Easy Guide: Remote Access Raspberry Pi From Anywhere!

Rossie Leannon 23 May 2025

Ever found yourself needing a file from your Raspberry Pi while miles away? The ability to remotely access your Raspberry Pi from outside your local network is no longer a futuristic fantasy but a tangible reality, granting you unparalleled control and flexibility over your projects and data.

This capability unlocks a world of possibilities, transforming your Raspberry Pi from a humble single-board computer into a globally accessible powerhouse. Imagine monitoring your home automation system from a tropical beach, accessing sensor data from a remote weather station, or troubleshooting a critical application server from the comfort of your couch. The potential applications are as vast and varied as the Raspberry Pi community itself.

Category	Information
Name	Raspberry Pi
Type	Single-board computer
Primary Use	Various projects, including IoT, home automation, servers, and education
Operating System	Raspberry Pi OS (and other Linux distributions)
Connectivity	Ethernet, Wi-Fi (depending on model)
Remote Access Methods	SSH, VNC, RDP, Tailscale, PiTunnel, Raspberry Pi Connect, ngrok, loclx
Security Considerations	Strong passwords, SSH key authentication, VPNs, firewalls
Reference Website	raspberrypi.org

Here is what you need to do to remote access raspberry pi from outside local network: Accessing your Raspberry Pi remotely involves navigating a few technical hurdles, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Several methods exist, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let's delve into some of the most popular and effective approaches.

It is a secure remote access solution for raspberry pi os, allowing you to connect to your raspberry pi desktop and command line directly from any browser. Solutions like TeamViewer, VNC (Virtual Network Computing), or XRDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) can provide remote access to a Raspberry Pi over the internet, providing graphical interface functionality.

In this article, Ill share a few easy (and free) ways to access your Pi remotely. A few extra configuration steps are required to make them work from anywhere, but its doable. You can now access your Raspberry Pis desktop environment securely from anywhere with internet access. The key is understanding the underlying principles and choosing the method that best suits your needs and technical expertise.

SSH (Secure Shell): The Command-Line Gateway

For users comfortable with the command line, SSH provides a robust and secure way to remotely manage your Raspberry Pi. SSH allows you to execute commands, transfer files, and even configure the system remotely, all through an encrypted connection. This is particularly useful for headless setups (where your Pi doesn't have a monitor, keyboard, or mouse attached).

To connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH, you'll need an SSH client on your local machine (PuTTY for Windows, or the built-in terminal on macOS and Linux). You'll also need to know your Raspberry Pi's IP address and have SSH enabled on the Pi itself.

VNC: Bringing the Desktop to You

VNC offers a graphical alternative to SSH, allowing you to view and control your Raspberry Pi's desktop environment remotely. This is ideal for tasks that require a visual interface, such as running graphical applications, editing documents, or simply navigating the file system.

Several VNC server implementations are available for Raspberry Pi, including RealVNC and TightVNC. Once a VNC server is installed and configured on your Pi, you can use a VNC client on your local machine to connect and interact with the desktop.

Remote log into your raspberry pis full operating system using VNC Connect. VNC has long been the best way to access any computer remotely on the same network. Recently, VNC Connect came out to simplify the process of remote access.

Dynamic DNS: Bridging the Gap

One of the biggest challenges in remotely accessing a Raspberry Pi is that most home internet connections have dynamic IP addresses, which means the IP address assigned to your router can change periodically. This makes it difficult to consistently connect to your Raspberry Pi from outside your local network.

Dynamic DNS (DDNS) services solve this problem by providing a static hostname that automatically updates to reflect your router's current IP address. When your IP address changes, the DDNS service updates its records, ensuring that your hostname always points to the correct location.

Several DDNS providers offer free or paid services, including DynDNS, No-IP, and DuckDNS. Setting up DDNS typically involves creating an account with a provider, installing a DDNS client on your Raspberry Pi, and configuring the client to update your hostname whenever your IP address changes.

Port Forwarding: Opening the Door

To allow external connections to reach your Raspberry Pi, you'll need to configure port forwarding on your router. Port forwarding allows you to direct traffic from a specific port on your router to a specific IP address and port on your local network.

For SSH, you'll typically forward port 22 (the default SSH port) to your Raspberry Pi's IP address. For VNC, you'll forward port 5900 (the default VNC port). Keep in mind that port forwarding can pose a security risk if not configured correctly, so it's important to choose strong passwords and take other security precautions.

VPN: The Secure Tunnel

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides a secure and encrypted connection between your local machine and your Raspberry Pi, protecting your data from eavesdropping and unauthorized access. VPNs are particularly useful when accessing your Raspberry Pi from public Wi-Fi networks or other untrusted environments.

You can set up a VPN server on your Raspberry Pi using software like OpenVPN or WireGuard. Once the VPN server is configured, you can connect to it from your local machine using a VPN client. This creates a secure tunnel through which all your traffic is routed, ensuring that your data remains protected.

Use a VPN solution like Tailscale. You can set up your devices on a private network and access them from anywhere. You can't actually run the Tailscale daemon on the Pico, but you can set up port forwarding on another device for the subnet where the Pico lives.

