Remote Desktop access between Mac and PC possible?

[psylance]

I just got my new 12" Powerbook!!!! I have never been so excited about a new computer before. I've been a PC user for the last 14 years. Over the last two years I have slowly fallen in love with Apple, changing my PC interface (first with WindowBlinds and then StyleXP) to look as much as possible like a Mac... But we all know that there is nothing like the real thing. I have to say...wow...all that I was hoping it would be has been surpassed. This is just a beautiful OS and a it runs on gorgeous hardware. Now I'm wondering how long in will be until I sell my desktop and switch that to a Mac as well...

In the meantime...I wanted to know if anyone could help me with two technical questions:

1) I use a wireless network all the time and I was always using my PC laptop from upstairs to access my desktop's desktop downstairs , using RealVNC. Does anyone know if there is software I can use to do the same thing between my Mac and PC. I need the server app running on the PC and the viewer client on the Mac.

2) Wireless network is working beautifully. The only problems I've run into are as follows. I can't see the printer that is connected to my PC when I try to set it up as networked printer. (It is an HP Laserjet 5L) I can get to the server but it does not show any printers as being attached to it. The other thing is I want to keep a connection to a shared folder on the PC without having to recreate it and login again every time I close my laptop. I have clicked "Add to Keychain" but it still asks me for my password every time it recreates it.

Thanks a million for helping a Mac newbie...in love with his Mac.

 

[mowogg]

Remote desktop access

You should be able, without problem, to remotely access your PC from your 12 inch with the Remote Desktop Connection software from Microsoft. It's in the Mactopia part of the site and is a free download.

I too have a 12 inch PowerBook and it is the slickest thing since sliced bread. I just finsihed a video conference with our New York office on iSights. Can't beleive how handy Expose is for switching between video and PowerPoint.

 

[laytonhayes]

There was a free program released by M$ a few years ago called Remote Desktop Connection. It only works with XP and I think must be set up as a separate users on the PC. I used it a few years ago and it worked pretty well. If you cannot find it I can email you a copy. Good luck

.:edit:. looks like we were posting the same thing at the same time.

 

[psylance]

I'll give it a try

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll take a look right now and give it a try. For all the flack MS gets, you've gotta' appreciate that they still support us Mac users. ("us"...<sigh> I'm now a Mac user...<grins><looks adoringly at new PowerBook)

 

[iShater]

For #1, another option is to use a VNC client to connect to the PC. Sounds like you have a VNC server running on your PC downstairs, download something like ChickenOfVNC to connect to it, I use it and it is pretty cool.

For the username/password issue, once you mount the drive, drag the icon to the right side of the Dock near the trash and add the link there. Next time you want to connect, just click that icon instead of using Apple-K to connect to server.

Not sure about the printer issue, I cannot print to my PC printer yet

 

[whooleytoo]

Welcome to the "other side"!!

As the others have said Remote Desktop will let you control a PC from your Mac - but for some reason Apple charge for their equivalent which lets you control a Mac.

VNC (in my experience) isn't as fast as Remote Desktop, but it does allow you to control a Mac from a Mac or PC. You can use OSXVnc as the server, and "Chicken of the VNC" (no, I didn't make that up) as the Mac client.

 

[psylance]

Trying to get Remote Desktop connection working

Okay, I downloaded Remote Desktop Connection. I enabled "Allow remote connections" on my PC and I am trying to connect. My Mac can't find it for some reason. I know the local IP address is 192.1682.0.2 but it just can't get to it. Is there anything I am overlooking?

 

[whooleytoo]

Okay, I downloaded Remote Desktop Connection. I enabled "Allow remote connections" on my PC and I am trying to connect. My Mac can't find it for some reason. I know the local IP address is 192.1682.0.2 but it just can't get to it. Is there anything I am overlooking?

Are you sure that's the right IP address? It looks suspiciously like a typo - if you turn on Internet Sharing on the Mac, it shares out addresses starting with 192.168.2.2. Are you sure that's not it?

Otherwise, is there a firewall between the Mac and PC that could be interfering?

 

[psylance]

Whoops

I have to really be more careful when posting replies. The typo was only in my reply to this thread. An extra 2 slipped in. The IP address should read 192.168.0.2. No firewall internally with my network. I just can't figure it out. Any one out there have it working successfully?

 

[Joshvar]

I use Chicken of the VNC

It's pretty good. I use TightVNC on my work computer, and it does everything I need it to. Toggling between fullscreen/windowed doesn't work with the hotkeys it says to use though...but other than that, no complaints

This is my first Mac too. 12" iBook G4 1GHz

 

[phrancpharmD]

What about going back the other direction? I would like to access my Mac at home from my Win2000 box at work. Do I need VNC on my Mac and something else on my work computer?

 

[whooleytoo]

What about going back the other direction? I would like to access my Mac at home from my Win2000 box at work. Do I need VNC on my Mac and something else on my work computer?

Sure, just run OSXVnc on your Mac (and leave it run), and run any VNC client on your PC. There are several, I don't know which is the best, you could try RealVNC.

(p.s. I strongly recommend you set a password in OSXVnc - leaving it blank is very risky).

 

[phrancpharmD]

Sure, just run OSXVnc on your Mac (and leave it run), and run any VNC client on your PC. There are several, I don't know which is the best, you could try RealVNC.

(p.s. I strongly recommend you set a password in OSXVnc - leaving it blank is very risky).

OK - I've installed RealVNC on my work computer. When I opened it, it asked for the server name. Will this be assigned / chosen when I install OSXVNC on my Mac when I get home later?

