Brandon University staff usage of the Remote Desktop platform (aka RDP) is useful, but it has its caveats as well. The issue of intermittent RDP stability can be subject to many, many factors, including the following:
- Primarily, the entirety of your end-to end network connection will be the most significant factor (your device to either your local Wi-Fi or directly wired to your home router, router to your ISP connection, your ISP to BU ISP, then inside the University all the way to your workstation). At any point where there may be network interference or excessive traffic, RDP connectivity and dropped connections may suffer.
- It could also be related if you are performing a massive network-related action on the local device you are using; the RDP component itself doesn't use much for computer resources on the 'client' side, but the less network activity you (and others in your household or remote location) are using, the better the results of a reliable and stable network connection.
- Lastly, the active speed of your workstation in the office, and whatever programs you are using at any given time can have an impact, since it now has to both perform its local functions and then 'stream' the visual result to your client device.
Suggestions and practices to keep RDP usage reliable:
- Restart your office workstation when you no longer need access to your workstation, typically at the end of your work day. This can easily be done from the start menu when you are connected to your office computer. Do not instruct your computer to 'Shut Down', otherwise someone will be needed to directly power on your physical machine in order for you to remotely connect again.
- Try minimizing the number of applications you are remotely running on your office computer at any point.
- If using a laptop and on Wi-Fi, try moving your laptop closer to your Wi-Fi signal
- If possible, see if you can directly connect your device using a wired network cable to the location where your home internet router exists. That would ensure a more stable connection at your end.
- You can also try restarting your home internet equipment, just as a troubleshooting element.