This article will show you how to use the RDP client that comes packaged with Windows to connect to our remote access resources.
SOU offers remote access to several Microsoft Windows desktop environments using Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services. These remote desktop environments are available on any device that supports an RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) client, including Windows, Macintosh, Linux, iOS, and Android, and they can be accessed from anywhere in the world over the Internet.
If you access our remote desktop environments from off-campus, please be prepared for some noticeable network delay (i.e. latency) while you interact with Windows and applications in the remote environment. For example, you may need to wait a second or two after clicking on something for the screen to react. This is an unfortunate and unavoidable consequence of the fact that the signals have to travel back and forth over the Internet, which introduces significant delay.
Our remote desktop environments host multiple connections at any given time, so they sometimes slow down during periods of intense usage as resources become scarce. Therefore, it is important that you LOG OUT (do not click the X at the top of the screen) of your session when you are finished so that those computing resources free up for everyone else.
Closing the remote desktop connection program does not log you out of your session. You must remember to log out of the remote Windows environment in order to truly close your session.
To do so in Windows 11, click on the Windows icon, then at the bottom of the start menu click on your username/name at the bottom left. There should be a menu that has an option to sign out, click that. Thank you!
To do so in Windows 10, click on the Windows icon then at the top of the menu click on your username/name. There should be a menu that has an option to sign out, click that. Thank you!
Finding the Remote Desktop Connection Utility
To begin using remotedesktop.sou.edu or virtuallab.sou.edu on Windows 11, locate the Remote Desktop Connection program in your computer's Start Menu. You will find it under All Apps -> Windows Accessories -> Remote Desktop Connection.
How To Use the Remote Desktop Connection Utility
Once the Remote Desktop Connection utility launches, you should see a windows similar to this one. Click on the down arrow next to the button that says Options or Show Options. This will expand the window to give you additional options.
After the window has expanded, enter the computer name of the remote server you intend to connect to. In the screenshot below, I have entered virtuallab.sou.edu, but you can enter the name of any of our remote environments. The steps for connecting are otherwise identical.
Remember, your options for the computer name are:
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remotedesktop.sou.edu - Used by employees for remote work.
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virtuallab.sou.edu - Used by faculty and students needing special academic software.
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cslab.sou.edu - Used by Computer Science faculty and students for special CS software.
You need to enter your SOU username with a "SOU\" preceding it (without the quotes) when you type it into the User name field. Alternatively, you can use your SOU email address as your user name in this step. This is crucial if you are connecting from a personal Windows device or if you are connecting from off-campus so that the server knows that you are with SOU. Failure to remember this step will result in the server refusing your connection!
You are now ready to press Connect, which will prompt you for your SOU password as shown below. Enter your password and press OK.
If you are connecting to remotedesktop.sou.edu, you will be prompted to authenticate with OKTA before the connection completes.
You should now be connected to the remote Windows environment. If you encounter a connection error, please call our IT Helpdesk at 541-552-6900 or email helpdesk@sou.edu with a screenshot of the error you received.
Also remember to sign out of your remote Windows environment when you are done. Do not click on the X at the top of the screen.
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