Posted on by harlan

How to Change the Remote Desktop (RDP) Listening Port in Windows

Remote Desktop listens on TCP port 3389 by default. You can move it to a different port with a quick registry change, which is handy for running several hosts behind one public IP or cutting down on automated scans.

Steps to Change the RDP Port

  1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
  2. Go to this key and select the PortNumber value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
  1. On the Edit menu, click Modify, then select Decimal.
  2. Type the new port number and click OK.
  3. Close Registry Editor and restart the computer.

Before You Connect

Allow the new port through Windows Firewall (and any network firewall) first, or you’ll lock yourself out. When connecting with Remote Desktop Connection, add the port to the address, for example server.example.com:3390.