Revised Remote Desktop Web Connection Client - User Supported

I have created a revised remote desktop web connection client webpage that will allow a user to specify a non-standard port for connection.  This is the number 1 feature that we see in the Microsoft public newsgroups relating to the web client software.  The revised version will also allow a user to specify a non-standard color depth, enable or disable drive and printer redirection, and connect to the console session of a Windows 2003 Server.  Finally, I have added a few checkboxes that will allow you to disable various User Interface features (i.e., Themes, Desktop Wallpaper, etc) to enhance your connection and usage speed.  In general, the new client replicates much of the functionality exposed in the desktop version of the Remote Desktop Connection Client.

To see (and use) the new client, visit here.  (Please note that this is the beta site for the new Remote Network Technology support website and many parts of the site don't work yet.... )

To download and use the new client, download the revised file here and replace or rename the original default.htm file in the C:\WINDOWS\WEB\TSWEB directory.

FYI:  I am also about to release a new tool (on the website) that will help end users determine their WAN IP Address as well as determine whether they are behind a NAT gateway device or not.  This is trivial for networking people, but it could be a useful check tool when supporting end users.  In the near future, there will also be a tool to allow a end user to check whether or not they have enabled port forwarding in their router to support Remote Desktop and to offer troubleshooting for connection difficulty...  These are waiting for me to get some spare time away from the office (we are about to move into a new wing of the building, so I am busy finishing up network wiring, installing patch panels, etc.).

Disclaimer:  The revised default.htm file was a modified version of the original web client provided by Microsoft to support some of the additional properties necessary to enable port forwarding, color depth, etc.  I have not seen any sort of problems with this release, but I am not responsible for any data loss or downtime caused by overwriting the production version client with this revised client.  The user shall heed all warnings displayed about enabling Folder/Drive Redirections. 

[Via Jeffrey's Ruminations - My Networking Blog]