Remote control of your Macintosh allows you to access a remote (host) computer across a network or the Internet from a local (client) system. The screen of the shared host computer appears locally, and you use your mouse and keyboard to control the other system from afar. Historically there have been fewer options to accomplish this for Macs than PCs, but the situation has been improving steadily.
Part 1 of this covers general considerations and Apple-supported methods available for remote system control that will generally work on any version of Mac OS X (Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, and Leopard). Part 2 addresses some commercial solutions that also support multiple OS versions, along with how to force-reboot a remote Mac. Part 3 looks at on new options provided by Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
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General Considerations
Remote control capabilities vary by method used and include remote desktop control (screen sharing), file transfers, and system management (patches and updates). With any remote desktop method, access to the remote system is slower than when you are sitting in front of that computer. The method used, network bandwidth available, and types of traffic will determine the “sluggishness” factor.
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Jun 06, 2016 The best way to remote-access a Mac from an iPad (including the new iPad Pro) is to use a free program called Google Chrome Remote. With Google Chrome Remote you can remotely use Mac OS X programs. Apple Remote Desktop is the best way to manage the Mac computers on your network. Distribute software, provide real-time online help to end-users, create detailed software and hardware reports, and automate routine management tasks — all from your own Mac. Software Distribution. Easily copy and install software on remote Mac systems.
Minimizing the amount of data you need to transmit for screen sharing will make the process run more quickly. Closing unnecessary windows on the remote system and using a flat single-color desktop (instead of a complicated picture or pattern) will speed up response. Patience is a must, but remember it’s usually faster than traveling there!
Needs and realities often dictate your options. Some remote control methods work across different versions of the Mac OS (or cross-platform), while others require the same OS version on local and remote machines. Some methods require you to know the IP address of the remote system to connect and may require special firewall configurations, while others will work without any special settings or knowledge – usually!
It’s often helpful to use two remote control methods simultaneously (if possible), especially if you’re running a server or access is otherwise critical. Programs crash, network and Internet conditions vary, and you may find yourself locked out at a critical time. Sometimes method B works when method A doesn’t; then you can fix method A or reboot the machine from afar.
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)
Apple’s native remote control solution is Apple Remote Desktop (ARD). ARD server software has been built into Mac OS X since 10.3 Panther and was available as an optional install for earlier versions of OS X. ARD provides the full gamut of remote system control: scalable screen sharing, file transfers to and from the remote systems, and remote software updating of individual machines and whole networks at a time. On a LAN, network admins with multiple Macs to manage will find this tool indispensable.
To enable an ARD host (server) in Panther and Tiger, go to System Preferences –> Sharing and turn on Apple Remote Desktop, then click Access Privileges and enable all desired services for one or more users. In Leopard you also enable ARD via System Preferences –> Sharing, but control capabilities have been split into separate Screen Sharing and Remote Management sections; click Options for choosing Remote Management services. ARD access from afar is via your host Mac’s account password.
To control an ARD-shared host computer, you need to use the Apple Remote Desktop administrator software. Apple sells two versions, a 10-client version for $299 or an unlimited client version for $499. The client limit dictates how many remote systems you can manage simultaneously; most home users and small business will be fine with the 10-client version. Bonjour support is available to find systems on your local network, or you can add them by IP address.
Across the Internet you must know the IP address of the remote computer or network gateway to establish a connection; this requires either a static IP address on the remote end or the use of a dynamic DNS locator service (like DynDNS) to find your remote system in times of need. ARD requires forwarding TCP and UDP ports 3283 through firewalls. Traffic can be routed across VPNs if one is available.
ARD is a powerful tool, but power comes at a price. Fortunately for home and small business users there are other options.
Virtual Network Computing (VNC)
VNC is an open source software effort to provide cross-platform remote screen sharing capabilities. Long an option for Windows, VNC support was spotty on Mac OS 9 but is solid on Mac OS X. It has become my primary method of controlling remote Macs and PCs from other Macs (and PCs) when static IP addresses are available.
The remote Mac needs to run a VNC server; starting with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger the built-in ARD software has included the option to use VNC for screen sharing. Go back to System Preferences –> Sharing –> Apple Remote Desktop (Tiger) or Screen Sharing (Leopard) and click the Access Privileges or Options button (as applicable). Enable Share Screen with VNC clients and use a strong password.
On pre-Tiger Macs or as an alternate option for all Macs, the free Vine VNC Server (for OS X and OS 9) and it’s older precursor, OSXvnc, offer excellent VNC server packages with more options than Apple’s built-in server. In my experience the Vine and OSXvnc packages are more stable and resilient than Apple’s built-in server – I’ve had onboard VNC stop working many times and require a reboot to fix, while the standalone server rarely fails. I use Vine VNC Server on many of the business systems I support.
