What's the recommended spec for a Windows Remote Desktop client? I need to speed one up.

[GuruMeditationError]

I'm troubleshooting and upgrading a PC to run a Windows Remote Desktop, for a family member who works from home, and I can't seem to find information for recommended specs on the client side of things...

 

...what's the recommended hardware spec, and what internet speeds are required?

 

 

[Droidbot]

Anything. The protocol is slow, and even going from a network device it feels slow. Try enabling RemoteFX, which IIRC requires a DX9 GPU on both ends. 

[GuruMeditationError]

5 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

Anything. The protocol is slow, and even going from a network device it feels slow. Try enabling RemoteFX, which IIRC requires a DX9 GPU on both ends. 

I only have control over the client end of things...but I can turn that on to see if it'll make a difference to speed...

 

...are there other tips for speeding things up?

It's faster via wifi than the existing cabling so I'm going to swap the current ethernet cables for cat 7...do you think that it should work better over a wired connection than wi-fi?

I'm currently getting about a 33Mbps Upload and about a 6Mbps upload via wi-fi, but I've no idea how much faster it would be over cat 7 as I don't have one of those handy to test it with.

[79wjd]

3 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

I'm currently getting about a 33Mbps Upload and about a 6Mbps upload via wi-fi, but I've no idea how much faster it would be over cat 7 as I don't have one of those handy to test it with.

Cat 5e shouldn't be bottlenecking you unless it's a ridiculously long run. It sounds like something is going on. 

[GuruMeditationError]

3 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Cat 5e shouldn't be bottlenecking you unless it's a ridiculously long run. 

Thanks, my internet's maximum is 100Mbps but they're about to upgrade me to 150Mbps...should Cat 5e be okay for that too?

The wiring is super old and I don't game online so I've not looked at that side of things until now, because I need to accelerate the performance of this remote desktop if I can.

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, GuruMeditationError said:

Thanks, my internet's maximum is 100Mbps but they're about to upgrade me to 150Mbps...should Cat 5e be okay for that too?

How long is the ethernet run and where is it running? But yes, it mostly likely is. IIRC 5e can handle gigabit at up to 100 meters (ideally anyway).

[GuruMeditationError]

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

How long is the ethernet run and where is it running? 

I"ve got a super short cat 3 that I've run to the machine just to get the ball rolling trouble shooting, but I've got a bag of ethernet cables somewhere here that I'm going to go and look for right now to see if I can find some cat 5e...

 

...the other cable I've been using is a few metres but it's stealth mounted and been there years so I've no idea what type it is. The wiring is super-old and I don't game online so I've not looked at that side of things until now, because I need to accelerate the performance of this remote desktop (if I can).

But is 33Mbps Upload and about a 6Mbps sufficient for Windows remote desktop, or would it help speed things up if I run a wire to it?

[79wjd]

Just now, GuruMeditationError said:

But is 33Mbps Upload and about a 6Mbps sufficient for Windows remote desktop, or would it help speed things up if I run a wire to it?

No idea. But I'd assume it's enough and that latency is a far bigger issue.

[GuruMeditationError]

8 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

No idea. But I'd assume it's enough and that latency is a far bigger issue.

I think, without moving the router, I'm not going to be able to get a fast enough cable to it...

 

...the cable I've got running to my main desktop is 5e and and it's reading slower than wi-fi, but it is super-long...I had no idea length of cable was such a problem...

...I'm going to need to swap them out, so I may as well go for more appropriate length Cat 7 but, unless I'm going to move the modem it seems that wifi connection is going to have to do for the remote desktop...I think it's going to be a matter of upgrading the machine a little and trying to move the internet speed boost through a little sooner. 

[GuruMeditationError]

24 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

Anything. The protocol is slow, and even going from a network device it feels slow. Try enabling RemoteFX, which IIRC requires a DX9 GPU on both ends. 

Do you mean at least DX 9 or better...or literally that it has to be DX 9?

[GuruMeditationError]

Wow...I just increased the download speed to my main rig six times, by switching off of my super-long cat 5e cable and on to an Asus Wi-fi dongle. 

