how to control your mac from your iphone via the internet

[loneshark]

hello all ! so as the title says, how to control your mac from your iphone.

does mobile me do this natively ?

there is an iphone app called REMOTE TAP, which takes over your mac from your iphone from anywhere you are with your phone, watch here >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA3DrpGLesk

and then there is FARFINDER which uses a browser to access files on your mac from any computer, even a PC. http://flyingmac.com/farfinder/index.html

so is this the only way to do this ? via 3rd party apps ?

Apple does not have or will not give us the capability to do this "out of the box" ???

 

[sammich]

System Preferences -> Sharing -> Enable Remote Management -> Computer Settings... -> "VNC Viewers may control screen with passsword".

Now go to your router and allow incoming port 5900 to your desired mac.

Install one of the free VNC apps for the iPhone.

Set up a free dyndns.org DNS account with your IP home IP address.

Use iPhone app with above setup'd dyndns domain.

 

[ziggyonice]

If you feel like spending money ($30), the best and easiest app for this is LogMeIn Ignition. Hands down, one of the best apps I've ever bought.

 

[loneshark]

System Preferences -> Sharing -> Enable Remote Management -> Computer Settings... -> "VNC Viewers may control screen with passsword".

Now go to your router and allow incoming port 5900 to your desired mac.

Install one of the free VNC apps for the iPhone.

Set up a free dyndns.org DNS account with your IP home IP address.

Use iPhone app with above setup'd dyndns domain.

why do you have to set up a dyndns.org account?

have you looked at the video for REMOTE TAP i posted? how does that app work ?

If you feel like spending money ($30), the best and easiest app for this is LogMeIn Ignition. Hands down, one of the best apps I've ever bought.

thanks, but if its not apple supported, or sold by apple, i dont trust it. even if it does work.

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what i want to be able to do is watch a movie that i have on my mac, while im in another state, or while driving down the highway.

 

[ziggyonice]

thanks, but if its not apple supported, or sold by apple, i dont trust it. even if it does work.

You do realize that the App Store has over 100,000 applications — and Apple has only FOUR available for sale, right? The capability you're looking for isn't a built-in feature. Apple relies on third-party developers to make applications like this. For what you're looking for, LogMeIn is the industry standard for remote desktop connections over the Internet. Apple has APPROVED this application for sale on the App Store, just as they have all the other 100,000+ programs available for download.

You will not find anything built-in on the iPhone to enable what you're looking for. You will not find anything made by Apple for this ability. However, you can find several applications on the App Store (such as LogMeIn) which Apple has APPROVED as a working application for sale to customers.

You might want to trust their judgement, since third-party apps are pretty much one of the biggest things that separate the iPhone from other devices.

 

[loneshark]

You do realize that the App Store has over 100,000 applications — and Apple has only FOUR available for sale, right? The capability you're looking for isn't a built-in feature. Apple relies on third-party developers to make applications like this. For what you're looking for, LogMeIn is the industry standard for remote desktop connections over the Internet. Apple has APPROVED this application for sale on the App Store, just as they have all the other 100,000+ programs available for download.

You will not find anything built-in on the iPhone to enable what you're looking for. You will not find anything made by Apple for this ability. However, you can find several applications on the App Store (such as LogMeIn) which Apple has APPROVED as a working application for sale to customers.

You might want to trust their judgement, since third-party apps are pretty much one of the biggest things that separate the iPhone from other devices.

ahh well why didnt you say it was for sale by apple, all you did was give me a link to their website. thanks ! how is the frame rate when using LogMeIn ? could i watch a movie using it ?

 

[ziggyonice]

ahh well why didnt you say it was for sale by apple, all you did was give me a link to their website. thanks ! how is the frame rate when using LogMeIn ? could i watch a movie using it ?

Sorry for misinterpreting you... I thought you were pretty much declining anything on the App Store other than Apple apps... lol, I guess I read into that wrong.

Well, the frame rate is very dependent on the speed of your Internet connection — both on your Mac and on your iPhone. Meaning that, if you've got a good connection, the frame rate can be quite decent. For me personally, I don't have that great of a connection, so while I can easily see my Desktop and click on files, etc., opening and playing a movie has a pretty bad frame rate... like maybe 3-4 frames per second.

Remote desktop apps (regardless of which one you'd get) require a decent Internet connection. Especially if you'd be trying to watch video. But now that I think about it, it doesn't transmit sound, so that pretty much answers your question right there...

 

[shdwkillr]

Dear thread owner, sorry that I am using your thread to ask a similar problem which you are facing..

I am actually looking for an app/method where I can browse files/music/movies in my mac over the wifi, then to download it into my iphone to view/listen/watch it..

Is there such app/method in doing so? I am not looking for remote desktop method as mentioned, it will be very dependent on connection speed..

 

[loneshark]

Sorry for misinterpreting you... I thought you were pretty much declining anything on the App Store other than Apple apps... lol, I guess I read into that wrong.

Well, the frame rate is very dependent on the speed of your Internet connection — both on your Mac and on your iPhone. Meaning that, if you've got a good connection, the frame rate can be quite decent. For me personally, I don't have that great of a connection, so while I can easily see my Desktop and click on files, etc., opening and playing a movie has a pretty bad frame rate... like maybe 3-4 frames per second.

Remote desktop apps (regardless of which one you'd get) require a decent Internet connection. Especially if you'd be trying to watch video. But now that I think about it, it doesn't transmit sound, so that pretty much answers your question right there...

no sound ? why not ? maybe you could make a change to the soundflower setting on the computer so it the sound will come thru on the iphone. but yea 3-4 FPS is god awful. I wonder if REMOTE TAP is any better?

