A gateway is any computer that connects two networks that use different network protocols. A gateway reformats information from one network so that it is compatible with the other network.
A Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway) server is a type of gateway that enables authorized users to connect to remote computers on a corporate network from any computer with an Internet connection. TS Gateway uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) along with the HTTPS protocol to help create a more secure, encrypted connection.
In earlier versions of Remote Desktop Connection, people could not connect to remote computers across firewalls and network address translators because port 3389—the port used for Remote Desktop connections—is typically blocked to enhance network security. However, a TS Gateway server uses port 443, which transmits data through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) tunnel.
A TS Gateway server provides these benefits:
- Enables Remote Desktop connections to a corporate network from the Internet without having to set up virtual private network (VPN) connections.
- Enables connections to remote computers across firewalls.
- Allows you to share a network connection with other programs running on your computer. This enables you to use your ISP connection instead of your corporate network to send and receive data over the remote connection.