RDP in Azure Configuration and Troubleshooting Guide

To configure RDP in Azure, you'll first need to create a virtual network and subnet, as explained in the "Azure Virtual Network" section.

A virtual network is a virtualized version of a traditional network, allowing you to create a network architecture that's separate from your on-premises network.

You can create a virtual network in the Azure portal, selecting "Create a resource" and then choosing "Virtual network".

In this virtual network, you'll need to create a subnet, which is a range of IP addresses that will be used by your virtual machines.

The subnet mask determines the number of IP addresses available in the subnet, with a larger mask allowing for more addresses.

For example, a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 allows for 254 IP addresses, while a mask of 255.255.0.0 allows for 65,534 addresses.

You can also configure the network security group (NSG) to control incoming and outgoing traffic to and from your virtual machines.

On a similar theme: Azure Subnetting

The NSG can block or allow specific traffic based on the source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols.

For instance, you can create a rule to allow incoming RDP traffic on port 3389 from a specific IP address.

This will ensure that only traffic from that IP address can connect to your virtual machine using RDP.

Expand your knowledge: Remote Desktop Azure Ad Joined Machine

To configure RDP properties, you can use the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI. In the Azure portal, you can sign in, search for Azure Virtual Desktop, and select the host pool you want to update. From there, you can select RDP Properties and add extra properties or make changes in a semicolon-separated format.

To configure RDP properties using Azure PowerShell, you need to open Azure Cloud Shell or run PowerShell on your local device. Then, you can use a command to check the custom RDP properties set on the host pool, such as `Get-AzWvdHostPool -Name $hostPool -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup | FT Name, CustomRdpProperty`.

Users need to refresh their resources to receive the changes.

For more insights, see: Azure Cli vs Azure Powershell

You can configure custom RDP properties in the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

To configure custom RDP properties using the Azure portal, sign in to the Azure portal, select the Azure Virtual Desktop service entry, and then select Host pools. From there, select the name of the host pool you want to update and click on RDP Properties.

Users need to refresh their resources to receive the changes.

You can also check the custom RDP properties set on the same host pool by running a command in Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI.

To check custom RDP properties using Azure PowerShell, run the command: `Get-AzWvdHostPool -Name $hostPool -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup | FT Name, CustomRdpProperty`.

The output will be similar to: `Name : contoso-hp01 CustomRdpProperty : use multimon:i:1;redirectclipboard:i:0;redirectprinters:i:0;`

To check custom RDP properties using Azure CLI, run the command: `az desktopvirtualization hostpool show --name $hostPool --resource-group $resourceGroup --query "{name:name, customRdpProperty:customRdpProperty}" --output table`.

The output will be similar to: `Name CustomRdpProperty

-------- ------------------------------------------------------------

contoso-hp01 use multimon:i:0;redirectclipboard:i:0;redirectprinters:i:0;`

Additional reading: Azure Rdp

When working with Remote Desktop connections, it's essential to understand the components involved.

The public IP address of the VM or cloud service is a crucial component. If it has changed, your DNS client cache might still be holding the old IP address, causing connection issues.

Flush your DNS client cache to resolve this issue. You can also try connecting directly with the new virtual IP address (VIP).

Using a third-party application to manage Remote Desktop connections can also cause problems. Verify that the application configuration includes the correct TCP port for Remote Desktop traffic.

You can check the port for classic virtual machines in the Azure portal by clicking the VM's Settings > Endpoints.

Disabling Network Level Authentication (NLA) can sometimes be necessary when trying to RDP to an Azure VM using Azure AD credentials. Microsoft recommends keeping NLA turned on, but it's a mandatory step if you're unable to connect.

To disable NLA on your Windows 10 Azure VM, head to System Properties and select the Remote tab. From there, untick the box that says "Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication." Click Apply and OK to save your changes.

Users need to refresh their resources to receive the changes after updating RDP properties, including disabling NLA. This is true regardless of whether you use the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI to configure RDP properties.

To use RDP in Azure, you need to ensure that the Azure AD user is added to the Remote Desktop Users Group on the VM. This can be done by running a command in the command prompt as an administrator, replacing the UPN attribute with the Azure AD user's account in the format AzureAD\[email protected].

Adding an Azure AD user to the Remote Desktop Users Group is a crucial step in setting up RDP in Azure. You can confirm if the user has been added by running a PowerShell command.

