. Luckily you can work around this by redirecting traffic from the outside internet to your internal network. Before you do anything call your ISP and ask them if they will open up those three ports. Many times they will oblige and you can save yourself a headache. If that does not work and it is not against your terms of service, then there is a way to semi-elegantly work around the blocked ports. Have a look after the break to find out how!

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