Goal

Connect to a device running RDP (MS Remote Desktop) from outside your WAN. A typical use case for this is where you have technical employees working remotely who needs desktop access to a database server within your network. In this guide, you will set up RDP access for yourself.

• Device: Database Server

  • Service: RDP Endpoint

• Device: Your PC

Steps

1. Add Database Server Device

1.1 Click "Devices" in the left side main menu, then click Add Device

1.2 Fill out the details

1.3 Click Save

2. Install Connector Agent on Database Server

3. Add RDP Service on the Database Device record

Now that the Database Device record is available, services can be added, and this is where we will add the RDP service.

3.1 Click "Services" on the left hand main menu, and then click "Add Service"

3.2 Give the service a name, "RDP"

3.3 Specify the port, "3389"

3.4 Select the "Database Server" device from the list

3.5 Click Save

4. Add Access

After the Device and Service is setup, we will now give ourselves Access to the Database Server

4.1 Click Access in the left hand main menu, then click "Add Access"

4.2 Next to "What will be accessed" click "Add more" then click "RDP - Database Server"

4.3 Click "Hide"

4.4 Next to "Who will have access" click "Add more" then click "Craig's Laptop"

4.5 Click "Hide"

4.6 Click the "Save" button.

5. Connect to RDP using Dull

Now that everything is setup all that's left to do is to connect.

5.1 Open a new RDP connection in your RDP client

5.2 Use the "Micronetworking Name" of the device that you are connecting to "database.realm.local"

5.3 Connect

Conclusions

Dull makes it easy to connect individual network-level services.

Compared to using a VPN, Dull provides individual direct connections. With a VPN, login credentials are often shared. With Dull, each connection is set up with separate passwords and logging, reducing your risks, improving compliance, and making the connections themselves a seamless experience.