 

[whooleytoo]

OK - I've installed RealVNC on my work computer. When I opened it, it asked for the server name. Will this be assigned / chosen when I install OSXVNC on my Mac when I get home later?

I should have said - if your home machine is on a dial up connection you're out of luck.

However, if you have a broadband connection at home with a static IP address, then you can use that address in the "Server Name" field when trying to connect from work.

 

[phrancpharmD]

if you have a broadband connection at home with a static IP address, then you can use that address in the "Server Name" field when trying to connect from work.

Cool; I have DSL at home. So do I still need to install OSXVNC on my Mac at home then?

 

[whooleytoo]

Cool; I have DSL at home. So do I still need to install OSXVNC on my Mac at home then?

Yup, the OSXVnc app needs to be running to listen for connections.

If you're paranoid about security, you could turn on Remote Login in System Preferences and leave OSXVnc off; that way you can log in using a Telnet/SSH client from work, launch OSXVnc on the home Mac, then connect via VNC.

 

[phrancpharmD]

Yup, the OSXVnc app needs to be running to listen for connections.

If you're paranoid about security, you could turn on Remote Login in System Preferences and leave OSXVnc off; that way you can log in using a Telnet/SSH client from work, launch OSXVnc on the home Mac, then connect via VNC.

I think I understand what you mean, but how would one go about logging in via Telnet/SSH client from work? And just to clarify, this would allow me to avoid leaving OSXVnc on all the time, right? And what would the differences be between logging in remotely and using VNC anyway? Does logging in remotely not allow you access to the machine you logged into? Please excuse my ignorance and educate me.

 

[superbovine]

these are my favorites

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downlo...MISC/RDC.xml&secid=80&ssid=9&flgnosysreq=True

http://www.tightvnc.com/

 

[whooleytoo]

I think I understand what you mean, but how would one go about logging in via Telnet/SSH client from work? And just to clarify, this would allow me to avoid leaving OSXVnc on all the time, right? And what would the differences be between logging in remotely and using VNC anyway? Does logging in remotely not allow you access to the machine you logged into? Please excuse my ignorance and educate me.

The only real advantage in "my" way is that the ssh 'server' runs transparently in the background so it doesn't get in the way. Just leaving OSXVnc is fine, provided you set a password (doesn't have to be -and probably shouldn't be - your login password).

Having said that, it's quite possible that VNC sends the password clear text (non encrypted) which makes it easier for someone to grab it and log in via VNC. Hence it's safer to only have VNC running on your Mac when it's needed.

You might want to download any ssh client (a telnet client would do, but it also sends the password as clear text), open a connection to your Mac's IP address, using your Mac username and password. Then "cd /Applications" - assuming that where you've installed OSXVnc - then type "open OSXVnc.app". You also need to make sure "Start Server on Launch" is selected in OSXVnc, and (obviously) that Remote Login is enabled in System Preferences->Sharing.

It all depends on how paranoid you are. If the number of black helicopters circling your house is less than five, you probably don't need the extra step of starting/stopping VNC from the terminal.

 

[phrancpharmD]

Do I download the SSH client onto my Macintosh or my computer at work?

 

[psylance]

TightVNC

I don't get it with TightVNC...are people suggesting that just for the PC end? I don't see a download for Mac.

 

[whooleytoo]

Do I download the SSH client onto my Macintosh or my computer at work?

On the PC at work.

Once installed, you run it on the PC, connect to your Mac and launch OSXVnc.
Then quit the SSH client, and launch RealVNC on the PC to connect to the Mac's GUI.
When you're finished, quit OSXvnc on the Mac (which will, of course, cause the connection to drop - and RealVNC to exit).

(But as I said before, all this might be overkill, it all depends on how sure you want to be).

 

[phrancpharmD]

On the PC at work.

Once installed, you run it on the PC, connect to your Mac and launch OSXVnc.
Then quit the SSH client, and launch RealVNC on the PC to connect to the Mac's GUI.
When you're finished, quit OSXvnc on the Mac (which will, of course, cause the connection to drop - and RealVNC to exit).

(But as I said before, all this might be overkill, it all depends on how sure you want to be).

Cool! I'll give it a go on Monday and let you know how it all went. What do you think of PuTTY as an SSH client for the Windows box at work?

 

[whooleytoo]

Cool! I'll give it a go on Monday and let you know how it all went. What do you think of PuTTY as an SSH client for the Windows box at work?

Any should do, I use Axessh, but I wouldn't really recommend it. As long as it works, and it doesn't send the password as clear text, it's fine.

Any problems with that, you can probably find plenty more on versiontracker.com 's Windows section.

 

[whooleytoo]

I don't get it with TightVNC...are people suggesting that just for the PC end? I don't see a download for Mac.

On the machine you're sitting at, you need a VNC client, you can use TightVNC (PC) or Chicken of the VNC (Mac).

On the machine you're "remote controlling", you can use OSXvnc on the Mac. If you're trying to control a PC, can either use a PC VNC server (such as RealVNC which comes with client and server), or use Remote Desktop instead.

In my experience, Remote Desktop is faster than VNC for controlling a PC, and the Mac and PC clients are free.

If you're trying to control a Mac, VNC is the only free option I'm aware of.

(I just double checked, and if you have the firewall turned on in OSX, it will probably block both VNC and Remote Desktop by default. If you're still having trouble getting Remote Desktop to work, try turning off the firewall temporarily to see if that fixes it?)