What port does RDP use on a NAT plan?

Not 3389. On a NAT plan RDP is forwarded to a personal high port shown in your dashboard (Access panel). Connect to that host:port instead of 3389. On a dedicated-IP plan RDP answers on the standard 3389 directly.

The password from the dashboard doesn't work — what now?

The password is shown once and applied to the VM on first boot, which takes about a minute and a half after deploy. If it's rejected right after ordering, wait a minute and try again. If it's still wrong, use Reset password in the dashboard, or open the noVNC console to check the machine is finished booting.

Can I connect from macOS or Linux?

Yes. On macOS use the Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the App Store. On Linux use xfreerdp or Remmina. The command line is xfreerdp /v:HOST:PORT /u:Administrator — it prompts for the password.

What is the noVNC console for if I already have RDP?

It's the rescue path. If you lock RDP out — a firewall rule, a wrong password, a service that didn't start — the console is a graphical screen straight to the VM in your browser, with a Ctrl+Alt+Del button. You can fix the firewall or reset things without RDP working at all.

How do I make RDP safer?

Use a long unique Administrator password (reset it from the dashboard to a strong one), keep Windows updated, and consider limiting RDP to your own IP with a firewall rule. On a dedicated-IP plan, where RDP is on the public 3389, an IP allowlist is the single biggest win.

Connect to a Windows VPS over RDP

Connect to a Windows Server 2022 VPS over RDP from Windows, macOS or Linux: host and port, first login, the noVNC rescue console, and basic RDP hardening.

Every Windows plan here is reached the same way: RDP as Administrator. This guide covers finding your connection details, logging in from any OS, the rescue console when RDP won't cooperate, and a few minutes of hardening that are worth doing on day one.

Step 1 — Find your host and port

Open the dashboard, go to Servers, and click your Windows server. The Access panel shows exactly what you need:

Host and port. On a NAT plan RDP is forwarded to a personal port (something like HOST:20xxx) — not 3389. On a dedicated-IP plan it's your own IPv4 on the standard 3389.
User — Administrator.
Password — shown once. Save it in a password manager the first time you reveal it.

The panel also gives you ready-to-paste mstsc and xfreerdp commands with your real host and port filled in.

Step 2 — Connect

From Windows — open Remote Desktop Connection, or run:

mstsc /v:HOST:PORT

Enter Administrator and the dashboard password.

From macOS — install the Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) from the App Store, add a PC with your HOST:PORT, user Administrator.

From Linux — use xfreerdp (or Remmina for a GUI):

xfreerdp /v:HOST:PORT /u:Administrator

It prompts for the password. That's it — you're at a full Windows Server 2022 desktop.

Step 3 — If the password is rejected

First boot finishes Windows setup about a minute and a half after deploy, and the password is applied during that window. If it's rejected immediately after ordering, wait a minute and retry. Still wrong? Two options in the dashboard:

Reset password — generates a new Administrator password and applies it to the live VM.
Console — see the next step to check the machine is actually up.

Step 4 — The rescue console (noVNC)

RDP depends on Windows being up, the network being right, and the firewall letting you in. When one of those breaks, you need a way in that doesn't use RDP at all. That's the Console button: a graphical screen straight to the VM, in your browser.

It includes a Ctrl+Alt+Del button — which you need to reach the Windows logon screen — so you can log in, fix a firewall rule, restart a service or change a password even when RDP is completely locked out. Treat it as your seatbelt before you start changing firewall settings.

Step 5 — Activate Windows (BYOL)

The image is Windows Server 2022 Evaluation. Activate with your own key (open PowerShell as admin):

slmgr /ipk YOUR-WINDOWS-KEY
slmgr /ato

Different edition than the image? Switch it without reinstalling, then activate:

DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:YOUR-KEY /AcceptEula

The full picture is in BYOL Windows Server licensing.

Step 6 — Basic RDP hardening

RDP is a login prompt on the internet, so treat it like one:

Strong Administrator password. Reset it from the dashboard to something long and unique. This is the single most important step.
Keep Windows updated. Evaluation and activated installs both get updates; use them.
Limit who can reach RDP. On a dedicated-IP plan RDP sits on the public 3389, so an IP allowlist (Windows Firewall → allow 3389 only from your address) removes almost all of the background noise. On a NAT plan the personal port already isn't the obvious 3389, which helps, but an allowlist is still worth it.
Don't disable the firewall to "make it work." If RDP breaks after a firewall change, that's what the noVNC console is for — fix the rule, don't turn the firewall off.

Where to go next

New to the plans? Windows VPS overview and the Windows Server 2022 OS page.
Paying privately? Windows VPS with Bitcoin or Monero.
Running MetaTrader, trading tools, an AI agent or a .NET/MS SQL box? See the use cases: Forex VPS for MT4/MT5, Windows VPS for crypto trading, Windows for AI computer-use agents, .NET / MS SQL.

Deploy a Windows VPS →