How do I access another device using IP address?

The Remote Desktop is a great invention in the world that allows us to remotely access or control a PC over the Internet. The prerequisite to achieving the connection is to know the IP address, computer name, and password of the host PC.

How to remote access another computer through IP address?

Here in this article, we’ll talk about how to connect other PC with IP address in light of whether 2 devices are on the same network. But before the operation, setting up Remote Desktop on the host computer is necessary. You can follow the instructions below to connect your computer to a remote computer using IP address.

Part 1. Check the permission of remote connections

Step 1. On the host computer, press Win + R, input “sysdm.cpl” and press Enter.

Step 2. Go to the Remote tab, and ensure that "Allow remote connections to this computer" is checked. And then click OK.

Part 2. Change the Windows Firewall settings

Step 1. On the host computer, select Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.

Step 2. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall on the left navigation. Check Remote Desktop and hit OK.

Part 3. Assign a static IP address

The IP address in the local network is another thing we require. Later, we can configure the client computer using the IPv4 address. However, the router has set this IP, not the public IP address. In most local networks, it varies each time a PC connects to the network. Therefore, Remote Desktop Connection will only sometimes work. Consequently, we're going to give this PC a Static IP Address.

Step 1. To launch Command Prompt, press Win + R again, type "cmd," and press Enter. To get the IP for Remote Desktop, type "ipconfig" and hit Enter. You can now see a collection of IP addresses.

Step 2. Open the Start menu and click Settings. Then choose Network & Internet.

Step 3. Find Advanced network settings, and click Change adapter options below.

Step 4. Right-click your network and then click Properties.

Step 5. Tick Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and click Properties.

Step 6. Set up the properties through the following actions.

1. Turn on Use the following IP address in the General tab, and change the IP address to a Static IP address. For example, if your router IP is 192.168.0.1, your usable IP is from 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254. You can use 192.168.0.45 as your Static IP.

2. Set the Subnet mask to the default values, 225.225.225.0.

3. Set the Default gateway to the Default Gateway address noted down above.

4. Then turn on Use the following DNS server addresses, set the Preferred DNS server to the same Default Gateway address, and set the Alternate DNS server to Google DNS, 8.8.8.8.

5. Click OK to apply changes.

Part 4. Get the remote PC name

Open the Command Prompt again, and type in “query user” to get the PC name.

Part 5. Access another computer through IP address

Now everything is ready. You can start to access the remote computer using an IP address. Let’s see how to access computer with IP address on the local network and over the Internet.

Remote computer connection over local network (LAN):

Step 1. On the client computer, press Win + R, and type “mstsc” in the Run Dialog box to open the Remote Desktop Connection.

Step 2. Click Show Options, type in the IP address and name of the host computer, and then click Connect.

Step 3. Input the password of the client computer in the pop-up window, and press OK.

Remote computer connection over the Internet:

Connecting Remote Desktop over the Internet requires an additional step, port forwarding. You’ll have to switch port 3389 to the IP address of your computer in your router, and then connect to the public address of your router specifying this port.

Step 1. Enter "what is my IP" into the search bar of the browser, then write down your public IP address (not to share it with anyone else in case of security issues).

Step 2. Enter the IP address of your router in a web browser once it is open. Then a privacy warning will appear. To proceed, select Advanced > Continue.

Step 3. Enter the username and password for your router in the box, then click Login.

Step 4. From the left pane, select Port Forwarding/Port Triggering. To add a new port forwarding rule, click Add and select Add Custom Service.

Step 5. In the Port Forwarding interface, choose the port you want to forward (if you are unsure of the protocol being used, choose TCP/UDP or Both under Service Type). Click apply after selecting the IP address of the device you want to port forward.

Step 6. Follow the same steps on how to use Remote Desktop Connection over LAN, you can connect to a remote desktop over the internet now.

[Best alternative] How to access another computer through AnyViewer?

By following the ways above, you must know how to access another computer using IP address. However, due to the complicated settings of IP addresses and protocols, the operations seem not so easy and quick to realize even if 2 PCs are on the same network. If you encounter issues like “RDP stuck on Please Wait” or the port forwarding is too difficult for you, you can try a secure and professional remote access software - AnyViewer.

 Fast and secure connection: AnyViewer allows unattended remote access for you to quickly access another device through password, code protections, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) encryption.

 Multiple compatibilities: AnyViewer supports Windows 11, 10, 8, and Windows Server, including Windows 10 Home Edition. Not being restricted from a PC, AnyViewer also allows you to remotely access a PC from iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.

 Powerful remote access functions: AnyViewer provides wonderful functions like privacy mode, file transfer, screen wall, session chat, CMD mode, lock interface, etc. to boost your productivity.

Remote desktop control via AnyViewer (3 simple steps)

Step 1. Install and launch AnyViewer on both computers. Then click Sign up to create an AnyViewer account.

Step 2. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Step 3. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on other devices, then you can achieve a direct connection by clicking One-click control.

Notes:

If your corporation has so many devices that need to be remotely controlled, AnyViewer offers Professional and Enterprise editions to assign more devices.

What's more, AnyViewer offers Mass Deployment and device groups in the Enterprise edition for you to quickly deploy AnyViewer to all your team devices and manage them efficiently.

By upgrading AnyViewer, you will also get faster file transfer speed, the ability to connect in privacy mode, etc.

Conclusion

The IP address is a typical identification of servers and devices. Now you can access another computer through IP address in aspects of whether 2 devices are on the same network. However, if the first method of using Windows Remote Desktop to enter a remote IP address device seems a little bit complicated for you, just try AnyViewer which will give you the best remote access experience through simplest operations.