Dear Google Answerer:

I am interested in understanding the packet traffic generated by
Microsoft Remote Desktop for Windows XP.  I have taken an Ethereal
packet trace of a Remote Desktop connection.  For an idle session(the
remote desktop is minimized and no applications running on the remote
machine), it appears that every few minutes there is a burst of
packets.  What are these packets?  What is the purpose of these
packets?  Is there some configuration setting whereby this unnecessary
(?) traffic can be stopped.  Where can I learn more about the remote
desktop protocol?

My goal is to be able to maintain a Remote Desktop connection and have 
a remote machine power-down (power manage).  This is for a research
project.

A good answer will explain what are the traffic bursts, what they are
for, and how they can (or cannot!) be stopped.  A good answer will
also point me to additional resources.

Thanks!

Hi,

RDP open source client can be found here: http://www.rdesktop.org/
And all protocol specifocation is http://www.rdesktop.org/#docs.
Some useful information from microsoft about RDP
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/termserv/termserv/remote_desktop_protocol.asp

About burst packets: did You think that this is burst packets? Maybe
there is some small screen area updates. May be clock on desktop
changes or somethig. Please specify packet size, inteval or even raw
packet dump. This helps identify packet

Thank you for your helpful comment and pointed to the rdesktop.org
site.  There were 9 "bursts" of packets between the client (the PC
from which the remote connection was being attempted) and the host PC
in an approximately 1 hour 5 minute trace. The longest interval
between bursts was 17 minutes and the shortest was 2 minutes. Each
burst contained from 15 to 17 packets except for two, which contained
3 packets and 8 packets. The data component (everything excluding
Ethernet, IP and TCP headers) of the first 3 packets in a burst are
given below. a TCP connection was maintained between the two PCs for
the duration of the trace and the remote desktop in the client was
minimized for the duration of the trace.

