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Connecting to PCoIP Remote Workstation Cards

You can connect to remote workstations equipped with a PCoIP Remote Workstation Card, and with PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Software (for Windows or Linux) installed.

Refer to System Requirements for supported versions.

Initial Workstation Configuration

Before you can connect to your remote workstation for the first time, you must install software and make some configuration changes. These actions only need to be taken once for each remote workstation in your system:

  • Record the MAC address of the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card

    Before you install the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card, record the MAC address of the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card; this will allow you to log into the card to configure its settings. Type https://pcoip-host-<MAC_ADDRESS>.mydomain where <MAC_ADDRESS> is the MAC address of your PCoIP Remote Workstation Card and mydomain is the local domain of your network. This step is important as the host driver function is disabled by default, so the Remote Workstation Card Software will not pick up information about the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card, such as the MAC address. The MAC address enables you to connect to the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card to view the IP address and enable the host driver function.

    For more information on IP and MAC information relating to the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card, see How do I find the IP address of my newly installed PCoIP Zero Client or PCoIP Remote Workstation card? in the knowledge base.

  • Install the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Agent: To connect to a PCoIP Remote Workstation Card machine with a PCoIP Software Client, the Remote Workstation Card Agent software must be installed.

  • Verify accessibility: Both the NIC of the workstation and the NIC of the PCoIP Remote Workstation card need to be accessible by the PCoIP Software Client. They can be on different local networks as long as both are accessible by the PCoIP Software Client. If they are both behind a NAT and accessed by the PCoIP Software Client then the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Agent must send the NAT'ed address to the PCoIP Software Client when connecting.

  • Enable monitor emulation for the video ports on your remote workstation: If monitor emulation is not enabled, you may see blank gray screens when you connect from the PCoIP Software Client.

    To enable monitor emulation, log in to the card’s Administrator Web Interface (AWI) and select Enable Monitor Emulation on Video Port n from the Configuration > Monitor Emulation menu. For more information, see the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Administrators' Guide.

  • Disable temporal dithering: Temporal dithering causes blurriness, heavy packet loss, and high CPU usage on the PCoIP Software Client machine.

  • Linux workstations: configure PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Software to Start Automatically: To configure the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Software to start automatically, log into the workstation using a PCoIP Zero Client or directly from a local mouse and keyboard, and modify the workstation startup script to launch the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Software. For details, see Installing PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Software Binary RPM in the PCoIP® Remote Workstation Card Software for Linux User Guide.

Once the remote workstation is properly configured, you can use the Software Client for Windows to connect to it.

Connecting to a PCoIP Remote Workstation Card through the command line

You can connect directly to a PCoIP Remote Workstation card from a PCoIP Software Client by launching the client from the command line. For details, see hard host in client configuration.

PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Limitations

Not all features with the Software Client are fully supported when connecting to a PCoIP Remote Workstation Card. The following section outlines these limitations against certain features.

Audio: PCoIP Remote Workstation Card uses a hardware based audio protocol which is not fully supported on the Software Client.

Topology: Single display configurations will work. There may be disruptions in the forms of black bars or scroll bars on the client if the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card does not support the display configuration on the client.

USB: Connecting USB devices to the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card is not supported.

Performance: The PCoIP Remote Workstation Card does not support PCoIP Ultra enhancements.

Connecting Remotely using NAT or VPN

The same principles that apply for PCoIP Zero Clients apply to PCoIP Software Clients when connecting to multiple hosts through a WAN. Connections from a PCoIP Software Client to a Remote Workstation Card across a WAN will require a VPN or NAT setup with enterprise level NATing devices. For information on how to connect a PCoIP Software Client to a Remote Workstation Card installed in a Windows host computer, see Conections from Software Clients in the PCoIP Remote Workstation Card Administrators' Guide.