The Raspberry Pi is a great little device that allows you to do quite a lot. You can use it to learn about coding, build robots, stream movies, and even play games. But what if you need to access your Raspberry Pi remotely from another computer or device? Let’s take a look at the best ways to control your Raspberry Pi without having physical access.
Benefits of Accessing Your Raspberry Pi Remotely
Some of the potential benefits of controlling your Raspberry Pi remotely include:
1. Remote Access via SSH
Secure Shell, or SSH, is a network protocol that provides a secure way for two computers to communicate and share data over an unsecured network. One major advantage of SSH is that it provides strong data encryption to ensure that sensitive data is sent securely over the network.
SSH works on most computing platforms. You just need to install a client on the computer you’re controlling from and install a server on the other computer you are going to SSH into.
Most platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS have an SSH client pre-installed in the terminal/command line. Linux distributions such as the Raspberry Pi OS feature a standard implementation of OpenSSH, making it easier to set up an SSH server. All you need to do isenable SSH on your Raspberry Piand connect from another device.
2. Remote Access via VNC
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a remote desktop-sharing solution that presents a graphical user interface for controlling a remote instance of another computer. It uses the open-source Remote Frame Buffer (RFB) protocol and is therefore compatible with multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The basic difference between VNC and SSH is that VNC provides a graphical user interface directly while SSH is mostly used through the command line. On the other hand, SSH is more secure, much faster, and less resource-intensive.
Setting up VNC on a Raspberry Pi is quite easy since VNC Server already comes pre-installed on recent releases of the Raspberry Pi OS. However, if you are using a Raspberry Pi OS version older than Raspbian Jessie, you must manually install VNC Server.
You do need to install the VNC Viewer on your client, either another PC or a mobile device. Fortunately, there are versions of the VNC Viewer for both Android and iOS.
3. Remote Access via RDP
Remote Desktop Protocol, or RDP, is Microsoft’s proprietary software solution for controlling another computer remotely over a network connection. RDP uses a client-server arrangement where your main computer hosts the client while the remote computer hosts the server. A key advantage of RDP is that it allows audio and video redirection, allowing you to play music and watch videos on your local computer. It also enables clipboard sharing between the remote and local computer.
To remotely access your Raspberry Pi through RDP, you’ll need to install Xrdp, the open-source implementation of the RDP server that works on Linux-based operating systems.
You can also use RDP toset up a remote desktop connection from your Raspberry Pi to access your Windows PC.
4. Remote Access via VPN
A VPN (virtual private network) acts as a tunnel that provides a secure connection. Although it’s more commonly used for security purposes, a VPN can also provide remote access to your home network.
Configuring VPN for remote access is relatively straightforward. You canset up your own VPN server on your Raspberry Piusing PiVPN and WIreGuard. From there, all you need is a client with the proper credentials. Unlike RDP, VPN does require a high-bandwidth connection to work well. So, if your network has low upload bandwidth, VPN might not be the best option for you. VPN however offers much more security and encryption, compared to RDP.
Furthermore, VPN is not the easiest remote access solution to set up, but it is worth it if you need extensive privacy and security.
5. Remote Access via Third-Party Remote Access Software
Several other applications allow you to control your Raspberry Pi remotely. These include:
Controlling Your Raspberry Pi Remotely Is Easy
The options are virtually limitless when it comes to controlling your Raspberry Pi remotely. To choose the method that works best for you, you’ll need to consider factors such as whether you need a graphical interface, security concerns, your budget (for the paid methods), the platform you’ll be accessing, and the technical complexity involved. It will be much easier to choose the best remote access interface for you after considering all these factors.
