Using Chrome Remote Desktop From Thinvent Micro 5 Linux Mini PC To Access Windows Desktop PC; Using Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop from Micro 5 Remmina app to access Windows Desktop PC

Last updated on 9th Aug. 2022

Readers may want to see: List of my posts related to Thinvent Micro 5, a low-cost Linux mini PC based on Tanix TX 3 Android TV box,  https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2022/08/list-of-my-posts-related-to-thinvent.html , 8th Aug. 2022

This post captures my trials on 7th Aug. 2022.

This post follows up on my previous posts on Thinvent Micro 5 like: 

Review of below Rs.3000 (US$ 40) Micro 5 Linux Mini PC box w ARM Quad-core, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, HDMI, USB 2.0, used for Internet browsing, Libre Office and more w 21.5 in. LCD monitor,  https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2021/12/below-rs3000-us-40-micro-5-linux-mini.html , 13th Dec. 2021.

Some of the content of this post was first done as a test Word document created from Micro 5 on Windows desktop PC (Quad core AMD and 4 GB RAM having Windows 10 OS) using Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD) connection and later directly edited on Windows desktop PC. 

1) On my Windows PC desktop I setup Chrome Remote Desktop following instructions given in Google Chrome Help here: Access another computer with Chrome Remote Desktop, https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/1649523 .

2) On both my Windows PC  desktop and on Micro 5, I logged in to the same gmail account.

3) Initially my Windows PC desktop was connected via a wired link to my BSNL broadband modem (my low-cost BSNL plan typically gives close to 8 Mbps speed when only one person is using Internet) and Micro 5 was connected via WiFi to the same broadband modem. So both PC desktop and Micro 5 would have been on the same LAN.

4) Then from Micro 5 from Chromium browser I opened remotedesktop.google.com/access . That listed my PC desktop as a PC I could try to connect to. No other connection possibilities (desktops) were listed. I don’t know enough about Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD) to know whether that was how it should be or not.

5) Perhaps as Micro 5 was in another room from where the broadband modem was placed, even when I tried various angles for the modem antenna, the Internet speed on Micro 5 was poor with the Internet connection itself being lost frequently. But even in this scenario, at times, I was able to connect from Micro 5 to PC desktop using CRD but the response was very poor/slow and the CRD connection would frequently be lost/broken. The problem was clearly the poor Internet WiFi connection between Micro 5 and broadband modem. However I was able to usually, but not always, get decent Internet speed (for my needs) when my Samsung M21 mobile was connected to the broadband modem, and when the mobile was placed on top of Micro 5 box to have same physical location. Clearly the WiFi of Samsung M21 was far better than Micro 5 WiFi, in accessing broadband modem WiFi link. Later I saw that if I kept the Micro 5 box just 2 to 3 feet from broadband modem with front sides of both facing each other then Micro 5 got good Internet speed (7.x Mbps). If I recall correctly (IIRC), the below camera pics and screenshot pics are when Micro 5 was connected to Windows PC in this way. IIRC, with this connection, playing youtube video was somewhat OK but was still choppy at times. Also note that I have masked some into. in these pics.

[On PC desktop, to open pic in larger resolution (if available), right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]

Above pic: Micro 5 showing 7.9 Mbps Internet speed when, IIRC, it was connected via WiFi to broadband modem with modem being within 2 to 3 feet of Micro 5 and modem and Micro 5 facing each other.

Micro 5 screenshot showing CRD Remote Access window connected to Windows PC Desktop showing youtube in Chrome.

Micro 5 screenshot showing Internet connection speed of 8.3 Mbps

6) Next I connected to Internet on Micro 5 through mobile hotspot on my phone using JIO network (During daytime when I tried it, the JIO mobile network speed is usually below 1 Mbps for my location). Then I tried same procedure to use CRD to access PC from Micro 5. Once again my PC was only entry listed in CRD on Micro 5. But connecting to PC via CRD was failing quite often. At times it would go through but fail after a few minutes. During the few minutes it was in operation, I tried watching some youtube videos run on PC and viewed on Micro 5. It was quite choppy viewing – not smooth. Once again, the culprit here seems to have been poor Internet connection speed for Micro 5. Note that this Internet connection was significantly better than Micro 5 connection to broadband modem in another room, as mobile and Micro 5 were physically close (2 to 3 feet perhaps).

