Microphone redirection over Remote Desktop

Olga Weis Aug 11, 2021

One of the deficiencies of Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) solution is that it lacks direct support for USB microphones. Other types of USB peripherals can be used with native RDP capabilities, but third-party solutions are necessary to redirect microphone traffic over RDP. In our article, we describe a convenient USB to RDP software that enables you to easily implement and using a local microphone over a remote desktop.

This fact can make it difficult to efficiently use a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) system in Windows RDP sessions. RDP clients will be able to use certain USB devices, but that does not include microphones, which are essential for VOIP communication.

This article describes how to use a USB microphone over RDP using a specialized software solution. USB Network Gate provides the necessary functionality so you can use a microphone through the RDP session.

Troubleshooting remote desktop microphone redirection

A common problem experienced when using a local microphone over RDP is the inability of the remote session to recognize the device. If your microphone is not working in an RDP session, productivity will be negatively impacted.

We will demonstrate how to use a microphone in RDP sessions with a reliable and simple software solution. The tool makes it easy for remote RDP users to access local network-connected USB peripherals like microphones and webcams.

USB Network Gate is a powerful and lightweight software solution that enables users to access a microphone over RDP in Windows. From within your RDP session, you can access any USB microphone attached to another machine on the same network. The flexibility of USB Network Gate’s port virtualization technology lets RDP users access any network-attached USB devices. Devices can easily be swapped without the need to change system configuration

Sharing microphones over RDP

USB Network Gate solves the problem of using a USB microphone in a Remote Desktop session with the same functionality enjoyed with a direct connection to the device. With USB Network Gate, you can get around the RDP limitations regarding default support for microphones.

USB Network Gate

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How to Redirect a USB Microphone over RDP?

The following steps show you how to enable a microphone in RDP using USB Network Gate.

1

Download and install USB Network Gate (UNG) on the computer with the physical connection to the USB microphone. This machine will be referred to as the server when discussing the connection. The software also needs to be installed on the client computers that will access the USB microphone from within a Remote Desktop session.

2

Start UNG on both the server and a client machine.

3

Locate the USB microphone you want to share in the server’s UNG “Local USB devices” tab. Click “Share” to make it available for client computers.

4

Open the “Remote devices” tab on the client and click the “Connect” button next to the selected microphone to initiate the connection.

5

When the connection is established, the microphone is immediately recognized in Device Manager in the RDP session on the client.

Benefits of remote desktop microphone software

The following benefits make USB Network Gate a valuable software utility for sharing microphones in RDP sessions.

✦ Compatibility with a wide range of video conferencing solutions

This microphone for RDP redirection utility supports Zoom, Skype, Slack, Google Hangouts, and all other popular video conferencing tools.

✦ Supports virtually any USB microphone

USB Network Gate enables RDP access to USB microphones and other devices without the need for any complex configuration.

✦ Multiple-platform support

USB Network Gate is a versatile tool that supports cross-platform device sharing with a mix of Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Any platform can be the server or client in a mixed environment. The tool includes a plugin for FreeRDP webcam redirection for additional flexibility.

✦ Secure data transmission

USB Network Gate employs advanced encryption to make sure your data is always kept secure.