Windows 7 / Networking

RDP 6.1 Features and Enhancements

RDP was previously enhanced in Windows Vista RTM and again in Windows Vista SP1 to provide more robust remote access capabilities for users in enterprise environments. Additional services were also added on the server side in Windows Server 2008 to provide new capabilities for remote clients. See the section titled "Understanding Remote Desktop Services Terminology" later in this tutorial for more information about these services.

On the Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 platforms, RDP 6.1 provided the following features and enhancements:

  • PnP device redirection for media players and digital cameras Users can redirect supported Windows Portable Devices, such as certain media players and digital cameras that use the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) or Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). PnP device redirection over cascaded Remote Desktop connections is not supported, however.
  • Windows Embedded for Point of Service device redirection Users can redirect Windows Embedded for Point of Service devices that use Microsoft Point of Service (POS) for .NET 1.1, a class library that provides Microsoft .NET Framework applications with an interface for communicating with POS peripheral devices from Windows Server 2008 Remote Desktop Session Hosts. You can download Microsoft POS for .NET 1.1 from the Microsoft Download Center at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6025b728-ec06-48f9-bc80-c38b2a27a242&displaylang=en. It requires the .NET Framework Redistributable Package version 1.1 or higher.
  • Custom display ratios and resolutions Users can customize RDC to support monitors with resolution as high as 4096 x 2048 with display resolution ratios as large as 16:9 or 16:10. The previous version RDP 5.2 supports only a 4:3 display resolution ratio at a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1050.
  • Multiple monitor spanning Users can span multiple monitors placed together to form a single, large desktop that can enhance productivity. Monitors must use the same resolution and can be spanned only side by side, not vertically. The maximum resolution across all spanned monitors cannot exceed 4096 x 2048. Repositioning of dialog boxes is not supported, including the Winlogon dialog box.
  • Desktop Experience By installing the Desktop Experience feature on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Session Host, users of remote computers can use Windows Vista features such as new desktop themes and Windows Media Player 11, within a Remote Desktop session.
  • Desktop composition and font smoothing Lets users use desktop composition and ClearType font smoothing within a Remote Desktop session to enhance readability on liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors.
  • Display data prioritization Users can customize RDC to prioritize keyboard, mouse, and display traffic so that the Remote Desktop experience is not adversely affected when bandwidth-intensive tasks are being performed on the remote computer, such as copying large files or submitting large print jobs. For more information, see the section titled "Improving Remote Desktop Performance" later in this tutorial.
  • Network Level Authentication Support Users can configure Remote Desktop to enable a connection from only clients that support Network Level Authentication. With Network Level Authentication, the user/client and server can negotiate a secure channel for exchanging data prior to allocating resources for sessions.
  • Server authentication Allows users to verify that their RDC client is connecting to the correct remote computer or Remote Desktop Session Host. This provides increased security and protection of confidential information by ensuring that you are connecting to the computer to which you intend to connect.
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In this tutorial:

  1. Connecting Remote Users and Networks
  2. Enhancements for Connecting Remote Users and Networks in Windows 7
  3. Understanding IKEv2
  4. Understanding MOBIKE
  5. Understanding VPN Reconnect
  6. Protocols and Features of VPN Reconnect
  7. How VPN Reconnect Works
  8. Understanding DirectAccess
  9. Benefits of DirectAccess
  10. How DirectAccess Works
  11. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
  12. Ipv6
  13. IPsec
  14. Perimeter Firewall Exceptions
  15. Implementing DirectAccess
  16. Understanding BranchCache
  17. Benefits of BranchCache
  18. How BranchCache Works
  19. Protocols Supported by BranchCache
  20. Implementing BranchCache
  21. Supported Connection Types
  22. Outgoing Connection Types
  23. Incoming Connection Types
  24. Deprecated Connection Types
  25. Supported Tunneling Protocols
  26. Comparing the Different Tunneling Protocols
  27. Understanding Cryptographic Enhancements
  28. Support for AES
  29. Weak Cryptography Removal from PP TP/L2TP
  30. Supported Authentication Protocols
  31. Understanding the VPN Connection Negotiation Process
  32. Creating and Configuring VPN Connection
  33. Creating a VPN Connection
  34. Initiating a Connection
  35. Terminating a Connection
  36. Viewing Connection Details
  37. Configuring a VPN Connection
  38. Configuring Security Settings for a VPN Connection
  39. Configuring the Tunneling Protocol (s) Used
  40. Configuring Advanced Connection Settings
  41. Configuring the Data Encryption Level
  42. Configuring the Authentication Method Used
  43. Configuring Authentication for IKEv2 connections
  44. Configuring Mobility for IKEv2 Connections
  45. Configuring Dial-Up Connections
  46. Creating a Dial-Up Connection
  47. Advanced Connection Settings
  48. Configuring Incoming Connections
  49. Managing Connections Using Group Policy
  50. Using Remote Desktop
  51. Understanding Remote Desktop
  52. Versions of RDP
  53. RDP 6.1 Features and Enhancements
  54. RDP 7.0 new features and enhancements
  55. RemoteApp and Desktop Connection
  56. Understanding RDC
  57. Understanding Remote Desktop Services Terminology
  58. Configuring and Using Remote Desktop
  59. Enabling Remote Desktop and Authorizing Users on a Single Computer
  60. Enabling Remote Desktop Using Group Policy
  61. Configuring and Deploying Remote Desktop Connection
  62. Configuring Remote Desktop Connection from the Command Line
  63. Configuring Remote Desktop Connection Using Notepad
  64. Configuring Remote Desktop Using Group Policy
  65. Establishing a Remote Desktop Session
  66. Improving Remote Desktop Performance
  67. Troubleshooting Remote Desktop Sessions
  68. Configuring and Using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection