Who has experience using it?

Im looking in to the feasibility of installing it on my parents machine as well as mine so I can help them when they need it.

Please pardon the silly questions but would I be able to connect over my regular RR connection, or would I need to set up a VPN between my APE and their time capsule?

Can I push software from one Mac to the other over RD? I assume RD wouldnt have much to do with it if I had both locations connected via VPN, I could just turn on sharing. Though I dont know what performance would be like in this situation.

So yea, anyone with more experience on this topic or performing these tasks than myself is more than welcome to advise as needed.


Edit: Holy shit is this only able to be installed on a server? WTF? Do they not have a built in client of some sort that comes on Leopard, or a solution of this nature?

[Edited on October 25, 2008 at 9:51 PM. Reason : edit]

10/25/2008 9:48:46 PM

Just use vnc or logmein.

10/25/2008 10:15:35 PM

I was hoping for an apple developed product, apple supported, and easily implemented/usable. I need something simple for my parents to be able to use.

10/25/2008 10:20:12 PM

there isn't anything about vnc that isn't easy for them to use. obviously you might have to setup their router for the right ports, blah blah blah..but besides that, there is nothing that they will have to do so the idea of it being easy for them to use is mute

10/25/2008 10:21:28 PM

You'll have to be on the same network, or connected via VPN. But if you're connected via VPN, you don't really need the full Remote Desktop program. If you have Mac OS X 10.5, you can use the Screen Sharing app, which Apple kinda buried in the OS. It's akin to Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection software.

10/25/2008 10:21:55 PM

are you both using macs?

Have your parents go to System Preferences > Sharing
Then enable Screen Sharing, and it will give them a VNC address, "Other users can access your computer at _______"

then you can connect to them with your own VNC client (of if you're on a Mac, in Finder go to Go > Connect to Server).
They can go to "Computer Settings" on the Screen Sharing window and assign a password if you want.

http://www.farawaymac.com/mac-server/screen-sharing-remote-access-with-leopard/

[Edited on October 25, 2008 at 10:23 PM. Reason : .]

10/25/2008 10:23:20 PM

^ something like that is exactly like what I am looking for.

I thought that kind of functionality was in 10.5 I just wasnt sure where.

Will I be able to take control of their desktop though?

10/25/2008 10:27:06 PM

I haven't tried Screen Sharing outside of my own network, but if it shows you a valid vnc:// address, then yes - you should be able to connect to their screen and control it.

are they behind a router, or directly connected to the modem? not sure how it will handle port-forwarding....

or you can try a service like https://www.copilot.com/
they allow free connections on the weekend. It's pretty easy for them to follow. All they would have to do is download a program and open it, then you download one and they will connect up, even if both computers are behind routers

10/25/2008 10:41:32 PM

ARD is fucking awful. Its another piece of half assed "Enterprise" software from Apple. Just use VNC. You'll save yourself some money and aggrivation.


also, the default VNC server that is installed with the ARD agent can be accessed by a normal VNC client, but only at maximum color. So if you have a slow link between the two of you it will be fucking painful since you can go down to 16/8/2 bit color. Again, install a real vnc server to fix this issue.

[Edited on October 25, 2008 at 11:09 PM. Reason : .]

10/25/2008 11:08:06 PM

^ NCSU uses it to manage Macs all over campus. That's not "enterprise?"

10/26/2008 1:01:08 AM

no, that's ncsu being cheap and lazy to support boxes most people don't give a fuck about.

10/26/2008 2:14:54 AM

I just use MobileMe and Back to my Mac. Works like a charm. no config necessary. All I need is an internet connection and my iMac at home shows up under my shared sidebar.

10/26/2008 5:11:43 AM

^^

10/26/2008 9:52:29 AM

I have ARD for managing my family's business computers and it works well for us.
However, if you are just wanting to work on your parent's computers, it's is overkill.

Honestly, just use iChat.
It does the screen sharing fairly well.

10/26/2008 12:56:24 PM

Quote :

"Honestly, just use iChat."

I always forget about this. good call.

10/26/2008 1:54:30 PM

Orly?

How does iChat implement screen sharing?

Tutorial?

My parents have mobileme... I suppose I could sign up for a gimmick free 30 days or whatever for the next few months. Ive got 7 different email addys and my own web host. Shit I could have a few thousand email addys for the free mobileme trials...

10/27/2008 12:01:09 AM

it's fucking moot, people

10/27/2008 12:14:21 AM

See if you h ad a windows box all you would have to use is like gotomypc or like ultravnc or possibly the remote support thing.

10/27/2008 8:56:25 AM

yes, that ALL I would have to do... except Id be doing it ALL THE FUCKING TIME.

When I do get called by my parents now that theyre on Mac its always a how-to question, with windows it was a "its broken" issue.

GTFO

[Edited on October 27, 2008 at 9:04 AM. Reason : m,.]

10/27/2008 9:03:57 AM

if they have an iChat account, you can just chat with them in iChat and you can hit the Screen Share button, and it will ask them if you can take over their screen.

10/27/2008 2:12:09 PM

thanks man, appreciated!

10/27/2008 6:16:30 PM

Logmein is free and works on macs.....

All that would need to be done is install some software on the mac and thats it - no port forwarding or anything like that. Just log in to logmein.com and start fixing shit.

10/27/2008 8:44:25 PM