This might be nice for some use cases. For security though this is not great. If someone knows your IP and wants to get into your system they can start with enumerating that IP to see what ports are open. Just a heads up for newer people.
@@jayseb11 Because VNC is not secure or encrypted by default. Also network scanners will keep trying different logins on open port and if your password is simple enough eventually it will be compromised.
@@AppleNinja hy! can you do the shared screen full res on the laptop? What is the max resolution it can share? Can it share the 6k xdr screen to a 16 inch mpb? Thanks in advance!
This is not remote desktop as RDP this is VNC screen sharing where screen is exposed to potential nerby viewer since remote screen is unlocked. RDP locks session on physical remote screen you are accessing to. Windows and Linux are both supporting proper RDP as well as virtual VNC session where remote desktop on target computer is not unlocked. On the other hand you Windows as well as Linux offers remote pull of single apps window (MS Windows via RDP functionality and Linux via X11-forwarding). This is one of many Apple's lacks of functionality's ... The only reason I also use MAC (beside Windows and Linux) is that it has native MS365 applications required for business - but even those don't work all on MAC (eg. MS Access, MS Visio, MS Project, ...). But please do correct me if I am wrong and there is a service serving proper RDP on MAC (I would love to se that video)!
Wow! thanks so much for this awesome tutorial! it really provides me more information about that Sharing folder which I never use but have been curious about. I can see how this area is where potential hackers could use especially if they know the owner of the Mac is not so computer savvy as they are.
Glad you liked it Nonoy! You are correct that if a hacker were to write a script they could easily enable remote access and grant themselves full access to your Mac. Always good to understand the settings available on the Mac and how to protect it. Have a great week Nonoy!
@@AppleNinja Thanks so much for your response! What do you suggest for the Mac owner to do in that case? Is there a way to know if a script has been written to remotely control the Mac? How can that written script be disabled somehow?
@@emmanuelpeninoy3469 I would not port forward at all instead what i used is a vpn that kinda tricks your computer to thinking that its on the other computers LAN even if they are outside the network try using tailscale and putting the two computers that want to access each other on it and it should work.(btw use the ip shown in the dashboard of tailscale). This eliminates all access from hacker because they need to login into your tailscale acc and then find that ip and authorize from your gmail and the hacker cannot do that and if they somhow do just disconect the vpn and ur fine.
@@AppleNinja Is this a viable option for a programmer who has an m2air base model(I sold my m1max) to get a Mac Studio? So whenever I'm on the go, Uni, train, coffeeshop...name it I just connect to my Mac Studio and do my work while having insane battery life. OR its not really enjoyable because of the latency?
@@PKperformanceEU this is the same question I have. But without the apparent high security risk.. Of course there's going to be pros and cons to these things.. wouldn't want just anyone to be able to log into the router and have access to everything.
Yep it will all work on the newer devices too. Dang you got and M3 iMac and MacBook Pro! That’s super sweet! Enjoy bud and have an amazing day. Cheers 🍻!
Instead of opening your ports, you should just set up a VPN. It’s much more secure to tunnel into your homes network. And it’s easy if you have a raspberry pi or a pi knock off.
RealVNC Viewer will work for iPad and iPhone. It’s what I use to remote into my Mac’s from my iPhone or iPad. As long as your iPad has iPadOS 14 or later you are good to go. The free version works great too! Cheers!
Thanks, but the screens are not very sharp to see on my iMac or MBA. Perhaps you can get a live feed for your next video. Did get most of it, thanks again for doing the video!
Yeah I bought an adapter to catch the screens in better resolution which should help especially on reboots and recovery partition captures. Thanks for the feedback! Have a great day!
hi this works really well thanks for making the video. I am however having a little problem, every day my main Mac disappears from network on the side bar menu and I have to restart my main Mac for it to show back up in network so I can control it again from my Macbook air... I would be grateful for any suggestions, it otherwise works great apart from me having to restart ever day.
