To change default Windows remote desktop protocol (RDP) port number (3389) to any other, follow this instructions:

1. Press "Start" button and type "regedit":

2. Expand the registry folders to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE --> System --> CurrentControlSet --> Control -->Terminal Server --> WinStations --> RDP-Tcp

3. Look for "Port number" entry and double-click on it. In opened window choose "Decimal" and change "Value data" field to desired port number.

4. Press OK.

5. Make sure that new port is opened in firewall.

6. Enjoy

Mac OS X includes Samba support by default, and this is really handy if you’d like to remotely restart and monitor services running on a Windows machine.

To list services running on the Windows machine, use this command:

A practical example would be:

After identifying the service you want to restart, you issue the following command to stop the service:

Then you can restart (or start) the service by using the following command:

MAMP is a great app for Mac OS X that lets you quickly and easily run an entire pre-configured web server on top of Mac OS X, it’s really helpful and I use it frequently. Now my only complaint about MAMP is the port settings, by default they are set to 8888 and 8889, so instead of being able to visit localhost you have to load localhost:8888. Thankfully this is easy to change.

• Open up MAMP and hit the Preferences button
• Click on the Ports tab
• Click on “Set to default Apache and MySQL ports
• Click OK

MAMP will restart itself with the new default ports configured. This is the first thing I do when I setup MAMP and I find it makes working with the app much more natural.

And yes, I realize that Mac OS X comes with Apache server by default, but in my opinion nothing beats MAMP for it’s simple setup.

This first command lists the available shares at the destination IP:

Now you’ll want to pass set your SMB shares mount point:

and finally you’ll want to gain access to the SMB share by specifying your Windows login and the machines IP address:

If you frequently access a file server from a Mac it’s pretty helpful to map the network drive to your desktop. There’s two ways to do this, one method is just mapped for one time use and will reset after a reboot, and another method is a more permanent route that allows the mapped network drive to always appear and mount on your desktop after system reboots and user logins.

Map a network drive to Mac OS X

This method maps a network drive that will disappear if the network connection drops or if you reboot your Mac:

• From the Mac OS X Finder, hit Command+K to bring up the ‘Connect to Server’ window
• Enter the path to the network drive you want to map, ie: smb://networkcomputer/networkshare and click ‘Connect’
• Enter your login/password and click “OK” to mount the network drive
• The drive will now appear on your desktop and in the Finder window sidebar

Map a network drive to Mac OS X that re-mounts after system reboot

This method allows you to reboot your Mac and have the mapped network drive automatically remount and appear on the desktop, this is more persistent than the above method:

• From the Finder, hit Command+K
• Enter the path to the network drive you want to map, ie: smb://networkcomputer/networkshare and click ‘Connect’
• Enter your login credentials and click “OK”
• The drive is now mounted, but continue on to map for system reboot persistence
• Now enter into System Preferences, from the Apple menu
• Click on ‘Accounts’
• Click on “Login Items”
• Click on the + button to add another login item
• Locate the network drive you previously mounted and click “Add”
• Exit out of System Preferences

Your network drive will now be mapped and automatically remounted when you reboot your Mac.

Make the mapped network drive visible on the Mac desktop

It’s possible that the mounted drive will not appear on the desktop due to a system setting. If you want the mapped drive icon to be visible on the Desktop, be sure to do the following additional steps:

• From the Finder, open Finder Preferences by hitting Command+,
• Click the General tab
• Select the checkbox next to ‘Connected Servers’
• Close Finder Preferences

Selecting the checkbox next to Connected Servers ensures that you’ll see the icon on your Mac Desktop, otherwise it will only be visible in the Finder window sidebars and Open/Save dialogues.

Remount mapped network drive with a click

A great additional step for either method is to create an alias of the mapped network drive. This allows you to reconnect to the share with just a click. Here’s how to do this:

• Right-click on the mapped network drive on the Mac OS desktop
• Select “Make Alias”

Now you can double-click that alias to reconnect to the network drive instantly.

Telnet is a protocol that allows you to connect to remote computers (called hosts) over TCP/IP network. Telnet client should be installed on the computer to make a connection to a telnet server (i.e. remote host). After establishing the connection telnet client becomes a virtual terminal, allowing to communicate with the remote host. password and login name may be required to login to remote host, or guest account can be enabled optionally. Telnet clients are available for most OS.

