Remote Desktop Portal Help
Access
Accessing rdportal.herts.ac.uk
To use rdportal.herts.ac.uk off-campus you must be connected to the University’s Network using Pulse Secure.
Logging in to rdportal.herts.ac.uk
If you are unable to log in you should:
- Check your password on the PSS website
- Speak with your module leader to confirm that you have been given access to the Remote Desktop portal
Devices and Software
Which devices and software do I need to connect to a University computer?
- Windows has pre-installed Remote Desktop Connection support
- Mac OS users can use the Parallels client for Mac, available in the App Store
- Linux users can use xrdp (open source) to connect to a remote PC with RDP. Your operating system will include help that explains how to install xrdp
- Android Remote Desktop client is available from the Play Store, however other platforms will usually provide a better experience
Which web browsers can I use with rdportal.herts.ac.uk?
Browsers confirmed to work include:
- Mozilla Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Opera
- Brave
- Safari
Connections
Connecting to a remote PC
If you are unable to log in to a remote PC it could be because:
- more than 30 minutes have passed since you requested access to the remote PC
- you have logged out of the PC and it has been made available to other users
- there was no activity on the remote PC for some time and you were logged out automatically
In each of these cases you will need to create another request on the portal to connect to a new PC.
Reconnecting to a PC
You can reconnect using the connection file that you originally downloaded. You can download further copies of the connection file from the portal while the session remains valid.
Can I take a break while using a remote desktop University PC?
If you disconnect from the remote PC (rather than log out) you can resume your connection if the PC has not been re-claimed.
What is the difference between disconnecting and logging off?
- You remain logged in when you disconnect. You can return to your work for up to 2 hours
- Logging off signals that you have finished with that PC and do not intend to return.
The portal says I am still using a PC
To show that you’ve finished with a PC, you must log out from it (rather than disconnect). Connecting to the PC and logging out will signal that you’ve finished with it (you can down the connection file again if you need to).
Can I remote into more than one University PC at a time?
You can remote into a maximum of three University machines concurrently.
Other questions
Can people near the PC I’m remotely connected to interfere with my work?
No, nobody will be able to see or tamper with your work.
Further help
Contact Helpdesk if you would like help using this portal.