RustDesk is the free program we use to see your screen when you need help. These steps point it at our own server instead of the public one, so support sessions stay on our equipment.
First, install RustDesk from rustdesk.com — or from the App Store or Google Play on a phone or tablet. Then change these two settings. Everything else can be left alone.
Leave Relay Server and API Server empty — RustDesk fills those in by itself. The Key is not a password: it lets your computer confirm it is talking to the real server, and it scrambles the connection. It is safe to email.
These are four routes to the same result. Do one of them, not all four.
| If you are | Use |
|---|---|
| Setting up one or two computers | Typing it in |
| On a phone or tablet | Typing it in |
| Happy to copy and paste | Pasting one string |
| Rolling out many Windows PCs | The ready-made installer |
| Working from a script | The settings file |
rustdesk.rctech.ca in ID Server, and the Key in Key.Copy this, then use ⋮ → Network → Unlock Network Settings → Import Server Config, and click Apply. It reads the string from your clipboard.
RustDesk reads its settings out of its own filename. Download the Windows installer, rename the file to exactly this, then run it — there is nothing to type afterwards.
rustdesk-host=rustdesk.rctech.ca,key=0G14kJu92IDaadThkN3EiU+OTgh2eWGbhbWGHjPeSXo=,.exe.exe. If Windows adds (1) to a repeat download, that comma keeps the Key intact.= on the end of the Key — it is part of the Key.Close RustDesk first — if it is running, it will overwrite your change when it exits.
| System | Where the file goes |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\RustDesk\config\RustDesk2.toml |
| macOS | ~/Library/Preferences/com.carriez.RustDesk/RustDesk2.toml |
| Linux | ~/.config/rustdesk/RustDesk2.toml |
rendezvous_server = 'rustdesk.rctech.ca'
nat_type = 0
serial = 0
[options]
custom-rendezvous-server = 'rustdesk.rctech.ca'
key = '0G14kJu92IDaadThkN3EiU+OTgh2eWGbhbWGHjPeSXo='
relay-server = 'rustdesk.rctech.ca'
api-server = ''
Where RustDesk is set up for unattended access it runs as a service and keeps a
second copy of its settings under the service account. The command line updates
the right one for you — run it as administrator or with sudo, after
RustDesk is installed:
rustdesk --config 9JSYj5CajVGdjJnLrNXZkR3c1JnI6ISehxWZyJCLiIiOikGchJCLi0zbYNVZQpGSHdlYoJ2RXVmModGVPtSVpV0MOtGaURWYhRUSykTdKtGNxcEMiojI5V2aiwiIhNmLoNWZ0Nmcus2clRGdzVnciojI0N3boJyeThe dot beside your ID turns green, and RustDesk says it is ready.
To be certain, open ⋮ → Network again. ID Server should still read rustdesk.rctech.ca.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The dot stays red or grey | The settings did not save. Open ⋮ → Network and check the ID Server field. You have to click Unlock Network Settings before editing, and Apply afterwards. |
| A key or secure-connection error | The Key was cut short. It ends with = — copy all of it, including that last character. |
| Fine at home, not at the office | That network is blocking the ports listed below. Test on a phone hotspot to confirm, then send the list to whoever looks after the network. |
| Settings go back after a restart | RustDesk was open while the file was changed. Close it completely, including the icon near the clock, then try again. |
Outbound access these networks need to rustdesk.rctech.ca:
| Port | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 21115 | TCP | Works out your connection type |
| 21116 | TCP and UDP | Registers you and keeps you online |
| 21117 | TCP | Carries the session when a direct connection is not possible |
| 21118, 21119 | TCP | Only needed for RustDesk in a web browser |
These are ordinary outgoing connections. Most networks already allow them.