A VNC client viewer application is required to view your remote Mac on your local system. Apple did not provide a VNC viewer in Mac OS X until 10.5 Leopard (see Part 3 of this series), but the open source market came earlier to the rescue. Chicken of the VNC is a good free VNC viewer with a silly name, and it runs on Mac OS X 10.3 Panther through 10.5 Leopard.
For a step up, $30 will get you the Vine VNC Viewer; this software is faster and more stable than Chicken of the VNC, and it offers screen size scaling (invaluable when controlling a big screen from a small laptop) and clipboard sharing. Mac OS X Tiger or Leopard is required.
Both Vine and Chicken of the VNC will find local network systems using Bonjour. Across the Internet you will need to know the IP address of the remote computer or use a dynamic DNS locator service. VNC uses TCP port 5900 for control and, as with ARD, requires port forwarding through firewalls and routers. VNC works fine across VPNs.
VNC provides screen sharing capabilities without file transfers. To work around this limitation you can use a network and/or Internet-accessible resource that both systems can reach: an FTP server, a shared Mac disk using AFP (AppleShare), a shared Windows volume using SMB, or a webserver with upload/download capability. Post the software or document from one system and grab it from the other via your shared disk or server.
Continued in Software to Remotely Control and Reboot Your Mac.
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This article was originally published on Adam’s Oakbog website. It has been adapted and reprinted here with his permission.
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Looking for the best remote desktop app for Mac running OS X Mavericks? Look no further because here we are going to explore 3 of my favorite ways to remote into Windows machines from Mac.When I purchased my first Apple computer (13″ Macbook Air) early in 2013, I found myself searching for the best application to remote into my Windows computers and servers.
With the need for me to be able to quickly remote into a variety of Windows servers, I wanted an RDP client I could use on my Mac that would give me a great experience.
At work we typically suggest Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac to our Doctors and staff when they come to us for assistance with setting up VPN and remote access into the hospital.
But Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac isn’t the only application available.
My RDP Requirements
Since I work heavily on Windows machines, there were a few essential requirements I was looking for to help my overall daily workflow:
1. Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac
Coming in at # 1 for my favorite remote desktop client for Mac is Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac.
Microsoft had recently made version 8.0.0 available. This version really has stepped it up a notch from their previous version.
Performance
Performance is not an issue for me during my tests.
Manageability of multiple systems
Yes, you can manage multiple systems.
One of the biggest notable changes I found with this version over the previous is the fact that you can save client servers/sessions. This was important to me since I have a wide-range of servers that I need to connect to at any moment.
Price
Free
Cons
None as of this writing.
2. 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop
Coming in at # 2 on my list is 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop.
I have to be honest and say that I haven’t given this one a full blown test as of yet. However, I have used it many times on IOS devices and has worked well. I did install it for my testing here in this article and overall was a nice experience.
I would have to rank this one a close 2nd to Microsoft’s client.
Performance
Overall performance was not an issue for me during my tests.
Manageability of multiple systems
Yes, you can manage multiple systems.
Price
Free
Cons
A small issue I see (and probabaly not an issue for most) is the Windows Snap feature. It seems to be a ‘hit-and-miss’ when I try to snap a window to the top of the screen.
3. CoRD
Coming in at # 3 on my lis is CoRD.
CoRD is a Mac OS X remote desktop client for Microsoft Windows computers.
As of this writing, CoRD’s website has an announcement saying: “Cord don’t seem to work on 10.9 Mavericks. Check back next week.” This was announced on 2013-10-23.
Mac Os X Remote Desktop Client
As you can see in the video, I have installed CoRD on my Macbook Air running 10.9 OS X Mavericks and it does work. Maybe there are some bugs that I am not aware of but overall it does seem to run OK for me.
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Overall performance for me was not an issue during my tests.
Manageability of multiple systems
One thing I really do like about CoRD is the option to view all remote sessions in one window. This really saves space on your desktop and makes it a breeze to switch between the different sessions.
Price
Free
Cons
CoRD doesn’t appear to work with NLA (Network Level Authentication). This is a problem for me since a lot of the servers at work are now configured to use NLA, I simply get an error saying: “The requested session access is denied” when I try to connect.
Remote Desktop Software For Mac Os X Pc
As with CoRD, another issue is the Windows Snap feature is a hit-and-miss.
Conclusion
In the end, all three of the applications worked well. The major downside for me with CoRD is the fact I am unable to connect to servers with NLA enabled.
For now, I will continue to use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac.
I will update this post and/or comments below with any updated experiences (good or bad).
Question for You
What do you use on your Mac to remotely manage Windows machines?
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