7) The next Internet connection setup I tried was to have wired connection for both Micro 5 and desktop PC to the same broadband modem. That ensured good enough Internet speed for both Micro 5 and desktop PC. Now they were also on same LAN with desktop PC having IP address 192.168.1.25 and Micro 5 having 192.168.1.24. I presume that CRD and underlying networking software senses this and uses underlying LAN connection for providing remote desktop functionality rather than go through the Internet. Now not only was I able to easily connect using CRD from Micro 5 to desktop PC but the connection was also stable (not breaking for half an hour or more) and the response time was quite good. I played youtube videos from desktop PC on Micro 5 and it played somewhat okay but the video was slightly choppy and the audio was not fully in sync with the video at times. But typing in this Microsoft Word document (earlier version of the contents of this blog post) is quite OK. There is a small lag between keystroke and corresponding action of Word program shown on screen (character displayed or if a key like backspace, the character behind cursor being erased). But overall it was manageable. Browsing websites was also OK with slight response delay.

In the screenshot pics below, note that in the right part of the top bar on Micro 5, instead of WiFi icon for WiFi network connection, it has "<...>" icon for Ethernet/LAN network connection.

Above pic: Micro 5 screenshot showing CRD being used to edit Microsoft Word document in Windows desktop PC from Micro 5.

Above pic was taken a little later and so I have put it here. It is a screenshot of Micro 5 showing how Micro 5 Chromium browser shows Windows PC desktop as a computer that can be connected to, using CRD. Clicking on it leads to attempt to connect to Windows PC desktop.

Above pic: Camera pic showing Micro 5 using CRD to edit Microsoft Word document on Windows desktop PC.

Above pic: Camera pic showing how Windows desktop PC display looks when Micro 5 is using it through CRD.

Above pic: Micro 5 with connectors as used in this trial 

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Using Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop from Micro 5 Remmina app to access Windows Desktop PC including transferring files between them

After the above trial, I tried to use Remmina application on Micro 5 to access Windows desktop PC using Microsoft Remote Desktop. 

I did the following:

1) Logged in as administrator on Windows PC and confirmed that Remote Desktop was on in Settings -> System -> Remote Desktop. Note that to simply check whether Remote Desktop is on, one need not log in as administrator.

2) From Remmina app. on Micro 5, used IP address of Windows desktop PC (192.168.1.25) as the server in Quick Connect and protocol as RDP, and attempted to connect. As Micro 5 was connected on same LAN via WiFi, it went through and I was prompted for username and password (of Windows desktop m/c). I specified that and I got some prompt that same user is logged on (on Windows desktop PC) which was the case, and so I had to acknowledge something on Windows desktop PC which logged the user off from Windows desktop PC. Then Remmina app on Micro 5 was able to connect to Windows desktop PC and I was shown the display as it was when I was logged on directly on the Windows desktop PC.

One issue was that the WiFi connection quality being poor, the RDP connection was breaking often.

Then I used a long Ethernet cable to connect Micro 5 to the broadband modem (it has 4 Ethernet ports) and connected through Remmina again. This time there was no problem and I was able to use my Windows PC from Remmina app. on Micro 5.

2) File transfer between Micro 5 and Windows PC using Remmina app.

I followed the procedure specified here: https://cat.pdx.edu/platforms/linux/remote-access/file-sharing-rdp-from-linux/ .

It explains how to use Remmina app to share a folder on Linux (Micro 5, in our case) as a network folder on Windows PC. 

Procedure in short:

a) In properties of connection in Remmina app, under Basic tab, check the "Share folder" box. Then specify the folder on Micro 5 that has to be shared with Windows desktop PC.

b) Connect to Windows desktop PC using Remmina. From Micro 5 Remmina app, go to "This PC" in File Explorer of Windows desktop PC. The folder in Micro 5 that was specified as network share folder will be listed.

c) Copy-Paste or drag-and-drop files to and from Windows desktop PC folder and Micro 5 network share folder.

I created a transfer.txt file (having an earlier version of some of the above content) in the shared folder of Micro 5 which (file) I copied from Micro 5 network folder shown in Remmina app RDP connection to Windows PC, to a folder on Windows PC (using Remmina app on Micro 5). I used copy-paste to copy the file. Later when I worked directly on my Windows desktop PC to put up this blog post, I was able to use this transfer.txt file from the folder on Windows desktop PC to which I had copied it from Micro 5.