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Before trying to connect to the VM via RDP, it's a good idea to check the status of the virtual machine in the Azure portal for any obvious issues. You can also try reconnecting to the VM after checking the status and following the quick fix steps for common RDP errors.

Here are some possible reasons why you might not be able to connect to the VM via RDP:

To troubleshoot these issues, you can try enabling the "Remote Desktop" Windows Firewall default rule (TCP port 3389) and enabling Remote Desktop connections by setting the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\fDenyTSConnections registry value to 0.

To use RDP in Azure, you'll need to add your Azure AD user to the Remote Desktop Users Group on the VM. This can be done by running a command prompt as an administrator and entering the command to add the user, replacing the UPN attribute with the Azure AD user's username in the format AzureAD\[email protected].

The command should be executed successfully, and you can confirm the user has been added by running a PowerShell command. The Principal Source should be Azure AD.

If you're having trouble connecting to your VM, try resetting the Remote Desktop configuration. This can be done by following the quick troubleshooting steps, which include resetting the NIC for the VM and checking the VM Resource Health.

You can also try creating and assigning a public IP address to your VM, especially if you're not connected to Azure via an Express Route or Site-to-Site VPN connection.

Before trying to connect to your VM, make sure to check the status of the virtual machine in the Azure portal for any obvious issues. You can also try following the quick fix steps for common RDP errors in the basic troubleshooting guide.

If you're still having trouble, try verifying that local network equipment such as routers and firewalls are not blocking outbound TCP port 3389. You can also try checking the VM console logs and reviewing the Remote Desktop client computer, organization intranet edge device, network security groups, and Windows-based Azure VM for any issues.

If the Remote Desktop client is unable to reach the Remote Desktop service on the Azure VM, you may need to troubleshoot the issue at one of these sources. Here are some possible problems to check:

On the Windows-based Azure VM, you can try enabling the "Remote Desktop" Windows Firewall default rule (TCP port 3389) and enabling Remote Desktop connections by setting the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\fDenyTSConnections registry value to 0.

If you're still having trouble, you can try using a remote Azure PowerShell session to the Azure virtual machine. This requires installing a certificate for the virtual machine's hosting cloud service and using Azure PowerShell to initiate the session.

To verify that the AADLoginForWindows extension has installed successfully on your VM, check the Azure portal and select the Virtual Machine. Under Settings, click Extensions, and look for the AADLoginForWindows extension. The status of this extension must be Provisioning succeeded.

To modify the Azure VM RDP file, navigate to the overview page of the virtual machine that has been enabled with Azure AD logon, select Connect to open the Connect to virtual machine blade, and click Download RDP File.

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Right-click the Azure VM RDP and open it with Notepad, or any other text editor.

You can append the following data to the RDP file: Full Address, Prompt for credentials, Authentication level, Enablecredsspsupport, Username, and Domain.

Here's a breakdown of each field:

After making the changes, save the file.

RDP uses the TLS 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2 protocol, depending on the system. This protocol is used for secure communication between the client and server.

To check how these protocols are set up on your VM, open a CMD instance and run the command "Get the TLS version x.x from the Guest OS Logs on the SCHANNEL errors". This will give you the current TLS version.

If the returned values are not all 1, it means that the protocol is disabled. You'll need to run the command "Get the SSH/TLS version x.x from the Guest OS Logs on the SCHANNEL errors" to enable these protocols.

You may encounter specific error messages when trying to connect to your VM via RDP. The most common error messages include:

Some common issues you may face when trying to RDP into an Azure VM include entering wrong credentials, which can lead to a "Your credentials did not work" error. Make sure you are using the correct credentials and try resetting the password if necessary.

If you're using an Azure AD joined computer, ensure that the Windows 10 PC you're using to initiate the remote desktop connection is also Azure AD joined or hybrid Azure AD joined.

Network Security is a crucial aspect of setting up RDP in Azure. You can create more granular control of allowed inbound and outbound traffic using Network Security Groups.

Network Security Groups allow you to create rules spanning subnets and cloud services in an Azure virtual network. This can help ensure that only authorized traffic is allowed to flow in and out of your virtual machines.

To troubleshoot issues with RDP traffic flow, you can use IP flow verify to confirm if a rule in a Network Security Group is blocking traffic to or from a virtual machine. This can help you identify the root cause of the issue.

Effective security group rules can also help ensure that inbound "Allow" NSG rules exist and are prioritized for RDP port (default 3389).