Also, I've switched the remote desktop client PC to 5G wifi and I've boosted it twice to three times as much again (to four times the download speed it was) and am maxing out its CPU running the internet speed test. No change to the upload speed however, which is unfortunate.

I think it's time for a CPU upgrade, and maybe a look at better broadband options.

[Mornincupofhate]

14 hours ago, GuruMeditationError said:

I"ve got a super short cat 3 that I've run to the machine just to get the ball rolling trouble shooting, but I've got a bag of ethernet cables somewhere here that I'm going to go and look for right now to see if I can find some cat 5e...

 

...the other cable I've been using is a few metres but it's stealth mounted and been there years so I've no idea what type it is. The wiring is super-old and I don't game online so I've not looked at that side of things until now, because I need to accelerate the performance of this remote desktop (if I can).

But is 33Mbps Upload and about a 6Mbps sufficient for Windows remote desktop, or would it help speed things up if I run a wire to it?

Speed is rarely the case, ever. As said above, RDP is a shitty protocol.

Most of the time when you're seeing lag, it's due to latency (how fast the computers can talk to each other in terms of milliseconds).

[Mornincupofhate]

13 hours ago, GuruMeditationError said:

Wow...I just increased the download speed to my main rig six times, by switching off of my super-long cat 5e cable and on to an Asus Wi-fi dongle. 

What? Did I just read this right?

You can't just "increase the download speed" to your rig by switching stuff on and off. It's limited by your service provider.

[GuruMeditationError]

8 hours ago, Mornincupofhate said:

What? Did I just read this right?

You can't just "increase the download speed" to your rig by switching stuff on and off. It's limited by your service provider.

It was bottlenecked.

But yeah, thanks...I don't really know how to improve the latency...I'm just trying to increase speed as much as possible to get as much overhead as possible.

Is there a way I can decrease latency without increases in download & upload speeds...as I say I've managed to increase the download speed to the machines by eliminating the bottlenecks but it's not done much for the upload speeds, it seems that's limited by the package I have from my internet service provider (it was the one thing that it seems was slow enough not to be bottlenecked)...

...but yeah I'm working with the assumption that the upload speed is probably the main limiting factor with regards the overall performance at this point...I have to be honest, I don't really understand latency too well, I'm just assuming the faster the throughput I can get, the better the overall RDP performance...the ethernet usage is being maxed out just by scrolling through simple databases displaying nothing but text.

[KuJoe]

There are no minimum specs for RDP. I run it on a Raspberry Pis, my phones, my tablets, my netbooks, my laptops, and everything in between. If the device can download an RDP client and it has a GUI you can connect to an Windows RDP server.

 

Now the quality of that connection will depend on the hardware. For example: I can watch YouTube at 1080p in theater mode over RDP to a server miles away without issues on my desktop, but trying to watch the same video at 144p in a small window on my Raspberry Pi 3 is not possible over RDP (this could be the Linux RDP client though).

 

For what it's worth, I spend 90% of my time using a Windows VM via RDP. I'm typing this reply (like the majority of my posts on this site) on a VM roughly 20 miles away.

[GuruMeditationError]

8 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

There are no minimum specs for RDP. I run it on a Raspberry Pis, my phones, my tablets, my netbooks, my laptops, and everything in between. If the device can download an RDP client and it has a GUI you can connect to an Windows RDP server.

 

Now the quality of that connection will depend on the hardware. For example: I can watch YouTube at 1080p in theater mode over RDP to a server miles away without issues on my desktop, but trying to watch the same video at 144p in a small window on my Raspberry Pi 3 is not possible over RDP (this could be the Linux RDP client though).

 

For what it's worth, I spend 90% of my time using a Windows VM via RDP. I'm typing this reply (like the majority of my posts on this site) on a VM roughly 20 miles away.

I concur...I thought it was a hardware issue that was holding me back but having run some tests on all of it the RD is barely touching the celaron or the RAM and as I understand it, it more or less bypasses the client's graphic card entirely...