Dear thread owner, sorry that I am using your thread to ask a similar problem which you are facing..

I am actually looking for an app/method where I can browse files/music/movies in my mac over the wifi, then to download it into my iphone to view/listen/watch it..

Is there such app/method in doing so? I am not looking for remote desktop method as mentioned, it will be very dependent on connection speed..

yes you are hijacking my thread... but in a nice way. but since your question is off topic, you might want to use the search button, or start your own thread.

 

[calvy]

remote tap is not any better in the frame rate department. You might as well give up your hope of watching video over a remote desktop connection. I can just about guarantee you'll never have a fast enough connection on your phone for this to work. When I connect over 3G to my home based Macbook Pro hooked up to the internet via 10Mbps cable modem, it is a very delayed response in opening apps and watching windows refresh. No way video would ever be watchable.

And this is true for every VNC app I've ever used on any platform across the internet. The purpose of remote desktop apps is not for viewing video.

 

[outphase]

If you want to watch videos from your mac (or windows) computer, check out Air Video. http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html It's a server that runs on your computer which you can access via the iPhone. You can stream non-DRM video files pretty easily, and the server software does conversions on the fly.

It's best to leave VNC-type work to more maintenance work rather than trying to watch a video.

 

[shdwkillr]

Dear thread owner, sorry that I am using your thread to ask a similar problem which you are facing..

I am actually looking for an app/method where I can browse files/music/movies in my mac over the wifi, then to download it into my iphone to view/listen/watch it..

Is there such app/method in doing so? I am not looking for remote desktop method as mentioned, it will be very dependent on connection speed..

No one?

 

[skball123]

No one?

First, start your OWN post.

Second,loneshark, your mac already has a built in server. You just put movies or any files in /Library/Webserver/Documents (you can delete the files in there already) and then forward port 80 to your mac. This will allow you to stream any movie or any file to your iphone very easily. I do it all the time.

You just bookmark your ip address and when you load it, the folder on your mac loads.

This can be a good idea, but it is very open. I would always recommend when doing this, put a password on the site folder (google .htaccess password).

I have successfully done this and I watch movies on my iphone without them actually being on there all the time

 

[loneshark]

nice ! thanks SKBALL

is there a tutorial online on how to port foward and set up folders for LAN sharing you can show me ?

thanks again. also the very first post in this thread still has me wondering about setting up a free dns server.

any thoughts there ?

 

[sniffies]

How is Remote Tap any better than Jaadu VNC? Or is it?

 

[tivoboy]

logmein and free accounts

does anyone know if the logmein ingnition for iphone allows access to remote control the logmein free accounts?

 

[HowEver]

Air Video remains unbelievably good for viewing videos from my home Mac. A bargain for $2.99.

Farfinder has gone to hell for me though. It works once out of 100 tries. I'm going to try LogMeIn which is consistently favourably reviewed.

Is there anything else newer and better? I'm close to considering a VNC app also.

If you want to watch videos from your mac (or windows) computer, check out Air Video. http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/index.html It's a server that runs on your computer which you can access via the iPhone. You can stream non-DRM video files pretty easily, and the server software does conversions on the fly.

It's best to leave VNC-type work to more maintenance work rather than trying to watch a video.

 

[tivoboy]

rocks

Airvideo Rocks, I don't understand how the server side app, on the local mac is able to do SUCH A GOOD job of real-time video conversion and then stream it live, and even allow for real-time trick play, great great app.

I can also only continue to say good things about the logmein app, either on the mac/pc or even on the ipad (the latest version of which is a universal, so I think it was simply FAB that the company chose to allow current iphone owners of the app to just grab another copy for the ipad) which is really all one needs to great remote computer use.

Here is my latest use of the logmein app on the IPAD no less:

Parents in law are in Dubai of all places at the moment. Of course connectivity and access were difficult, as well as the phone connectivity. So, on my moms laptop, I logmein'd from my ipad and was able to
A), setup a VPN,
B) get to a download site to download Skype,
C) create a ICS hotspot with the laptop that was connected to ethernet,
D) setup WEP
E) get her iphone setup via a skype to PC call from my home here in Menlo Park to her Laptop in Dubai (I actually was LMI'd and just did the dialing on her computer myself from HERE and she was connected via phone to ME HERE ,
F) get her to see the laptop hotspot with her iphone, join the secured ICS network that had the VPN connection on it, setup skype on her iphone with my account, login and CALL ME BACK for free.

Now, she has full access, people can reach out, they can make calls etc. (which is sort of necessary at the moment, lots going on) all for free and easily just walking around their hotel room with the iphone.

I have to say, nearly 7000 miles away, my logmein connection to their computer in Dubai seemed no further away than it normally is in Chicago.

 

[Sparky9292]

Air Video remains unbelievably good for viewing videos from my home Mac. A bargain for $2.99.

Farfinder has gone to hell for me though. It works once out of 100 tries. I'm going to try LogMeIn which is consistently favourably reviewed.

Is there anything else newer and better? I'm close to considering a VNC app also.

Yeah, Teamviewer for the iPhone is pretty awesome.

 

[sinsin07]

why do you have to set up a dyndns.org account?

have you looked at the video for REMOTE TAP i posted? how does that app work ?



thanks, but if its not apple supported, or sold by apple, i dont trust it. even if it does work.

.
.
.
what i want to be able to do is watch a movie that i have on my mac, while im in another state, or while driving down the highway.

You need Air Video. A remote app is not going to give you the frame rates, it will be very choppy. Secondly, I hope you are riding down the highway in a in passenger seat, not driving. If you are driving and watching a movie, please stay out of the Tri-State area.