Besides, SSH is similar to telnet, but the last one provides better security.

By default, Telnet client is disabled in Windows 7.

How to Enable Telnet Client on Windows 7:

1. Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features.

2. On the left pane with options, choose "Turn Windows Features On or Off".

3. In the opened window in the list of components, find Telnet Client and select the check-box. Press O.k. to confirm changes.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) allows remote connections to the PC using remote computer's IP-address or name. It has a great variety of settings which can help with configuring RDP for slow connections or to make it more secure. By default, the server listens on TCP port 3389. That's why the basic info to connect to the remote PC is its IP-address(name). To provide stronger security you may want to change the default port, so that attackers will not be able to connect via default port.

To change port number for RDP in Windows XP:

1. Navigate to the following key in the registry from left pane:

1.1. Start > Run > type in: regedit - press Enter.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber

2. Double click on PortNumber entry, then click on Decimal, type the new port number and then click Ok. Close Registry Editor.

NOTE: When you try to connect to the remote computer using Remote Desktop Connection, you'll need to specify new port number.

Make sure the firewall is opened for this new port.

1. Software Update checks for available updates. In the Software Update window, select the items you want to install, then click Install. Usually, you should install all available updates. (Mac OS X v10.3 only: Click the Check Now button.)
2. Enter an administrator account name and password.
3. After installation is complete, restart the computer if required.

You can repeat these steps to see if more updates are now available. Because some software updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to repeat these steps several times to complete the software update sequence.

Note: Mac OS X v10.5 and later can automatically run Software Update checks in the background and let you know when an update is available for your computer.

Getting updates immediately (Mac OS X v10.2.8 or earlier)

1. From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
2. From the View menu, choose Software Update.
3. Click Update Now.
4. In the Software Update window, select the items you want to install, then click Install.
5. Enter an administrator account name and password.
6. After the update is complete, restart the computer if a restart is required.

You can repeat these steps to see if more updates are now available. Because some software updates are prerequisites for others, you may need to repeat these steps several times to complete the software update sequence.

Windows Remote Assistance is a tool that allows to connect remotely and control the other operating system. Remote Assistance is a very useful tool for providing assistance when users need help. Remote Assistance sessions require password authentication. In addition, Windows Remote Assistance sessions are secured and encrypted.

You can launch Windows Remote Assistance by clicking the Start menu and typing Windows Remote Assistance and clicking Enter. Windows Vista will automatically launch Windows Remote Assistance. Click Invite someone you trust to help you.

You can send invitation through instant messaging or through email.

Then you must setup a password for your guest user. Please note that the password will not be included in the email invitation. You must manually send the password to the invitee. Enter a password twice and click Next.

Windows Vista will draft the following email:

"Hi, I need help with my computer. Would you please use Windows Remote Assistance to connect to my computer so you can help me? After you connect, you can view my screen and we can chat online. To accept this invitation, double-click the file attached to this message. (If you are running Windows Vista, you can also save the file to a location on your computer. Then you can open Remote Assistance, click Offer to help someone, and then open this file.) Thanks. Note: Do not accept this invitation unless you know and trust the person who sent it."

After your email has been sent, the Windows Remote Assistance dialog will wait for an incoming connection.

You must keep Windows Remote Assistance open or your invitee will be unable to connect.

When your invitee double-clicks the file attached to the message and enters the password they will be able to remotely control your computer.

Remote Desktop enables you to connect to your computer across the Internet from virtually any computer, Pocket PC, or Smartphone. Once connected, Remote Desktop gives you mouse and keyboard control over your computer while showing you everything that's happening on the screen.

Remote Desktop requirements :

To set up the Remote Desktop, start with the host computer.

3. Click System.

4. Click the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, and then click OK.

Connect your remote computer to the host computer

To connect your client (or remote) computer to your host computer, follow these steps:

The Remote Desktop window opens, and you see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are on your host computer, which in this example is your work computer. Your host computer remains locked, and nobody can access it without a password. Also, no one will be able to see the work you are doing remotely.

To end your Remote Desktop session: