NoMachine Support

All you need to know

Getting Started with NoMachine Network

Start your journey to the next level of network computing

NoMachine Network gives you the freedom to connect to your remote desktop even if you don't know the IP address or the computer sits behind a NAT or a firewall. Instead of making IP-based connections with NoMachine, you connect using the Machine Id of the target computer. NoMachine Network is a separate subscription service, independent of the NoMachine software, designed to make remote access and desktop sharing as straightforward as possible while keeping your connection and your computer secure. Use it to provide remote assistance or to facilitate remote collaboration for teams who work on, or need to access to, a shared computer where a NoMachine server is installed. To connect to a remote machine via Network, you'll need a NoMachine account, an active Network Subscription and a system user account on the target machine. Joining someone else's desktop? You can connect as a guest instead. Read on to find out how.

Add your computer to NoMachine Network

  • Download and install NoMachine on your client and server machines. A NoMachine server installation (e.g., Personal Edition) must be activated first with its own server license file which is obtained separately. This license file can be an evaluation license generated from your User Area or a software subscription purchased from the store.
  • To connect to any computer over Network, you need its Machine Id. A computer gets a unique Machine Id when it gets published, or "added", to NoMachine Network. You can add as many machines as you like to NoMachine Network, with no limitation. You do not need to be logged into the Network service to add machines to NoMachine Network.
  • After installing, open NoMachine and navigate to 'Settings > Network > Machine'. (Fig 1).
Image of Network panel in NoMachine remote desktop software

Fig. 1 – Settings -> Network -> Machine

  • Click 'Add' (Fig. 2). This generates the Machine Id and an Access Id for your machine. The Access Id is an additional layer of security and is enabled by default.
  • Make a note of the Machine Id (including the dashes '-') and Access Id. You will need them in the next stages.
Image of Network settings panel before adding the machine to NoMachine Network

Fig. 2 – Click Add to configure the computer's availability on Network

  • Click 'OK' (Fig. 3). For this tutorial, the computer will be available to 'Everybody'. To limit access now, you can also manually add the User Ids in the available space.
  • Alternatively, you can add users from your own personal "Users book". To do that you need to have already created a NoMachine account and be logged in on the Player.
Image of computer being added to NoMachine Network

Fig. 3 – Click OK to publish the computer on Network

You need a NoMachine account to connect with Network

  • If you are a customer already or you created an account to activate NoMachine software, you can use the same account to log in to the Network service from any Player. This is your User Id.
  • If you don’t have a NoMachine account, you can create one on the website or directly from within the NoMachine Player, by clicking on 'Create a new account'.
  • Your User Id also gives you access to your own Machines and Users books which are stored on Network. Whichever device you login from, you will find your computers and contacts right there.
Image of Network panel in NoMachine remote desktop software

Fig. 4 – Create an account by following the steps

Get your Network Subscription

  • In order to connect to a computer using its Machine Id, you need a Network subscription. All new NoMachine accounts automatically get a free 7-day Network evaluation upon activation of the account, so you can try it for free first.
  • Acquiring a Network subscription is easy and can be done by proceeding to the store and logging in with your NoMachine account.
  • Remember that if you don't want to connect using the Network service, you can still reach your computer on LAN or via a simple Internet connection using your computer’s IP address. Check out our other tutorial to know more about that.

Connect to the remote computer using its Machine Id

  • Now go to the device you want to connect from.
  • Install a NoMachine client for your operating system, e.g., the mobile app or Enterprise Client.
  • Login to NoMachine Network with your User Id and password. You can login on the bottom left in the NoMachine Player or go to Settings, select Network, then Login.
Image of Network panel in NoMachine remote desktop software

Fig. 5 – Login panel

  • The Machine Id you noted down earlier is required now because you will use it to start your first Network connection.
  • You can start your connection in two ways: i) insert the Machine Id of the machine you'd like to connect to in the Search field and click on 'Connect to new Machine Id', or ii) click 'Add' and insert the Machine Id in the Host field of the Add panel.
  • The name of the connection is up to you to configure. If you don't insert a name, NoMachine provides one for you based on what was inserted in the host field.
  • If the Access Id has been enabled on the remote machine, insert it when prompted.
Image of computer being added to NoMachine Network

Fig. 6 – Insert your Machine Id in the search field and click the 'Connect to ...' link

Image of disconnecting from NoMachine Network

Fig. 7 – Type in the Access Id

  • Provided the Access Id is correct, you can now log in with valid system account credentials (Fig. 8).
  • If you don't have a system account because you are connecting to someone else's computer, choose to connect as a guest using Guest Desktop Sharing. You will require authorization from the desktop owner in order to successfully connect.
Image of computer being added to NoMachine Network

Fig. 8 – After inserting the Access Id, the Login panel asks for system credentials

  • Approve and verify the host identification as a last step.
  • Congratulations! You're now connected!
Image of remote desktop over NoMachine Network

Fig. 9 – You're in!

NoMachine Is for Everybody

Do it all and do it better

NoMachine is hands-down the best remote desktop solution on the market today. It packs a serious punch with professional-grade features that let you work and create without limits, from anywhere. NoMachine Personal Edition, suitable for everyone, does everything you could ever need from a remote access tool. Get lag-free desktop control and capture remote access sessions in real-time, get terminal access for quick remote scripting and fixing, move data effortlessly and print documents, rest easy with robust two-factor authentication to protect logins. Need more? Unlock advanced capabilities, centralized management and business-scale remote access designed to power entire organizations with the full suite of NoMachine Enterprise products.