from host to client: (1260 bytes of data)
                    C0 14 | FE 19 EE D1 | 37 9E B5 DA
3B AF 25 FF | 10 39 42 85 | 07 EA 03 00 | 06 63 02 F0
80 68 00 01 | 03 EE F0 86 | 54 08 08 00 | 00 63 15 4C
CA 30 3C 43 | 56 F0 EE 7C | B2 0E A3 CE | F2 D5 F0 B1
71 68 86 7B | EC D6 55 75 | F5 7C 1D DA | 38 77 BC DC
92 F0 9B 54 | EE AC EF 4C | 34 C5 27 0F | 97 E2 A8 E0
3D 31 17 F6 | B1 57 11 87 | A3 9C 40 05 | 6A EE DF 95
E2 53 F4 C1 | 29 1F BE F2 | 82 27 0B 39 | CF 85 81 F3
A1 E2 5B CB | CC 35 F1 51 | 9D 43 C8 CF | 86 7A 7E 91
14 EF 4C 66 | 2E 13 AF A4 | F9 82 B1 C2 | 81 B5 7F 39
BF AF BC 31 | 1D 5F 4E CD | F1 5B FB 51 | A2 79 3E 51
64 50 29 CA | EE 6A F5 74 | 7D 8A C3 39 | E9 DC 5E E5
0B 96 06 B1 | 32 D0 31 F1 | BC DB 6B 63 | 28 DB 57 EF
92 2D 7F 4C | DD 9B 3B 05 | 68 E0 37 D8 | 14 56 ED 44
4F 95 77 97 | FC CC CE 13 | 6D 43 93 8F | 01 B9 7C 08
9A 23 5A 8E | 0E DB DB 70 | 9B 2E 07 A6 | 86 D2 5C BC
5D 8E 84 22 | 37 DB 31 5B | 7B 6E B1 D2 | 8D D9 B4 05
E0 6A DD BE | E5 86 4C 01 | 09 BF 61 04 | 53 87 9F BB
FB AD DE 79 | 37 69 90 AF | 0D 27 AE 0F | EC 7A 3A 32
24 AD 39 DA | 37 F2 F2 C7 | BD CF 72 76 | C6 1F F2 05
F7 71 BA F2 | 3D F6 2B D2 | 76 94 3D B0 | 1D 31 46 2F
86 3C FC B7 | 3D 4D 1C F7 | 85 9A AF 01 | F5 B5 09 D9
F6 71 80 90 | 43 82 77 AB | D0 FE 42 C7 | 58 7C EE 2F
8E 30 B8 25 | 1E 86 45 2B | D3 1A 16 FA | 90 5A DB B7
83 DC 82 82 | 4A 69 C2 86 | 25 E6 E8 9C | F2 AC E2 04
10 D7 E5 7D | AB 75 91 2A | 9D 7B 1F 59 | E8 FB 79 83
61 98 17 36 | 94 42 67 1B | 80 1A 53 86 | FB F4 D3 01
4E 04 28 C2 | 74 73 B5 C2 | 51 D5 25 19 | 9A 89 E8 AC
37 D8 95 42 | F6 9D D0 E3 | A8 8D 19 67 | FF C3 35 C9
46 00 71 DD | 9E 70 6E DD | 6F A2 FB 3E | B5 B4 61 6A
48 36 52 67 | D5 4E 20 3B | BF A8 DD 34 | 9C CD E0 1A
7B C4 F5 14 | A2 4A E0 18 | AE 1D FD 3B | C0 D3 40 12
7F F3 8A 6E | C8 84 06 BD | E4 09 09 6F | FF 49 C1 24
88 FB 0F 30 | F9 75 A0 6F | 78 A9 77 86 | 82 81 E1 A1
CC 05 04 43 | 98 A4 55 FC | A6 5C 15 67 | 66 5B 0D 10
C0 8A 5B 91 | 2E AB D4 7D | CF 07 DA 0C | D2 DF 54 C6
E1 A4 BD E6 | AF 2E A2 D4 | 7D 24 41 56 | 38 46 43 C3
C2 93 4C 0E | 5F 19 5A A9 | 23 26 45 B1 | 45 0A D4 9B
8D B1 E9 5A | F1 6E 34 75 | 4D 0A D9 F5 | 89 4C B0 EA
2D 12 DC 88 | E2 A0 24 22 | 44 CC 51 5A | C4 7D 42 2F
E1 2C CE 7D | 4B 60 24 65 | 70 6E 12 73 | 7C 38 5D 6F
C7 98 79 88 | 6C 6B 6A 04 | 6D 2B 85 3C | 5C 8F E9 29
5F AC 3A 8D | 93 92 80 1B | AE FE F2 2B | 59 50 06 EB
CB 0F A4 AD | 81 88 35 C9 | 27 21 71 E6 | D0 06 B2 05
1D EB 21 70 | 2B 88 BE 26 | 6D 7E 79 CF | A8 C1 56 51
AA C8 EF 68 | 6C 3D 47 D5 | 06 26 50 73 | D7 93 4C 8C
D5 CC C5 5F | 74 24 C4 49 | 52 25 68 DC | A3 BD C4 9E
E7 3B B8 4A | 93 6E 2A 0E | 2F B7 E9 56 | 92 CB 10 66
9C C3 EB B2 | 5C 1D 06 9C | 29 12 AE 71 | F0 1C B9 19
58 79 1B BA | BB 3A CF 7D | F5 E7 B0 C4 | C8 78 6B 1C
B1 8A 4B 49 | 59 CD 5F D7 | 09 C7 0C DB | 7A 72 F1 73
D6 84 F5 50 | 97 05 A6 13 | BE 83 92 BD | 4D AC D0 6F
01 42 42 D3 | 86 55 AE 09 | D9 BA B1 B5 | 0A B8 75 0C
09 0E EA 0B | 4B 07 97 CD | E4 F7 7F DF | 83 56 99 16
73 21 29 F5 | FE 16 D3 30 | 8E 5D C7 11 | 27 2F 23 27
9C 30 0F CB | AF F6 94 61 | 13 8B E6 01 | F7 81 FD 39
13 47 35 1F | 7A BC 1B B4 | 20 FE 38 03 | 58 9E 4B 24
C0 F9 07 2D | 61 F8 7A 90 | 88 F9 11 77 | C6 52 11 AD
4B A4 E8 B3 | 27 42 81 19 | 37 33 97 0D | 69 6C 6E 70
DA D8 2B 09 | 4E 00 EA 0B | 5F 59 33 C0 | B5 1C DA FB
B8 95 66 18 | 50 E3 0C CA | CC C0 7C EE | FD 3D F3 FD
79 0C 6C AF | 90 8D 5A 71 | 3F D4 FB 27 | 5E E0 A0 48
01 A7 7B C8 | 96 4A 25 E0 | FF CC 4C 79 | B9 A7 5F 5B
FD 36 0E F2 | 27 C3 BE FF | 78 E1 BD 19 | 1E 90 5F 8D
32 73 03 78 | 32 D3 11 8F | 4F CD 3E AE | 9B E6 41 F1
A1 9C 34 EF | 35 DC A7 52 | E2 CC 02 77 | 3D 84 38 1E
F4 A9 BE AB | F1 41 8D B9 | 6B B2 59 FE | 80 EC 8C C6
D0 26 C4 B4 | 83 8D 77 AA | 3E C8 A5 0F | AC FB 09 5F
3D 7F 47 74 | B8 61 AC D5 | AF 13 10 9C | 05 34 C3 52
47 5E BF 80 | 01 A2 62 30 | 26 3E D2 A6 | A6 9F 72 88
B8 01 15 D3 | B1 02 FA 66 | 4C 66 D3 7B | 7D FD 94 A1
76 A1 7B 87 | 18 38 0A CE | DB 79 A1 A3 | C3 D8 46 D4
CE B5 1D 2D | 03 32 97 11 | 04 2E E0 F5 | F8 2B FE 52
62 A3 DD D1 | 25 96 77 61 | D1 91 AD 64 | F0 D3 4E 1B
C1 D3 93 28 | DD 53 2F 1B | E7 28 ED 6C | B8 9D 54 7A
77 14 4A 85 | 9B B6 B0 5D | 40 74 26 1D | AC F0 9C B7
DA 7B 78 FD | 75 9D C5 3B | 56 83 80 B2 | 00 5A F2 36
F9 46 A0 43 | 0F DB C4 1C | 3D 4B 2C 7B | 33 DF D4 88
59 B6 78 4E | ED B6 BB 7A | 51 0C 59 BB | EB 25 6A 35
A5 F9

