Mac Mini remote management tool RDP4

[Sudo-pod]

Good morning!

I have a Mac Mini M2, and I need to manage it remotely; previously I was directed towards VirtualBuddy as a hypervisor that runs on Apple Silicon. Now I need a suggestion for a remote management tool. The obvious candidates are VNC and TeamViewer; but I also want to explore a third option that has been suggested to me: RDP4.

Ive looked into RDP4 and what it does and how it works and I am not quite sure in which direction it goes. At first blush it seems to be a tool that allows an Apple device to use RDP to remote into a windows machine? Which is great, but not the direction I need things to go in. Although I admit this is the first time I have ever heard of RDP4, so my understanding may be flawed.

My requirements are thus:

I need a tool or service or app installed onto the Mac Mini that will allow for remote management and GUI access. I would like authentication to be handled by the client, so that I can just document the account credentials and then dispense them as needed. I prefer free; but paid is fine.

The Mac Mini must allow remote management control of all features from any arbitrary device; although I would prefer it work with Windows, Apple, and Linux devices. Windows is the primary focus, the other two are flexible.

 

[Bigwaff]

The Mac Mini must allow remote management control of all features from any arbitrary device

That’s a broad spectrum of devices, my friend. Assume you want access whether on LAN or over internet? There are a lot of commercial options.
I’ve used GoToMyPC in the past

Remote Desktop Software & Remote Computer Access - GoToMyPC

Get the remote access solution you know and trust, plus market-leading security features like antivirus protection. Hurry, offer ends soon!

get.gotomypc.com

 

[chrfr]

I need a tool or service or app installed onto the Mac Mini that will allow for remote management and GUI access. I would like authentication to be handled by the client, so that I can just document the account credentials and then dispense them as needed. I prefer free; but paid is fine.

The Mac Mini must allow remote management control of all features from any arbitrary device; although I would prefer it work with Windows, Apple, and Linux devices. Windows is the primary focus, the other two are flexible.

My preference is Jump Desktop.

 

[Sudo-pod]

That’s a broad spectrum of devices, my friend. Assume you want access whether on LAN or over internet? There are a lot of commercial options.
I’ve used GoToMyPC in the past

Remote Desktop Software & Remote Computer Access - GoToMyPC

Get the remote access solution you know and trust, plus market-leading security features like antivirus protection. Hurry, offer ends soon!

get.gotomypc.com

Correct.

And I need to be able to grant access to other users as well.

The primary focus is on Windows, with Apple preferred and Linux a 'nice to have'.

 

[Sudo-pod]

Is 'AnyDesk' any good? My company is having me do more research before we commit to TeamViewer.

 

[chrfr]

I'd still suggest trying Jump Desktop- you can demo it for free and if it works, a single copy has no ongoing subscription fee, just a one time $35 charge.

 

[Sudo-pod]

I'd still suggest trying Jump Desktop- you can demo it for free and if it works, a single copy has no ongoing subscription fee, just a one time $35 charge.

I will add it onto the list of products we can try out.

 

[Sudo-pod]

So I have tried TeamViewer, AnyDesk, and RustDesk. None of these software solutions will work for me.

I will explain:

I have my macs behind a VPN-firewall. This firewall requires authentication to access the network behind it. With RDP I can just point the RDP application at an IPv4 address and it will connect. The problem with TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or RustDesk, is that they need to phone home to a third party network over the internet to receive an address number. With the way that the network is presently set up, this completely bypasses authentication through the VPN. The macs have complete access to the internal network, and this is unacceptable because it renders the VPN obsolete for anything other than networking.

Is there a solution that gives me what RDP provides, except for Macs? At minimum I need windows to Mac and Mac to Mac, and it needs to be able to function offline. That means the software installed client-side CANNOT phone home and cannot accept incoming connection requests anywhere except through the firewall, or from a machine already on the internal network.

 

[Bigwaff]

the software installed client-side CANNOT phone home and cannot accept incoming connection requests anywhere except through the firewall

Outside client unable to connect to your network VPN? You should be able to lock down VPN connections from outside to only reach select internal IP addresses.