How to access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere with a simple setup

Learn how to access and control your Raspberry Pi remotely using a VNC viewer, SSH client, or web interface. …


Updated September 21, 2023

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Learn how to access and control your Raspberry Pi remotely using a VNC viewer, SSH client, or web interface.

Accessing Raspberry Pi Remotely

In this article, we will discuss three different methods on how you can access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world using a simple setup. These methods include:

  1. Using VNC Viewer to access graphical user interface remotely.
  2. Using SSH client to control and manage your Pi remotely through terminal.
  3. Using Web Interface with web-based applications like noVNC or Guacamole.

Method 1: Accessing Raspberry Pi using VNC Viewer

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a graphical desktop sharing system that allows you to remotely access and control another computer’s screen, keyboard, and mouse. To set up remote access with VNC, follow these steps:

  1. First, ensure your Raspberry Pi has a network connection either through Ethernet or Wi-Fi. You can check this by running the ifconfig command in the terminal to see if there is an IP address assigned to your device.
  2. Install VNC server on your Raspberry Pi:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install x11vnc xorg
  1. Start the VNC server by running this command in the terminal:
x11vnc -forever -usepw -shared

You will be prompted to set a password for your VNC session, which you will use later on to connect from your remote device. 4. Install a VNC viewer on your remote device (e.g., computer or smartphone). There are many options available depending on the platform you are using: RealVNC for Windows and Mac, Remmina for Linux, or iVNC Viewer for iOS and Android. 5. Open the VNC viewer on your remote device and enter the IP address of your Raspberry Pi along with the display number (usually :0) to connect:

IP_ADDRESS:0
  1. Enter the password you set earlier when prompted.

Now, you should be able to see and interact with your Raspberry Pi’s graphical interface from anywhere in the world!

Method 2: Accessing Raspberry Pi using SSH Client

Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol that allows you to remotely access and control another computer over the network. To set up remote access with SSH, follow these steps:

  1. Ensure your Raspberry Pi has a network connection either through Ethernet or Wi-Fi. You can check this by running the ifconfig command in the terminal to see if there is an IP address assigned to your device.
  2. Install an SSH server on your Raspberry Pi:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install openssh-server
  1. Start the SSH server by running this command in the terminal:
sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh
  1. Install an SSH client on your remote device (e.g., computer or smartphone). There are many options available depending on the platform you are using: PuTTY for Windows, Terminal for Mac and Linux, or JuiceSSH for iOS and Android.
  2. Open the SSH client on your remote device and enter the IP address of your Raspberry Pi to connect:
IP_ADDRESS
  1. Enter the username (usually “pi”) and password (default is “raspberry”) when prompted.

Now, you should be able to control your Raspberry Pi through terminal commands from anywhere in the world!

Method 3: Accessing Raspberry Pi using Web Interface

If you want a more user-friendly graphical interface for remote access, you can use web-based applications like noVNC or Guacamole. These applications allow you to access your Raspberry Pi through a web browser. Follow these steps to set up either of them:

noVNC

  1. First, install the necessary packages on your Raspberry Pi by running:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install novnc xorg xrdp
  1. Start the VNC server and xrdp daemon:
x11vnc -forever -usepw -shared
sudo systemctl enable xrdp
sudo systemctl start xrdp
  1. You can now access your Raspberry Pi using a web browser by navigating to http://IP_ADDRESS:6080/vnc.html. Enter the password you set earlier when prompted.

Guacamole

  1. Install Apache Tomcat and Guacamole on your Raspberry Pi:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tomcat9 guacamole-tomcat9
  1. Start the Guacamole service:
sudo systemctl enable tomcat9
sudo systemctl start tomcat9
  1. You can now access your Raspberry Pi using a web browser by navigating to http://IP_ADDRESS:8080/guacamole. Enter the username (usually “pi”) and password (default is “raspberry”) when prompted.

Now, you have three methods for accessing your Raspberry Pi remotely. Choose the one that best fits your needs and start exploring the world of remote computing!