Connect to your Raspberry Pi from anywhere, even when it’s not physically nearby.

Learn how to access your Raspberry Pi using remote desktop software and make it accessible over the internet. …


Updated September 1, 2023

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Learn how to access your Raspberry Pi using remote desktop software and make it accessible over the internet.

Introduction

If you own a Raspberry Pi and want to access it remotely without being physically present at its location, you can use remote desktop software to connect to it from any device with an internet connection. In this article, we will explore how to set up your Raspberry Pi for remote access using VNC (Virtual Network Computing) and SSH (Secure Shell) protocols.

Setting Up Your Raspberry Pi for Remote Access

To get started, you’ll need to ensure that your Raspberry Pi is connected to the internet and update its software:

  1. Connect your Raspberry Pi to a network with an active internet connection (either wired or wireless).
  2. Open a terminal window by clicking on the icon in the top left corner of the desktop and selecting “Terminal.”
  3. Update the system by running the following command:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
  1. Reboot your Raspberry Pi to apply updates by running:
sudo reboot now

After your Pi finishes rebooting, continue with the VNC setup:

Setting Up VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

VNC is a graphical desktop sharing system that allows you to remotely access and control your Raspberry Pi’s display. To set it up, follow these steps:

  1. Install the necessary packages by running:
sudo apt-get install tightvncserver
  1. Start the VNC server by running:
tightvncserver
  1. When prompted, set a password for your VNC server. This will be required when connecting to your Pi remotely.
  2. Find the IP address of your Raspberry Pi by running:
hostname -I
  1. Note down this IP address as you’ll need it later to connect to your Pi using a remote desktop client.

Setting Up SSH (Secure Shell)

SSH allows you to access your Raspberry Pi remotely and execute commands on the command line. To set up SSH, follow these steps:

  1. Enable SSH by running:
sudo systemctl enable ssh
  1. Start the SSH service by running:
sudo systemctl start ssh
  1. Find your Raspberry Pi’s IP address using the same command as before:
hostname -I
  1. Note down this IP address as you’ll need it to connect to your Pi remotely using an SSH client like PuTTY (for Windows) or Terminal (for macOS and Linux).

Connecting Remotely Using a VNC Client

Now that your Raspberry Pi is set up for remote access, you can use a VNC client on another device to connect to it. Here’s how:

  1. Download and install a VNC client such as TightVNC (Windows), RealVNC (macOS), or Vinagre (Linux).
  2. Open the VNC client and enter your Raspberry Pi’s IP address that you noted down earlier, followed by “:1” (e.g., “192.168.1.10:1”).
  3. Enter the password you set for your VNC server when prompted.
  4. Click connect and your Raspberry Pi’s display should appear on your local device. You can now control it as if you were sitting in front of it.

Connecting Remotely Using an SSH Client

You can also access your Raspberry Pi remotely using an SSH client. Here’s how:

  1. Download and install PuTTY (Windows) or Terminal (macOS and Linux).
  2. Open the SSH client and enter your Raspberry Pi’s IP address that you noted down earlier.
  3. Enter the default Raspberry Pi username “pi” and password “raspberry”. If you’ve changed the password, use the new one instead.
  4. Click connect or press enter, and you should see a command line interface for your Raspberry Pi. You can now execute commands remotely.

Conclusion

Now that your Raspberry Pi is set up for remote access using VNC and SSH, you can control it from anywhere with an internet connection. With the right software, you can even view its display or execute commands without being physically present. This makes it ideal for headless installations or when you want to work on your Pi while away from home. Just remember to keep your Raspberry Pi’s software up-to-date and secure by regularly updating it and using strong passwords.