Inconsistent RDP password entry

Hardware Password Manager
#1

I have just started to use my OnlyKey.
I was setting up a couple of new passwords, one of which I set inside of a remote desktop session.

I ended up getting locked out of my account because it turns out the password entry over a windows remote desktop connection is VERY inconsistent.

Here are two test phrases I tried inputting via my OnlyKey over Windows remote desktop (I have also tried this on Splashtop and it seemed to work fine).

----What I Want----
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
----Results----
11 2@ 3# 44 55
1! 2@ 33 4$ 5%
11 2@ 33 4$ 55

----What I Want----
Only The First Letter Of Every Word Should Be Capitalize
----Results----
only the First letter of every word should be capitalize
Only The first Letter Of every Word should be Capitalize
only the first Letter of Every word Should be Capitalize

Is this a known issue?

#2

@super Yes, its a known issue. Unfortunately the issue is not exactly OnlyKey though, the issue is that RDP has trouble keeping up with fast typing, so things like the shift key being pressed dont work well at high speeds over RDP. Can you try setting a lower type speed in your OnlyKey app preferences and let us know if that resolves your issue?

#3

Thank you for the reply.
I am slowing the typing speed down this time to 1, and the issue still stands.

Does the typing speed not apply to modifier key presses?

#4

@super Thanks for testing, that usually fixes the issue. Can you provide information such as OS you are using, RDP app you are using (i.e. Microsoft or 3rd party), any special situation you are seeing this like RDP through another RDP?

#5

So it looks like this is specific to using Windows RDP into our server.
Our server is running Windows Server 2016, and I am connecting through a single (not RDP inside RDP) remote desktop connection from my Windows 10 workstation.

I just tried connecting from my workstation into another workstation running Windows 10 and it works fine.

#6

@super I think I identified the issue and a couple of solutions. I remembered a previous report of similar issue here - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/onlykey/rdp%7Csort:date/onlykey/HeGc6UmiM9c/JJGL2lm0AgAJ

The Problem:
Seems to only affect Windows RDP client when in full screen mode. Reason appears to be that the keystrokes being sent are pretty slow so RDP doesn’t only gets the modifier keys (like shift) sometimes.

Solution #1 - Go the ‘Local Resources’ tab of the Windows remote desktop connections options (click on ‘Show Options’ in the bottom left corner to display the tabs. You want the 3rd one from the left). There you will find a section named “Keyboard”. The default setting is to set to ‘Apply Windows key combinations only when using the full screen’. This can be set to “On this computer”. Then the issue will not happen in full screen mode.

Solution #2 - (short answer - wait for OnlyKey firmware release later this month) Long answer - I tested this using our current OnlyKey firmware, soon to be released OnlyKey firmware, and with YubiKey.

Yubikey Test
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 55
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 33 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%
1! 2@ 3# 44 5%

Seems Yubikey also had the problem just not quite as bad.

Made adjustments to our new firmware to send modifier keys multiple times per key press (simulating actual user press of shift first then key) and now it looks to be 100% accuracy at default type speed:
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%
1! 2@ 3# 4$ 5%

#7

Awesome, thank you very much for this.

I gave solution 1 a try and it worked like you said, though losing Windows key functionality on the remote client is a bit tedious.

I’ll definitely have to keep an eye out for the new firmware.

Thanks again and have a great rest of your week. :slightly_smiling_face:

#8

Regarding this issue and new firmware (I’ve seen the same error happen with VeraCrypt boot loader when type speed was set too fast), would it be possible to make type speed a setting which can be saved independently per slot? This way you could use faster speeds for those logins which are compatible with it and use slower speeds for problematic ones.

btw: thanks for the great product!

#9

This is a feature request mentioned here - Separate type speed settings per slot

#10

maybe the keys should be held down a little longer or whatever, I obviously dont have any stats on how the onlykey handles the macros with the passwords and all