Firewall: The First Line of Defense

A firewall acts as a barrier between your Raspberry Pi and the outside world, blocking unauthorized access and preventing malicious attacks. It's essential to configure a firewall on your Raspberry Pi to protect it from potential threats.

The most common firewall on Linux systems is iptables. Iptables allows you to define rules that specify which traffic is allowed to enter or leave your Raspberry Pi. You can configure iptables to block all incoming traffic by default and then selectively allow specific ports or services, such as SSH and VNC.

Security Considerations: Protecting Your Pi

While remote accessing your Pi is very convenient, it also comes with security risks. Here are some tips to help keep your Pi secure when accessed over the internet:

Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for all user accounts on your Raspberry Pi. Avoid using default passwords or easily guessable words.

SSH Key Authentication: Replace password-based authentication with SSH key authentication. SSH keys are more secure than passwords and prevent brute-force attacks.

Disable Password Authentication: Once you've set up SSH key authentication, disable password authentication to further enhance security.

Keep Software Up-to-Date: Regularly update your Raspberry Pi's operating system and software packages to patch security vulnerabilities.

Monitor Logs: Periodically review your Raspberry Pi's logs for suspicious activity.

Disable Unnecessary Services: Disable any services that you don't need to minimize the attack surface.

Consider a Honeypot: A honeypot is a decoy system that attracts attackers and allows you to monitor their activity. This can provide valuable insights into potential threats.

Pitunnel and Raspberry Pi Connect: Simplified Solutions

For those seeking simpler solutions, PiTunnel and Raspberry Pi Connect offer user-friendly ways to access your Raspberry Pi remotely.

In this article, we will guide you through how to use PiTunnel to allow you to access a VNC remote desktop for your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world. We will do this by using the custom tunnels feature of PiTunnel. All your Raspberry Pi needs is an internet connection, and PiTunnel will do the rest. In this article, we will guide you through how to use PiTunnel to allow you to access SSH for your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world.

Raspberry Pi Connect is the native and easiest way to access the board remotely using a web browser. It provides a secure encrypted connection to Raspberry Pi without requiring the IP address to be input. However, considering ease of use, Raspberry Pi Connect is the easiest method of remotely accessing your Pi desktop from anywhere on the planet.

Today, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is releasing a new solution to simplify and secure access to a remote Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi has just announced a new way to remotely access a Raspberry Pi.

Alternative Methods: ngrok and loclx

Other options include using ngrok or loclx to create secure tunnels to your Raspberry Pi.

Below is snapshot of how you can access web portal via ngrok tunnel. Use the below command to create a tunnel for port 22. Using port 22, we can SSH into the device.

On the Pi, start a tunnel via loclx, the localxpose CLI (opens in a new tab). (See loclx configuration (opens in a new tab).) Now, you can use your public localxpose URL to reach your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world. In this article, we will guide you through how to use PiTunnel to allow you to access a web server running on your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world. We will do this by using the custom tunnels feature of PiTunnel. All your Raspberry Pi needs is an internet connection, and PiTunnel will do the rest.

Practical Steps to Remote Access

Here is what you need to do to remote access raspberry pi from outside local network:

Enable SSH: Make sure SSH is enabled on the Pi.

Find Your Public IP Address: To connect to your Raspberry Pi, you need to know its public IP address.

Configure Your Router: Set up port forwarding on your router to direct traffic to your Raspberry Pi.

Connect Via SSH: Once your Raspberry Pi and router are configured, you can connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH over the internet. Heres how:

Access from Anywhere: Finally, access your Pi from anywhere! Never again will you be stranded without access to your incredible Raspberry Pi. With the two approaches outlined here, you have complete access to your Pi from anywhere in the world.

Thats all, VNC is all setup you can now access your Pi from anywhere in the world!

Example Scenario: Accessing a NAS Server

This way, you can access your NAS server from anywhere in the world simply by using the custom hostname. Hi, I recently just set up Samba on my Pi 4 and is working great so far as I am able to access the files stored on my Raspberry Pi on any device connected to that network. However, I want to be able to access them outside my home network and access them anywhere, anytime.

Under the Hood: How It Works

What happens under the hood? I asked Paul Mucur, who runs web development at Raspberry Pi, to explain how the underlying technology works.

Important Security Practices

Create user accounts (!!!important!!!) you should now create a user account so that... Lets see how to connect to Pi using SSH.

Exploring Other Tools and Techniques

Learn how to securely connect to your Raspberry Pi or IoT device remotely over the internet without the need for port forwarding. Explore methods such as SSH, VNC, and RDP, and discover how to use pinggy.io to create secure tunnels for seamless remote management. Enhance your IoT device control and management from anywhere in the world. Have you ever wanted to access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world, without worrying about port forwarding, dynamic DNS, or firewall rules?

If so, this blog post is for you. In this post, I will show you how to use Tailscale to remotely access your Raspberry Pi from your phone, tablet, or another computer.

On the Pi, set up one of the remote access solutions described below. We like VNC, but XRDP is solid, too.

Remote access to your Raspberry Pi can be useful, especially if you maintain a fleet of remote microcomputers.