Setting up Remote Desktop 2

[Grimace]

I just got Remote Desktop 2 to control a few computers in another state. But, I am having difficulty getting them to connect. The included literature surprisingly doesn't cover what the "user name" and "password" are for each controlled computer (or maybe I missed it.)

For those of you that have used Remote Desktop, is the "user name" and "password" that you enter when logging in to another machine that person's Mac administrator username and password?

I'm confused...this should be easy, maybe I'm making it too difficult.

 

[Iorek Byrnison]

A Couple of Things...

It is a little tricky getting it to work right away cause there are some variables.

- They have to have the ARD 2.0 Client installed on their machine (you can create an installer package using your ARD Admin app but then I recommend setting all of the preferences at the time of the creation of that installer...should be easy to figure out what I mean)

- If they are not on the same internal network as you (i.e. controlling them over the Internet) then you have to know their IP address (have them go to www.whatismyip.com it is easy for even newbies to read you the numbers from there)

- Once you know their IP (cause they are not on your internal network) you have to figure out if they are accessing the Internet through a router. If they are then they will have to configure the router to forward certain ports on their internal network (i.e. 192.168.1.104 is an example of a possible internal IP).

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106847

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108047

- If, when they go to whatismyip.com, they see an internal IP address...it gets more complicated than I will go into here. So I will assume/hope this doesn't happen.

- Then you have to make sure they have ARD access allowed on their computer. System Prefs -> Sharing -> Apple Remote Desktop

- I always log onto any connected mac with shortname and password of the primary admin on that computer. You "could" create a user on their machine with Admin privs and then access through that...but if they are going to let you remote admin their machine...then they will probably trust you with their admin password.

My first post on these boards. Hope it helped!

 

[varmit]

Ok, I don't know what that person said, but back with version 1 of Remote Desktop. All you needed was and IP address of the computer, and a username and password that was on that computer. Preferabably the Administrator account if you want to make changes. So ask someone that each of those computers to Add a username, give it a certain password, and make it administrator. Then tell them to go into Sharing and check off Apple's Remote Desktop. Then all you need to do is connect.

 

[Grimace]

Hmm...I was under the impression that you didn't need to load ARD on the other machines - just know the IP address.

I have the IP address, but the user name and password for the computer don't seem to work (if it is indeed the administrator username/password that ARD wants.)