Remote Access Tools Explained: RDP, Quick Assist and VNC for A+
The A+ exam expects you to know the remote access tools, what each is for, which port it uses, and the security practices around them. Microsoft Remote Assistance is one member of a family, and it has largely been replaced by Quick Assist. The tools Tool Port Use RDP — Remote Desktop Protocol TCP 3389 Full remote session, usually unattended Quick Assist HTTPS 443 Attended help; user shares their session Remote Assistance (MSRA) TCP 3389 / dynamic Legacy attended help via an invitation file VNC TCP 5900 Cross-platform screen sharing SSH TCP 22 Encrypted command line Telnet TCP 23 Unencrypted command line — do not use Third-party (TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Splashtop) 443 Cross-network support through firewalls Three ports are near-certain exam content: RDP 3389, VNC 5900, SSH 22. Telnet's 23 is worth knowing so you can identify it as the wrong answer — it sends credentials in plaintext, and SSH replaces it. Attended versus unattended The distinction that decides which tool f...