client to host: ACK for previous packet (0 data bytes)

host to client: (1260 bytes of data)
                    2D 37 | 0F 83 F1 57 | EC 5B FD 42
24 35 57 7B | B6 82 DC 96 | F7 22 E0 C8 | 80 95 73 9E
28 C5 B0 CA | 16 F5 CA DB | 30 03 80 0F | C0 2B ED AF
35 13 D8 E2 | 73 C8 1D 13 | C3 E2 E7 5C | 89 30 C9 8B
11 93 D4 CC | 46 35 87 CA | C5 14 E7 F8 | AA 0D 6F 7F
56 54 79 88 | 7B 0E 71 1F | 3D 3A 7D D2 | C2 5D 8A 85
22 E5 56 F0 | D9 40 C8 48 | 32 FA 48 CD | DB 8E BB B0
BE 70 42 37 | C3 B2 12 A5 | 42 51 17 36 | EB B3 26 6E
49 43 DC F2 | E0 31 71 98 | C5 76 F5 C8 | 7D 88 02 97
53 C4 F5 00 | 44 6F 43 51 | 10 FB E6 74 | 40 07 FC 95
34 1D 72 0A | A3 89 F5 B0 | 86 09 72 EC | D1 F5 54 83
EB 7E 04 BC | FB 17 5C BD | 75 B0 22 FA | D0 DD 62 67
66 B7 D0 4C | 27 19 F2 D5 | DF B6 17 DD | C6 18 51 EA
41 B2 D7 F4 | D3 35 FE B7 | CB A2 8B A4 | 3C EA 6A 15
5E 20 2C 75 | F9 64 87 0D | 7E 72 91 FA | ED 4D E4 C9
F4 EB 62 B6 | B4 7C 47 26 | AB 0A FE F1 | 0A 2C 86 DC
2D 0A C1 91 | 18 44 2D 28 | 41 53 E3 77 | 32 62 67 72
C3 BC C2 B4 | 5B 90 CF F6 | CA 8F 76 B5 | E7 76 95 8C
1C 0C C4 BC | 19 5A BB E7 | 6E E4 39 57 | 8E 45 D7 22
9F 91 34 2C | 6F CA 98 54 | 37 70 E5 D8 | 3A DE 96 1B
47 DD 00 EC | DA DE 44 73 | 2C C1 BA 5A | 29 C4 8B 1A
73 D5 44 79 | 28 7F 3D 53 | 18 BD 96 96 | 83 1F A8 D8
6A 10 5A D0 | 5E 87 C5 08 | 0F 1F 0A FD | F0 2A B9 02
B1 56 02 3D | 07 6C 6C BE | 26 AA 56 D4 | 10 92 2B DD
AE 08 E3 12 | B9 7D D7 4F | 2F 5D AC 11 | 7B 45 4F D4
B5 03 00 03 | B0 02 F0 80 | 68 00 01 03 | EE F0 83 A1
08 08 00 00 | A8 AC 97 FD | 99 0F F9 25 | FF B4 91 D8
7E 48 DE D8 | B0 6E 76 3C | 31 55 FC 25 | DA 06 EB 4C
84 90 3F 12 | EE BB FC C2 | BE D6 97 9B | B6 38 B3 7F
60 B3 E1 73 | D0 98 DF B1 | 4B 6F 39 EE | E3 58 80 01
D7 AF 93 39 | DB FB A8 D2 | 14 8B EF 87 | B3 D9 0E 27
3E 55 DC 78 | 27 F5 75 BC | 1F 20 5B 5B | 7B B7 B4 00
CA AB 08 AC | C8 84 5A 91 | D8 AF 14 70 | 78 25 B0 FD
A2 D3 92 5D | BE 87 32 7A | CA 69 F4 96 | 2D 19 FA 65
8B 1F CD 28 | 01 19 0B CE | 0E 17 7E B5 | 2E D9 DB E4
71 AA F9 14 | 09 17 F5 FE | 74 83 26 3F | 08 6D FE 3D
32 43 54 30 | 34 3F FD 00 | D5 18 34 FD | AE 4D 0F 60
39 9E 56 10 | 1F 9F BD CE | 7B B3 F7 5F | 11 77 C9 F4
78 96 4D FA | 93 31 BC FB | 82 96 48 C7 | DC B5 19 E9
