How To Use Raspberry Pi Without Monitor using VNC: The Complete Guide

In this article, you will learn about how to use the Raspberry Pi without a monitor and also understand how to use the same. The idea of using a screenless device may seem strange at first, but it is actually very useful in some cases. This can be especially useful when you need the extra space that comes with not having a display attached.

What is Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi is an affordable single-board computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card-sized computer that plugs into your HDTV or computer monitor. You can use it to learn to program or to create digital applications. The Raspberry Pi is a complete computer in the form of a single board. It has an ARM Cortex-A8 processor running at 900MHz with a Dual-Core VideoCore IV GPU. It also comes with 128MB of RAM and a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 64GB of additional storage. The board has 2 USB ports, a Mini-B jack for an external keyboard, and an RJ-11 jack for an optional phone line. The Raspberry Pi also has composite video and audio ports for connecting an external monitor or speakers. It is powered via a Micro USB jack.

Why Use Raspberry Pi Without Monitor?

Using a Raspberry Pi without a monitor can be very useful in different situations. For example, when you need more space - When you need to create a media center, a home automation system, a video streaming server, a content server, or even a virtual tour guide - a Raspberry Pi without a monitor can help you out. Another very important reason to use a Raspberry Pi without a monitor is when you want to develop your projects on it. When you want to write your next software, game, or other application - a Raspberry Pi without a monitor would be the best choice for you since you can easily access the device through your keyboard and mouse. You can also access it from any device that has an internet connection, like your laptop or desktop computer.

Steps To Connect Raspberry Pi Via Keyboard And Mouse

Connect your Raspberry Pi's keyboard and mouse to your Windows or Mac computer. Launch PuTTY on your laptop/desktop computer. Enter your IP address. Accept the server's host key. Log in with your username and password. Now, connect your Raspberry Pi to the same network using a wired or wireless network adapter. Launch the GUI of your Raspberry Pi. You can access the GUI using the default IP address of your Raspberry Pi.

Installing Raspbian OS On SD Card

Now, we will install the Raspbian OS on the Micro SD card. First, download the Raspbian OS on your PC. Now, we will transfer the downloaded OS to your Micro SD card. Connect your SD card to your computer via a Micro SD card reader. Open the Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder and create a new folder to store the downloaded OS image. Rename this folder to "Raspbian". Now, transfer the OS image to the folder you created.

Connecting with VNC

The next step is to connect with your Raspberry Pi using VNC server. For that, you need to open the WinX or PuTTY window and enter the following IP and port numbers. Replace IP> and Port> with the appropriate values. IP Address - IP> Port - Port> Now, start accessing your Raspberry Pi remotely. You can access it from all your connected devices, like your laptop or desktop computer, mobile phone, or tablet. You can also access it from your office/school network with network security software. Follow these steps to connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely.

Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi is an amazing device that can do a lot of things. For example, you can create a media center, a home automation system, a video streaming server, a content server, or even a virtual tour guide with the help of a Raspberry Pi. If you want to use the device without a monitor, you can do so with the help of Raspbian OS. It can easily be connected to your computer or laptop if you want to access it.