They both can change. The external IP will change based on when your ISP renews IP’s and the Mac internal IP can change as well, but if the Mac stays on it should stay the same. If the Mac disconnects from network a device can take that IP so there is no guarantee it will get the same one as it just uses DHCP. You could write a script and LaunchDaemon solution to monitor it and if they change it emails you the new IP’s.
Apple Ninja - question. I have a Google Nest WiFi system that's connected to my router. I added Port Forwarding 5900->5900 in Google. However, when trying to connect to my Mac I got this error: Unable to communicate with “XX.XXX.XXX.XX”. Make sure the remote computer is available and the firewall is not blocking screen sharing. Any idea what the issue may be? I disabled FireVault and Firewall as well...
I was able to do the screen sharing, but I can't hear the audio from the other Mac which I'm trying to control remotely, any idea how to address this ?
Unfortunately it does not work with this method. The only way I am aware of is to use the Apple ID in the Screen Sharing when attempting to connect. The Apple ID must be signed into on the remote Mac and you will have to accept the connect on the remote Mac. I have not tried a remote connection with username and password to accept the Apple ID screen sharing session. That might work!
This video will show you how to set that up, but you will use the port forwarding portion of this video. Control Mac With iPhone Remote Mac Desktop ua-cam.com/video/nlEFPapIj_s/v-deo.html
Hey , great video I plan on leaving my laptop at work and screen sharing it at home with a desktop? Will this work if my laptop is off at work Or do both need to be on ?
Hey Anthony both Mac’s need to be powered on and reachable. Back in the day Apple had that ability for it’s servers but not for regular Macs. Have an awesome weekend bud.
Hi. Thanks for this. May I ask what happens if the IP of the Mac I am trying to connect has changed. Because the router was reset which means I do not have a static IP. And if that mac is at home should I make a note of the IP adress everytime I leave the house?
when you do screen share, mac on the right, will people know that you're sharing screen? For example, me screen share to B(left mac), then i zoom share screen to C. Will C know i'm screen sharing with B?
You don´t need to use the default port to connect in, you can use a random port like 2023 and from there route to 5900 in your network and in your vnc client you can put this info, this is just a little bit more secure than keep the default 5900 port. If your router has a IDS you can enable port scan detection.
Apple Ninja i need your help, for some reason when i try to connect to my Imac, the user name and password is not accepted even on my local network. but if I put my email address instead of my IP address it connects with the permission from my imac. How do I fix this please?
Thank you for the tutorial.... Quick question, which computer's user name and password are you supposed to type in? Thanks in advance for the response!
Hey Alexander, Not sure there is a tool to do that. What could possibly be done is a script that runs a daily check on the IP and sends you an email when it changes. How it would work: LaunchDaemon to run the script daily Script to check the IP against stored IP in file and if different sends you an email and updates the stored IP file. Interesting.
In the Settings app you can click on Wi-Fi (if connected to WiFi) or click network to see which connection is active. You can also hold down the Option Key and click on the WiFi icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen to see more info about the WiFi connection. In the Sharing pane if you click on the little i next to Remote Management you can see it in there as well. Hope this helps! Cheers!
This seems like a great solution for me in that I want to access my group of networked computers on my LAN when traveling with my laptop. I could screen share into the lead computer in my office LAN, and then screen share from the lead to the others within the LAN. i.e, just port forward to one of the computers in my LAN. I noticed many comments are concerned about the lack of security with this approach; a novice user here, and I apologize if my question is really naive, but with Mac screen sharing you can limit access to a specific user, and that user would then need to enter their password to connect. If you use a secure password, is the vulnerability really that significant, especially if you are just a regular Joe and not a bank or something that would be a target for hackers?