 

...it turns out the main problem I'm having is due to internet & Ethernet speeds, communication between the machines etc.

I must admit, based on my experience with it so far, I'm surprised you can comfortably stream youtube over it...I haven't checked youtube over that connection specifically (probably something I should do rather than assuming server-side know their arse from their elbow) but the machine's having enough trouble just streaming spreadsheets, and the hardware is barely being touched by the processes...it's just the Ethernet that's being maxed out. 

[KuJoe]

I'll try to watch the same YouTube video at 1080p on my netbook with an Intel Atom. Since it's on the same network as my desktop, it will let me know if it's hardware or network that impacts performance.

[GuruMeditationError]

17 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

I'll try to watch the same YouTube video at 1080p on my netbook with an Intel Atom. Since it's on the same network as my desktop, it will let me know if it's hardware or network that impacts performance.

Thanks...I don't have the login for the RD, and the person with the password has gone out, but when they get back I'll get them to log on and see if I can access youtube through their RD...if it turns out it's a software issue on the server end of things I guess I'll just have to harangue the user to contact their I.T. people.

...to be honest I'm new to all of this, so I've no idea if the database and housekeeping software should theoretically stream slower than youtube would over that same connection (if it's possible for it to be configured that poorly), but I guess it's not something I should just rule out?  It hadn't occurred to me to check youtube streaming but I will do, as soon as the RD user gets back with the password.

[KuJoe]

I've confirmed that I can stream the same YouTube video at 1080p in full screen without any stuttering, slowness, or distortion on my netbook without any issues (the netbook was also on WiFi which added latency) so it looks like any slowness you're seeing is a result of the network and not the hardware. If you can ping the RDP server IP/DNS from the device, let us know what kind of latency you're seeing.

 

Here's an example and how to read it:

 

In the command prompt type "ping <IP/DNS>" and copy and let us know the last line numbers (Min, Max, and Average).

[GuruMeditationError]

Wow, thanks...I will do...I can't do it right now, because the person with the password's not here...but I'll get on it and report back as soon as I can get them to log me in.

[GuruMeditationError]

16 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

I've confirmed that I can stream the same YouTube video at 1080p in full screen without any stuttering, slowness, or distortion on my netbook without any issues (the netbook was also on WiFi which added latency) so it looks like any slowness you're seeing is a result of the network and not the hardware. If you can ping the RDP server IP/DNS from the device, let us know what kind of latency you're seeing.

 

Here's an example and how to read it:

 

In the command prompt type "ping <IP/DNS>" and copy and let us know the last line numbers (Min, Max, and Average).

Okay, hang on...sorry I'm at the limit of my understanding of this...where/how do I find the IP/DNS values to type in to the command prompt after "ping"...?  Hoping that question makes sense.  

[KuJoe]

When you open the RDP client, whatever you type in the "Computer" field is what you'd put in place of the <IP/DNS> part.

[GuruMeditationError]

3 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

When you open the RDP client, whatever you type in the "Computer" field is what you'd put in place of the <IP/DNS> part.

Brilliant, thanks...I'll get that done as soon as they get back, and post the results...

...thanks so much; It's non-urgent as the speed's not an obstruction as such and she only uses it every few days, but if I can get it sorted it'd be fantastic (she works for a charity for vulnerably housed and homeless, so it's kind of for a good cause too).  

[GuruMeditationError]

3 hours ago, KuJoe said:

I've confirmed that I can stream the same YouTube video at 1080p in full screen without any stuttering, slowness, or distortion on my netbook without any issues (the netbook was also on WiFi which added latency) so it looks like any slowness you're seeing is a result of the network and not the hardware. If you can ping the RDP server IP/DNS from the device, let us know what kind of latency you're seeing.

 

Here's an example and how to read it:

 

In the command prompt type "ping <IP/DNS>" and copy and let us know the last line numbers (Min, Max, and Average).

I've tried it 3 times and this is what I'm getting:

Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 1ms, Average = 0ms
 

Is that an odd reading? I have the feeling it might be.

Also, they've not enabled video, server-side, so I've not been able to stream any.