A couple of terminal server client questions

[Huwy]

Hi

I had a couple of questions I was hoping someone could help me with. We have
a couple of terminal server 2008 servers and are using smartcards to logon.
because staff will frequently be logging in and out I'm looking to get the
logon process to be as quick as possible.

a) Is there any way you can increase the login timeout when connecting to a
terminal server? i.e. we would like have mstsc run at startup and leave it
open at the server logon page. At the moment it will disconnect after about
10 secs of inactivity.

Is there any way to choose "smart card" logon. i.e. at the server logon
screen we have three options - "other user", "domain user" and "smartcard".
Is there anyway we can automaticaly choose smart card without the end user
having to click on it?

I hope this makes sense, am more than happy to provide further info if not!
Thanks in advance,

H

 

[Cláudio Rodrigues [MVP]]

1. No, there is no way to change that. If all you want on the local PC is to
open an RDP connection that will sit there forever waiting for them to logon,
consider something like Thin Desktop. It will do exactly that.
2. I logon with SmartCards as well and I do not see what you are saying.
Once I plug the smart card I am prompted for the smartcard password and
simply type it to logon. I do not need to choose anything.

Cláudio Rodrigues
CEO, WTSLabs Inc.

http://www.wtslabs.com

Citrix CTP


"Huwy" wrote:

> Hi
>
> I had a couple of questions I was hoping someone could help me with. We have
> a couple of terminal server 2008 servers and are using smartcards to logon.
> because staff will frequently be logging in and out I'm looking to get the
> logon process to be as quick as possible.
>
> a) Is there any way you can increase the login timeout when connecting to a
> terminal server? i.e. we would like have mstsc run at startup and leave it
> open at the server logon page. At the moment it will disconnect after about
> 10 secs of inactivity.
>
>

Is there any way to choose "smart card" logon. i.e. at the server logon
> screen we have three options - "other user", "domain user" and "smartcard".
> Is there anyway we can automaticaly choose smart card without the end user
> having to click on it?
>
> I hope this makes sense, am more than happy to provide further info if not!
> Thanks in advance,
>
> H
>
>
>

 

[Huwy]

Thanks Cláudio.

Just to clarify the PCs are set to auto log onto the domain. Therefore the
PCs go straight into windows from startup.

When the smartcard is inserted a remote desktop is launched and they are
prompted to log onto the terminal server. It is here that they get prompted
to choose the logon method - "other user", "domain user" and "smartcard".
Clicking on smartcard prompts them for the PIN. I can send you a screen shot
of this if it helps?

Do you think thin desktop would be useful in this scenario?

Cheers,

H




"Cláudio Rodrigues [MVP]"
wrote in message news:25F27B29-19AB-470A-872E-417DC2E84086@microsoft.com...
> 1. No, there is no way to change that. If all you want on the local PC is
> to
> open an RDP connection that will sit there forever waiting for them to
> logon,
> consider something like Thin Desktop. It will do exactly that.
> 2. I logon with SmartCards as well and I do not see what you are saying.
> Once I plug the smart card I am prompted for the smartcard password and
> simply type it to logon. I do not need to choose anything.
>
> Cláudio Rodrigues
> CEO, WTSLabs Inc.
>
> http://www.wtslabs.com
>
> Citrix CTP
>
>
> "Huwy" wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> I had a couple of questions I was hoping someone could help me with. We
>> have
>> a couple of terminal server 2008 servers and are using smartcards to
>> logon.
>> because staff will frequently be logging in and out I'm looking to get
>> the
>> logon process to be as quick as possible.
>>
>> a) Is there any way you can increase the login timeout when connecting to
>> a
>> terminal server? i.e. we would like have mstsc run at startup and leave
>> it
>> open at the server logon page. At the moment it will disconnect after
>> about
>> 10 secs of inactivity.
>>
>>

Is there any way to choose "smart card" logon. i.e. at the server
>> logon
>> screen we have three options - "other user", "domain user" and
>> "smartcard".
>> Is there anyway we can automaticaly choose smart card without the end
>> user
>> having to click on it?
>>
>> I hope this makes sense, am more than happy to provide further info if
>> not!
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>> H
>>
>>
>>

 

[Cláudio Rodrigues [MVP]]

For sure Thin Desktop will help as if the user now waits for the RDP session
to timeout they are back to the local desktop. Thin Desktop will always keep
the RDP connection on the screen, relaunching it after it times out.
Regarding the SmartCard, that is where there is something different. On my
setup as soon as I launch MSTSC, it detects I already have a smart card
plugged it (or if I plug in later it still does the same) and prompts me for
the SmartCard password. I do not have an option to choose which method I
want. If I have no smartcard plugged in, I see the regular logon screen on
the TS.
But I am using the older RDP client on XP and a 2003 TS, not 2008. That
could be the difference.

Cláudio Rodrigues
CEO, WTSLabs Inc.

http://www.wtslabs.com

Citrix CTP


"Huwy" wrote:

> Thanks Cláudio.
>
> Just to clarify the PCs are set to auto log onto the domain. Therefore the
> PCs go straight into windows from startup.
>
> When the smartcard is inserted a remote desktop is launched and they are
> prompted to log onto the terminal server. It is here that they get prompted
> to choose the logon method - "other user", "domain user" and "smartcard".
> Clicking on smartcard prompts them for the PIN. I can send you a screen shot
> of this if it helps?
>
> Do you think thin desktop would be useful in this scenario?
>
> Cheers,
>
> H
>
>
>
>
> "Cláudio Rodrigues [MVP]"
> wrote in message news:25F27B29-19AB-470A-872E-417DC2E84086@microsoft.com...
> > 1. No, there is no way to change that. If all you want on the local PC is
> > to
> > open an RDP connection that will sit there forever waiting for them to
> > logon,
> > consider something like Thin Desktop. It will do exactly that.
> > 2. I logon with SmartCards as well and I do not see what you are saying.
> > Once I plug the smart card I am prompted for the smartcard password and
> > simply type it to logon. I do not need to choose anything.
> >
> > Cláudio Rodrigues
> > CEO, WTSLabs Inc.
> >
> > http://www.wtslabs.com
> >
> > Citrix CTP
> >
> >
> > "Huwy" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi
> >>
> >> I had a couple of questions I was hoping someone could help me with. We
> >> have
> >> a couple of terminal server 2008 servers and are using smartcards to
> >> logon.
> >> because staff will frequently be logging in and out I'm looking to get
> >> the
> >> logon process to be as quick as possible.
> >>
> >> a) Is there any way you can increase the login timeout when connecting to
> >> a
> >> terminal server? i.e. we would like have mstsc run at startup and leave
> >> it
> >> open at the server logon page. At the moment it will disconnect after
> >> about
> >> 10 secs of inactivity.
> >>
> >>

Is there any way to choose "smart card" logon. i.e. at the server
> >> logon
> >> screen we have three options - "other user", "domain user" and
> >> "smartcard".
> >> Is there anyway we can automaticaly choose smart card without the end
> >> user
> >> having to click on it?
> >>
> >> I hope this makes sense, am more than happy to provide further info if
> >> not!
> >> Thanks in advance,
> >>
> >> H
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>