How to share iTunes over ethernet.

[dogbone]

I've had a look at a few threads on ethernet and iTunes but they don't address exactly what I'm trying to do.

I've got two eMac's both connected to a ADSL modem/router via ethernet. I can get them to see each others public folders.

Both macs have their own iTunes collection and Playlists. What I want to do is make all the music (including it's playlist) on Mac 1 available to Mac 2. But I don't know how is the best way to do this so that the Mac 2 music and playlist will work normally when it is not networked to Mac 1.

Ideally I don't want to have to move the music out of their current default locations.

 

[dogbone]

After posting the above I was able to get it to work where I've never been able to before.

Anyway my new question is that I had to turn on music sharing in the firewall prefs and I was wondering if this opens me up to hacking?

 

[iMeowbot]

If you didn't open the port on your router, and only did that on the Macs, then nothing is changed as far as the outside world is concerned.

 

[Counterfit]

You'd only be open to hacking if there's some sort of vulnerability in iTunes' DAAP server. While certainly not impossible, I think it would be hard to get an exploit out in the wild before Apple fixed the problem.

 

[dogbone]

In the Service pane of 'Sharing', Personal file sharing is on and so is printer sharing.

In the Firewall pane of 'Sharing', Printer Sharing is on plus iTunes Music Sharing plus Network time. A pop up window says 'this is your firewall entry for iTunes music sharing, it is currently on and all TCP network traffic on port 3689 is currently being let through. Is this bad? I get a similar message for the printer sharing pop up but different ports.

In the Internet pane of 'Sharing', it says internet sharing is off. Does this mean I don't have to worry?

I haven't touched the router, in fact I didn't even know the ADSL modem was a router till I connected both computers to it and found I could network them


Is everything OK or have I opened myself up to hacking.

 

[dogbone]

You'd only be open to hacking if there's some sort of vulnerability in iTunes' DAAP server. While certainly not impossible, I think it would be hard to get an exploit out in the wild before Apple fixed the problem.

Is all this 'port open' stuff only to do with the local network?

 

[ahamilt2]

Even if it does open you up to the outside world (which I don't think it does but could be wrong), no one is going to try to hack you unless your computer has some extremely important and private data on it (i.e. Microsoft's or AOL's servers, or a govt. server), and even then it's unlikely. I wouldn't worry about it, unless it is a server like that and then what are you doing running iTunes on it?

 

[dogbone]

It wasn't so much as getting access to my files but using my computer as a surreptitious server somehow. Maybe I'm being a little too paranoid but I didn't want to do anything silly.

 

[DeSnousa]

Your more vulnerable by having the internet then the port open