SubnetDesk

SubnetDesk

💡 Why SubnetDesk

SubnetDesk focuses on one clear use case: remote control between devices that can already reach each other. It removes the public device-ID, rendezvous, relay, cloud account, proxy, and automatic public-update paths from RustDesk, replacing them with direct endpoint connections and local device discovery.

That makes it a good fit for home labs, offices, classrooms, on-site support, and private networks connected by WireGuard, Tailscale, OpenVPN, or another VPN.

	SubnetDesk	Typical RustDesk deployment
Connection	Direct IP address or hostname	Device ID through rendezvous, with optional relay
Discovery	Automatic mDNS discovery on the LAN	Device ID or address book
Server dependency	No coordination server required	Public or self-hosted rendezvous/relay server
Best suited for	LANs, routed private networks, and VPNs	Internet and cross-NAT access

[!IMPORTANT] SubnetDesk does not provide Internet rendezvous or relay services. The two devices must be reachable through the same LAN, a routed private network, or a VPN.

Version 2.0.0 ships the regular Linux packages. Publication of the separate DRM unattended/login-screen package is paused while its root service is adapted to the new user-session runtime.

✨ Features

	Capability	Details
🔎	Local discovery	Find nearby devices automatically over mDNS.
⚡	Direct connections	Connect by IP address or hostname using a configurable TCP port.
🔐	Access protection	Authenticate with a username and password; passwords are stored as Argon2id hashes.
🛡️	Device verification	Verify and remember endpoint fingerprints before trusting a device.
🌐	Network allowlist	Restrict incoming connections to selected CIDR networks.
⭐	Fast reconnection	Keep recent devices, favorites, and stable device identities.
🖥️	RustDesk experience	Retain remote control, clipboard, audio, and file-transfer capabilities without a public coordination server.

📦 Download

Download stable packages from GitHub Releases. For the newest changes, use the nightly release or artifacts from GitHub Actions.

Platform	Architectures	Packages
Windows	x86_64, ARM64	.msi installer (recommended), portable/no-install .exe
macOS	Intel, Apple Silicon	.dmg
Linux	x86_64, ARM64	.deb, .rpm, .AppImage, .flatpak; Arch package on x86_64
Android	ARM64, ARMv7, x86_64, universal	.apk

[!NOTE] Nightly packages are development builds. Prefer the latest stable release for daily use.

🚀 Quick start

1. Install and open SubnetDesk on both devices.
2. On the controlled device, open LAN settings, set a username and password, and enable LAN discovery. The default port is 21118.
3. On the controller, select a discovered device or enter hostname:port / IP:port manually.
4. Verify the device fingerprint on first connection, then connect.

Network checklist

• Both devices can route to each other.
• TCP port 21118 (or your configured port) is allowed by the host firewall.
• mDNS is available when automatic discovery is needed; direct address entry still works without it.
• The controlled device's CIDR allowlist includes the controller's network.
• On Linux, see host readiness notes for SELinux, Wayland, and login-screen guidance.

🔒 Security model

• Traffic stays on the network path between your devices; SubnetDesk does not require a public coordination service.
• Passwords are persisted as Argon2id hashes rather than plaintext.
• Device fingerprints provide trust-on-first-use verification and help detect an unexpected endpoint identity change.
• CIDR allowlists let the controlled device limit which source networks may connect.

As with any remote-control software, expose the listening port only to trusted networks, use a strong unique password, and verify fingerprints through a separate trusted channel when possible.

See the SubnetDesk Privacy Policy for session data, local storage, update requests, and deletion controls.

🛠️ Build from source

Clone the repository with its submodules, then run the Flutter desktop build:

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/zibo-chen/SubnetDesk.git
cd SubnetDesk
./build.py --flutter --hwcodec

The build requires Rust, Flutter, and platform-specific native dependencies. The native package workflow is the source of truth for pinned tool versions, target architectures, and packaging steps.

🤝 Contributing

Bug reports, feature ideas, and pull requests are welcome. Before opening a change, check the existing issues and keep changes focused on the LAN/VPN-first product scope.

💬 Community

🙏 Credits and license

SubnetDesk is based on RustDesk and retains its open-source foundations. SubnetDesk is an independent project and is not an official RustDesk release.

Licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0. Use remote-control software only on systems you own or are authorized to administer.