A8 7F 14 4C | 5C 39 F4 23 | 0D 72 ED 77 | 82 BE AF BF
CB C2 2C 81 | 0E E7 DF E4 | 97 B2 07 42 | 58 33 BC 27
05 66 35 17 | 85 CE FF 9C | 82 0D DC 9E | 8E EE 2E 0B
D7 26 5F 9F | ED D0 08 EE | 5C 19 9C 25 | 2A 04 E3 4C
B1 A4 52 00 | 46 DE 6C 9D | 15 44 F0 50 | 5B DE 8B 83
A5 31 42 6B | 39 FA 01 28 | BA 93 0D B9 | DB FA 33 27
41 A8 C7 68 | C1 AD C0 18 | 9D 8A 3F BC | 01 A5 AC 80
18 D7 BD 0C | 3E 9B 0A AC | A2 FD 74 12 | 4A 3C AE 71
60 7E 3C C2 | EC 10 C4 FC | 53 71 BE C5 | 80 CA 57 8D
2D 14 7F D3 | 9A A1 A1 B4 | 5B 07 D7 19 | BD E1 5F B3
FF 7C DA 6C | 4E B2 1E 70 | 8F 93 C8 4E | 95 D7 74 A9
CA 21 A7 DF | B3 72 21 3C | 62 0D 56 9E | 32 C1 EE 2C
2C CE E9 D1 | C9 BF 5B EB | 15 0C E6 B1 | 37 08 89 D7
E0 EB 5D 12 | CD 40 E8 07 | DA 44 E3 C0 | 25 57 15 CA
23 D8 09 26 | 4D 91 92 E9 | 91 20 9B C6 | B6 C2 7B E5
E6 32 BA A8 | 85 EC C7 F8 | C8 AF DE 39 | AB 98 36 8D
58 D3 CB 7A | 53 D3 12 9F | 62 3D BC 17 | 3F 74 50 A9
B4 7B 34 EF | DE 04 06 35 | 65 9D C1 5A | 0C F6 3F B6
DB 90 D1 D7 | E5 A9 C7 B2 | 12 14 ED AD | 20 F6 40 8E
0A 24 3C 95 | FB 08 FC 8E | 6C DE FA A1 | 64 E4 CE 3F
0E 2B 5C 4A | DD 9F C2 A7 | B1 F7 26 8D | 2F BC E3 E9
27 D7 17 2A | C5 64 84 2C | BB 70 59 98 | DF E4 F8 FC
E8 F6 A2 E5 | A6 19 8C 28 | EF 6A 6B 84 | E1 68 44 58
25 BE 03 28 | 20 2A D1 1B | 34 76 F0 13 | E9 63 16 46
DA 22 00 60 | 4B 6D 0A 77 | 98 C4 89 67 | 47 7B DB D2
FE 2E 04 9E | 98 9C 41 DE | DB 28 82 85 | E0 34 59 F8
D1 AA EB F1 | 92 D8 DE A9 | C8 CF E1 F1 | EA 8D 98 2F
9F 9E 3D 49 | B0 E2 09 BC | F3 C9 CA 36 | 3D D5 55 07
9C E1 63 64 | 46 21 3D E9 | F5 0D 53 8C | E2 92 FD 0B
2D ED AD 4E | FC D2 19 1E | 5B 7A 9F E5 | 28 F4 F6 C2
0F 09 9D 41 | 72 8D E6 5B | 7B 07 C9 44 | 0D 8C 96 00
5F CC 71 05 | 10 8D F0 8E | 01 CC 79 42 | 2D 2C AE E1
82 22 5F 18 | AC 57 52 89 | 30 7C 23 A0 | B9 C4 1D 58
28 EB 6A 9A | 0E FE 81 60 | E4 6C 3F 43 | 60 01 13 8F
7A C2 7E DD | 98 4B C4 E1 | 6F E5 CA 0F | 44 68 27 F5
A1 6D C2 5E | BD 94 14 E4 | 21 D3 5F F9 | 74 3A BB 32
11 9B BF 92 | 17 7B C9 3C | 93 0B 2E 8C | 1A 14 B4 63
BD 8B F4 D6 | E1 ED 80 99 | C2 26 56 2B | E5 CC C5 32
D0 3B 81 5E | 3E CE 3E CA | 32 CA EC 1D | 81 6A 6B 3D
FB 75 72 22 | 16 5A 9B D7 | 0A 7D C4 7F | 88 04 39 43
67 97
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