Port Forwarding

Port forwarding enables you to expose specific ports from a cloud desktop to the local network or the public internet. This functionality is frequently utilized in conjunction with the Remote Desktop Protocol. 

This capability is available for DaDesktop Course machines (which require a private server), DaDesktop For Work, and Standalone instances. Please be aware that the interface layout may vary slightly depending on the machine type.

Navigate to 'Advanced' and select 'Port Forwarding'.

Forwarding can be configured via automatic or manual allocation. Automatic allocation assigns the next available port on the server. Generally, auto-allocation is recommended for simplicity; however, manual allocation allows you to specify each external port within the range of 10000 to 65500. Any previously established manual port forwards are retained and can be modified as needed.

Auto Allocation

The following image illustrates auto-allocation, alongside a previously defined manual port forward utilizing host port 11122 and VM port 22.

Manual Allocation

This example demonstrates using port 11122 for both TCP and UDP forwarding to port 22 on the cloud desktop VM for SSH connections. If necessary, UDP and TCP ports can be configured independently.

Example for Windows RDP

This example employs the manual allocation method, although auto-allocation is also a viable option.

1. Locate your DaDesktop instance and click 'Port forwarding'. Configure your TCP ports for the remote connection by setting an external port number and 3389 (for example, 66666:3389). Ensure you record this port number; if forgotten, you can retrieve it by revisiting the Port Forwarding settings.

2. Submit the configuration, set a password within your Windows DaDesktop machine, and then select 'Enable Remote Desktop'.

3. Return to your local Windows device, launch Remote Desktop, and enter the server name followed by the TCP port (for instance, if using zh4cn, the address would be zh4cn.npg.io:xxxxx). Under 'Show options', you can also adjust settings such as the window resolution.

3.1 To log in to your DaDesktop remote instance, please note that by default

you must reset your username and password within the machine first.

Once done, proceed to connect to the remote desktop.

4. You will then have access to a remote desktop session using the DD template and audio capabilities from your local device. This setup also facilitates easy copy-and-paste operations and document output (as shown in the small window on the left: DD remote desktop with audio).