How to Connect to a computer using VNC Viewer

1 Install the server

The VNC server software is included with the latest versions of the Raspbian OS. VNC also has licensing arrangements that allow you to connect either over the internet or your home Wi-Fi. To connect to a Mac or Windows PC, you need to install VNC Connect on that computer first (realvnc.com).

2 Authenticate

When you install VNC Connect, you’ll specify a username and password. On the Pi, there is a default user ‘pi’ with the password ‘raspberry’. To prevent man-in-the-middle attacks from intercepting your login details, VNC also provides a randomised catchphrase that you can read out over the phone.

3 Resolution vs framerate

The video data is encrypted and compressed before it is sent. Even if you set the VNC Viewer window to match the resolution of the remote computer, you could see anti-aliasing and compression artefacts. You can reduce this, at the cost of lower frame rates, by clicking Options in VNC Viewer’s pulldown toolbar.