Desktop Connection - Question

[whistler222]

For those who have it.. I see the support forum details how to connect within the network, as well as from outside your home network.

The question is:

1. Can i use desktop connect, remote into my desktop (mac pro).
Use Excel to create some fancy spreadsheet etc.. then email it off to someone?

Alternatively, email it to myself, then use a pdf reader (goodreader) to download and display it?

2. Can i open Itunes and watch videos on it? isn't this similar to Air Video?

Thank you!

 

[tbayrgs]

For those who have it.. I see the support forum details how to connect within the network, as well as from outside your home network.

The question is:

1. Can i use desktop connect, remote into my desktop (mac pro).
Use Excel to create some fancy spreadsheet etc.. then email it off to someone?

Alternatively, email it to myself, then use a pdf reader (goodreader) to download and display it?

2. Can i open Itunes and watch videos on it? isn't this similar to Air Video?

Thank you!

Don't see why not. I could see how using the touchscreen to move the mouse cursor while making a spreadsheet could become a bit tiresome, you should have no problem doing anything you suggest. I question how smooth the video would appear---as a user of Air Video I would recommend using it over Desktop Connect but I honestly haven't yet tried watching a video using Desktop Connect since Air Video has worked so well for me but YMMV.

BTW, I have Desktop Connect set up to connect remotely (with some trial and error as I found the instructions provided by the app's help section not very helpful but then again, my network expertise is somewhat rudimentary) to my home macs and contrary to many of the reviews on iTunes, find moving the mouse cursor to be no problem at all--just takes a minute or two to get used to.

 

[darshie76]

There is a very nice app called iSSH that does all that you need:

Connects to a Mac via VMC
Connects via ssh, raw or telnet
Connects to pc running windows or Linux or any os that loads an X server windows manager
Let you access to your Mac to use the terminal console, a blessing if you are an IS or write scripts and maintain servers

Is not free, but I use it at home and at work, just bringing around the iPad and wireless keyboard is a great feeling

 

[matticus008]

1. Can i use desktop connect, remote into my desktop (mac pro).
Use Excel to create some fancy spreadsheet etc.. then email it off to someone?

Sure.

Alternatively, email it to myself, then use a pdf reader (goodreader) to download and display it?

Sure.

2. Can i open Itunes and watch videos on it? isn't this similar to Air Video?

No and no, it's not similar. Streaming a video file already compressed and fixed to a file is very different from streaming your computer's entire framebuffer in real-time.

It's physically possible, assuming real-time compression, on 100Mbit+ connection (more or less dedicated to the single video stream), but that rules out all consumer wireless networks (and the real-time compression of the framebuffer hasn't been achieved in consumer products, even if you wanted to do it locally on your gigabit network).

 

[Julien]

In a related question. I have Desktop Connect connected to my Mac Pro and HTPC. However when I go to another WiFi I can no longer access them. What is the 101 procedure for setting over the internet access up?

 

[bpd115]

In a related question. I have Desktop Connect connected to my Mac Pro and HTPC. However when I go to another WiFi I can no longer access them. What is the 101 procedure for setting over the internet access up?

You need your external (Public) IP address and the VNC port forwarded to your Mac Pro.

 

[Julien]

You need your external (Public) IP address and the VNC port forwarded to your Mac Pro.

Thanks, how do I find my external IP address and how do I VNC port forwarded? Do I have to VNC port forwarded separately for my PC? Is there a site with basic 101 instructions/explanations of the procedures involved?

 

[Julien]

Thanks, how do I find my external IP address and how do I VNC port forwarded? Do I have to VNC port forwarded separately for my PC? Is there a site with basic 101 instructions/explanations of the procedures involved?

Think I found my external IP address using this site. Now where do I enter it? I don't see a place in Desktop Connection Settings? Still not sure what VNC port forwarded is are where to find/enter the info though.

 

[Kenal0]

You will need to determine what port VNC is using, then set up a port forward on your router. You will need to know where to forward it. That would be your internal IP address to the machine you want to control remotely. Then when you set up your RDP you would put the address as your public (external ip address followed by a colon and your port number.
The link below has a lot of tips and walkthrus

http://lifehacker.com/125607/geek-to-live--how-to-control-your-home-computer-from-anywhere

Kenal0

 

[Julien]

You will need to determine what port VNC is using, then set up a port forward on your router. You will need to know where to forward it. That would be your internal IP address to the machine you want to control remotely. Then when you set up your RDP you would put the address as your public (external ip address followed by a colon and your port number.
The link below has a lot of tips and walkthrus

http://lifehacker.com/125607/geek-to-live--how-to-control-your-home-computer-from-anywhere

Kenal0

Thanks, for the info/link. Making headway. I have Vine Server installed with Password and it shows my External IP address (plus 3 internals that I don't need to know, correct?). My Port is listed as 5900. I looked at my router (Linksys 300N) but don't see anything about ports (pic below with info changed for pic).

