Please help with Home Sharing Via VPN.

[Tomepajk]

Hi guys!

Im new with posting with this forum, but i read it for quite a while.

Here`s the deal. Im trying to share my iTunes library everywhere i go. I think i atleast went some way, and i need a little push to get the stuff running properly.

This is what i did:
1. Got a fixed IP address so i can access my mac (media server)
2. Set up a VPN using OS X server for mountain lion
3. Forwarded the necessary ports for VPN (UDP 500, UDP 4500, TCP 1723)
4. Tested the VPN (works)
5. Opened both TCP and UDP port 3689 (ones that work file sharing)
6. Using bonjour browser and network beacon i set up the necessary beacon for bonjour to work:

Service type: _daap._tcp.
port: 3689
Host name: server.local
IP address: 192.168.178.37 (my local IP)

And just in case. did the same with:

Service type: _home-sharing._tcp.
port: 3689
Host name: server.local
IP address: 192.168.178.37 (my local IP)

These settings worked once (dont know how) and now i cant get the same ones to work again. Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks for any help!

 

[BrianBaughn]

From what I can tell, Network Beacon hasn't been updated in a while and I'd bet that's your problem.

 

[Tomepajk]

Any help with a replacement program for network beacon?

 

[meme1255]

#!/bin/bash

ssh  -L 36890:127.0.0.1:3689 -N  User@192.168.178.37 -g &
trap "kill $!" SIGINT SIGHUP SIGTERM
dns-sd -P "iTunes Shared over VPN" _daap._tcp local 36890 localhost.local. 127.0.0.1

A few comments: If you remove -g, shared library will be available only for your Mac connected over VPN, if you keep it there, it will be avaible for Mac client in VPN + whole network you're connected in with you Macbook will be capable to see iTunes Share in iTunes!

I hope it helps,

meme

 

[Tomepajk]

Thanks ALOT dude, will check it out. But, my main goal is to be able to share the content on iOS (iPhone mostly, so i can keep my library wherever i go: vacation, weekends, parks etc).

My goal is to use the iPhone as media hub. Connect it to the TV via hdmi cable to show movies, connect it to bluetooth speakers to get music. Also, use it to controll keynote presentations on my job, but thats some other thing, since i can use iCloud and WebDAV

 

[meme1255]

Solution MIGHT be connecting VPN server to itself as client and running this command as bridge on client IP - But I haven't tried that

 

[jeyf]

... But, my main goal is to be able to share the content on iOS (iPhone mostly, so i can keep my library wherever i go ...

i dont know if this thinking matches your goals but
-once you got vpn iphone access to your home desk top you need to get a file manager app on the iphone. let me know when you find one.
-no need for vpn; a better faster approach is an app Tonido. Installable on all your devices.
-use vpn if you are in a coffee shop wifi situation and you need a encrypted channel to the outside. or if you need to realVNC to remote access your home network.
-not much the iPhone can do with a vpn based file structure

i used the built in vpn server on a Buffalo router, with the DDWRT firmware installed and never any bad. quick fast install, been running for 2 years and the server is positioned at a good spot to present the vpn to existing network trafic

very interesting thread:
I wold be interested in what iPhone app you are thinking to use so far. What audio hardware you use

 

[harly]

Is this problem solved?

Hey,

I basically want the same functionality as the author of the thread:

I want to be able to watch/stream my iTunes purchases(DRM) which reside on my mac mini server at home and are shared with 'home sharing' using the 'Movies' app on my iPad on the road via a VPN connection. Basically as if I would be in the local Wifi.*

The setup is: Mountian Lion + Server.app provide the itunes home sharing and the VPN Server.*

When I connect my iPad from the road to the VPN I get a local IP and e.g. my internal afp shares work as oposed to without the VPN active. So I can safely assume the VPN is working properly.

I also read that I need to forward the network announcement using the already mentioned 'network beacon' application. But for me this does not work as the author of the thread already mentioned.

For this guy here it somehow seems to work without further action which is kinda strange.

@Tomepajk: Do you have a running setup ?

Hope we find a solution together.

- Harly

 

[jeyf]

all this might change with the new ios release in October 2014 but:

might consider no vpn but an app like tonido for your iPhone and OSX device(s)
someone described tonido as in-elegant and for sure it locks up a lot. On low badwidth remote log in's the over head of the vpn might slow things down and your media content will not run as expected.

the vpn
i had better luck with a home VPN setup with a Buffalo router running DD-WRT firmware. The Buffalo router dosnt come with the firmware last time i cked but easy to download it. The manufacturer supports DD-WRT. Good to put your home VPN server software in your first router or in your cable modem so when you log in your will have a view of your complete home system. Rember when you iPhone logs into your home network it is assigned a local home ip address. Make sure no home device has taken this address.

use your iPhone setup to test your VPN. Keep in mind things are different if your iPhone is inside your home network. So turn off your iPhone wifi for testing of your home VPN. Than the iPhone appears outside your home network where it needs to be.

Get things working initially with no encryption or little encryption and move on after this is working.

if any one knows of a 3rd party iPhone file manager that works with VPN please make the reconditions known.

 

[jeyf]

all this might change with the new ios release in October 2014 but:

might consider an app like tonido for your iPhone and OSX device(s)
someone described it as in-elegant and it locks up a lot.


i had better luck with a home VPN setup with a Buffalo router running DD-WRT firmware. The Buffalo router dosnt come with the firmware last time i cked but easy to download it. The manufacturer supports DD-WRT. Good to put your home VPN server software in your first router or in your cable modem so when you log in your will have a view of your complete home system. Rember when you iPhone logs into your home network it is assigned a local home ip address. Make sure no home device has taken this address.

use your iPhone setup to test your VPN. Keep in mind things are different if your iPhone is inside your home network. So turn off your iPhone wifi for testing of your home VPN. Than the iPhone appears outside your home network where it needs to be.

Get things working initially with no encryption or little encryption and move on after this is working.

good to

 

[kAyOw]

Harly, I have exactly the same issue (Yosemite + Server App VPN) and same goal as you and the thread's author. I understand Hamachi would solve it, but I want to do make it work with the VPN of the Apple Server.
Did you find a solutions?
Here is another thread about the same issue:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1846292/
Thank you!!

Hey,

I basically want the same functionality as the author of the thread:

I want to be able to watch/stream my iTunes purchases(DRM) which reside on my mac mini server at home and are shared with 'home sharing' using the 'Movies' app on my iPad on the road via a VPN connection. Basically as if I would be in the local Wifi.*

The setup is: Mountian Lion + Server.app provide the itunes home sharing and the VPN Server.*

When I connect my iPad from the road to the VPN I get a local IP and e.g. my internal afp shares work as oposed to without the VPN active. So I can safely assume the VPN is working properly.

I also read that I need to forward the network announcement using the already mentioned 'network beacon' application. But for me this does not work as the author of the thread already mentioned.

For this guy here it somehow seems to work without further action which is kinda strange.

@Tomepajk: Do you have a running setup ?

Hope we find a solution together.

- Harly