Remote desktop woes!

[pulsewidth947]

OK so I've decided I'd quite like to control my home mac from work, and I've been googling and searching on MR but now I'm even more confused. My set up is as follows:

Mac Mini -> Linksys WRT54G -> (internet) -> Work Firewall (I cant open ports or anything) -> iMac G4.

I have the remote desktop client on my Mac Mini (as I use remote desktop at home), and I've set the Mini to a static IP on my Router. I can forward the 3 ports ARD uses, but I really need a solution where I can use a webpage or something to control, as the only ports I can use at work are http and https ports.

We have remote desktop 1.2 installed here at work, so I could use that to contact my Mini i think, but I've got no idea how to set it all up.

I know I need a DynDNS account as my IP is dynamic at home. I've looked at the how to guide on remote control, and frankly it scares me with the talk of tunnelling and terminal etc.

Has anyone had any experience of a similar system? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Les Kern]

This might not be what you want to hear, but I'll say it anyway! I have ARD at work too... 800 clients, 31 Xserves... BUT
I had more trouble setting up ARD at home to work with them that I decided to install Timbuktu. In 5 minutes I was in control. AND it has WAY more useful features. If I want the package installer thingee to work from ARD, I just control my office desktop and use ARD.

 

[TLRedhawke]

Regarding the DynDNS thing, the tunnelling speak is entirely unnecessary. All you need to do is set up an account, and then install DNSUpdate. It takes care of all the important things so that the machine is accessible using a domain name (even though the free account will make it a long and odd one).

I've had nothing but trouble with ARD. I usually just use a VNC solution, which works just as well. That is, I install OSXVNC on the server machine, and Chicken of the VNC on the client. Everything works swimmingly that way.

 

[pulsewidth947]

Fantastic. Right I'll do the dyndns thing, then try chicken of the vnc (wtf is up with that name?)/osxvnc, rather than timbuktu, as I'm a cheapskate and free=good!

OT - 31 xserves?! Maaan! We got 20 iMacs (12 G4 Flatscreen/dome ones, and 8 oldskool G3 green ones) and 1 xserve. Wish it was all mac here, but they insist on using PCs.. damn them, we are an ART COLLEGE! </rant>

Thank you both for your excellent and prompt replies! Not sure if I need the dyndns software as my router supports dyndns, but I'll use it until i'm sure all this is working. I can live with VNC, as all i want to do is control my mac (open apps/close apps etc) and it does that just fine.

 

[TLRedhawke]

Chicken of the VNC is actually a pun on the tuna brand "Chicken of the Sea". The app icon will reflect this pun

 

[pulsewidth947]

My word that was easy.

All I did was enable control for VNC in my Mac Mini's remote desktop prefs, added port 5900 forwarding in my router (not sure this step was necessary), added my dyndns to my router, then loaded up CotVNC at work.

That was it. 100x simpler than using ARD! No tunnelling or other terminal nasties needed. Rock an Roll!

Thanks for the info TLRedhawke, never heard of Chicken of the Sea must be a US thing.

 

[TLRedhawke]

Yeah, it is. Being a Canadian, I've never physically seen the stuff, but it apparently exists.

Quick tip: To improve VNC performance, set the background of the server machine to a solid colour, rather than an image.