Also in Desktop Connection under Mac Pro: Settings: Address it says - Hostname: MacPro.local. - Port: :5900

Do I need to change or add my external IP address to one of these lines and if so what is the syntax?

 

[bpd115]

You'll need an additional entry for the Mac Pro for external access.

You need to manually add this server in Desktop Connect.

Desktop Connect will auto discover the Mac Pro when it's on the same network.

You don't need Vine Server as you can simply enable a VNC sharing password under System Preferences - Screen Sharing - Computer Settings. It's built into OS X.5 and up.

The only place you need to enter the external IP is in the server you create in Desktop Connect.

On your Linksys Router, you'll probably want to look at either "applications and Gaming" or "Advanced Routing" so you can port forward VNC port 5900 to whatever IP address your Mac is getting locally (most likely 192.168.1. something, although you've changed the 192 to 000 in the screen shot. Don't do that.).

The Router gets your external IP from your cable/dsl modem already, you don't have to tell it anything about that.

 

[tbayrgs]

Julien,

I was in exactly the same spot as you last week. For network novices like myself, while I like the app, the help/instructions are useless for trying to setup up remote access outside your network. Here's how i set mine up:

Located my shared mac on my internal home wifi network in Desktop Connect and saved the settings (click settings widget under that computer and then Save entry permanently).

Obtain your external IP and input this IP into the Hostname line found under Address in the Desktop Connect settings for that computer (replace the local hostname that was prefilled). If you're not sure where to find it, see my suggestion below. That should take care of Desktop Connect.

Last, as others have instructed, you need to set up port forwarding for your mac pro. To do this you need to know your computer's internal IP--you can locate this under > System Preferences > Network. Since every brand of router has their own setup screens/utilities, I'd suggest you check out portforward.com (link should be for your router based on your screen shot). You can also get your external IP address here--look just above the alphabetical list of programs. Since Desktop Connect isn't specifically listed, I'd try the Default Guide for your router.

Hope you find some of this helpful--hate to see someone else spin their wheels as long as I did trying to figure this out.

 

[Julien]

Julien,

I was in exactly the same spot as you last week....

Hope you find some of this helpful--hate to see someone else spin their wheels as long as I did trying to figure this out.

tbayrg,
Thanks a million and thanks to all others. There sure is noting like this info in the help file. Believe I have it. It is listed under Saved plus Shared and under Saved I have the Address as 68.xx.xx.xx.xx : 5900 (under Saved it has MacPro.local. :5900). It connects using Saved (or Shared) on my WiFi but I won't be able to test Saved over the Internet until tomorrow.

 

[Julien]

Another Desktop question:

Under Advanced I have many more choices for my PC than for my Mac. For the PC it has Resolution, Sound, Use Clipboard, Wallpaper, Menu Animation, Themes. However under Mac it has Prefer ZLIB Encoding that's not on the PC. Why the differences?

 

[danpass]

Julien,

I was in exactly the same spot as you last week. For network novices like myself, while I like the app, the help/instructions are useless for trying to setup up remote access outside your network. Here's how i set mine up:

Located my shared mac on my internal home wifi network in Desktop Connect and saved the settings (click settings widget under that computer and then Save entry permanently).

Obtain your external IP and input this IP into the Hostname line found under Address in the Desktop Connect settings for that computer (replace the local hostname that was prefilled). If you're not sure where to find it, see my suggestion below. That should take care of Desktop Connect.

Last, as others have instructed, you need to set up port forwarding for your mac pro. To do this you need to know your computer's internal IP--you can locate this under > System Preferences > Network. Since every brand of router has their own setup screens/utilities, I'd suggest you check out portforward.com (link should be for your router based on your screen shot). You can also get your external IP address here--look just above the alphabetical list of programs. Since Desktop Connect isn't specifically listed, I'd try the Default Guide for your router.

Hope you find some of this helpful--hate to see someone else spin their wheels as long as I did trying to figure this out.

Good stuff.

Also if you have a dynamic (rotating) IP (the external IP) for your home connection (most people do, I do) then you can create a static IP using http://www.no-ip.com.


What benefit is there to a static IP you ask?

It's a fixed address for the client program (like Desktop Connect) to call to. You never have to wonder what the IP is that day.

A static IP usually incurs a separate charge. By setting up no-ip.com its free and mimics the effect of a static IP by reading your dynamic IP (every 30min I think).

The IP program is set up with a phantom domain name (free) that is actually running on the computer.

The program listens for this name request (instead of listening for the IP), transmits the IP to the client thereby allowing for the connection.

So the program is not talking to no-ip, its talking to the computer just as if you had dialed the IP directly.

This way it does not matter what the IP is that day and its still free.

 

[bpd115]

Look at an application called team viewer. It's free for personal use and similar to logmein. There is a sever piece that runs on the pc/Mac. Right now it's an iphone app but works well pixel doubled and zoomed in.