The entire session for screen sharing is encrypted and as long as you use the username and password of the account and do not enable VNC in the extra options of screen sharing then you should be ok. These are the risks associated with port forwarding. Port forwarding on a router can expose a computer on your network to several security risks, such as: Remote access: By forwarding a port to a computer on your network, you are essentially opening a door for someone to remotely access that computer. This can potentially allow an attacker to gain control of the computer or steal sensitive information stored on it. Increased attack surface: Opening a port also increases the attack surface of your network. Attackers can use automated tools to scan for open ports and then attempt to exploit any vulnerabilities on the computer to which the port is forwarded. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: An attacker can use a flood of traffic directed at the forwarded port to overload and crash the computer, making it unavailable to legitimate users. Unauthorized access to services: Port forwarding can also expose services running on the computer to unauthorized access. For example, if you forward a port to a web server, an attacker can potentially access the server and compromise any data stored on it. It's important to be aware of these risks when setting up port forwarding and to take steps to secure the computer to which the port is forwarded. This may include installing a firewall, keeping software up-to-date, and disabling unnecessary services. You could protect yourself further by securing the account/Mac you are port forwarding to by not allowing it to access anything other than screen sharing and never save any passwords in Keychain. Hope this helps Harry. Have an awesome weekend!
Apple moved away from BackToMac for other solutions as described in this article here: support.apple.com/en-us/HT208922 Also note in the Screen Sharing app you can use the Apple ID that a Mac is signed into iCloud with anywhere and it will prompt the mac and ask to allow control. This also allows for audio from the screen and mic through the session. So if you want to help a relative in another part of the world you can just use their Apple ID and it will ask them on the screen to grant you remote access. Which you can then talk to them through the mics of the Mac’s themselves. Hope this helps!
@@AppleNinja I (Brazil) always help my mother (UK). She shares internet so I don't have acesss to the modem. Was using teamviewer but the performance is really bad. I also never bought ARD because it seems like it doesn't work without the port forwarding (also too dangerous because of sensitive information). This Icloud thing seems like the perfect solution if it allows remote control like mouse and keyboard without port forwarding. Because just screen sharing takes a lot of time for this with old people for things we take as granted like closing a windows when you need to explain every single time how to do it. Going to have a look into it. I don't know much about networking but teviewer does through nat address something without the need for por forwarding but as I said very poor performance.
Awesome video, thanks so much! Worked like a charm remotely. Should I be concerned with security? I have passwords needed to unlock computer in order to gain access.
Hey Anthony thanks for the feedback. Anytime you enable remote access you are opening yourself up to attacks on the host system. Thankfully Screen Sharing is more secure than traditional VNC connections, so I do not believe the Username/Password can be compromised during transition. Make sure the Mac you are going to remote into has a strong password. Cheers bud, have an awesome day!
@@AppleNinja this port forwarding of port 3283+5900 is only somewhat secure, the Apple ARD Admin guide states: “With Remote Desktop 3, keystrokes and mouse events are encrypted when you control Mac OS X client computers. (…) Control and Observe screen data, and files copied via Copy Items and Install Packages are NOT encrypted !” (Statement from the PDF slightly changed by me for clarity, the original uses a weird double negative statement) Someone capturing your internet traffic (the ISP or a state sniffing on you) is likely not able to get your password or takeover your established session, but they can WATCH the entire screen content sent to you. Also of course if a security flaw in the authentication of this system is ever discovered your machine can be taken over quickly. If you do not have state sponsored enemies, you will probably be fine, but it is certainly not good security practice to have this open on the internet instead of only available inside a VPN connection.
@@AppleNinja Hi again, any idea how I can add another computer to this port for sharing? It's not allowing me to use the 5900 again. It's saying "The rule is duplicate".
This is a great feature, but it has a time limit for me. Screen sharing won't go further than 30 min. Is this the same for you? do you have any idea how to get rid of the time limit?
If you have a time limit set to sleep either of the Mac’s it could be losing the connection. Try preventing the Mac’s from sleeping to see if that helps.
So the device you are accessing has to be on a static address? - i never looked before but doesn’t the address change every time it powers up? Oh and one more thing - the one you are accessing remotely would also have to be logged on? Or can I just have it on? As in on but no it logged into ( I would be trying to access my Mac mini from a remote location but not have it logged on (signed on) - this so no one can walk up to it and use or access if I am not there.
There is a way to remote and share the screen by using Messages. In my case a technical used this option one time just asking me the iCloud account associate to my computer, and that's all, he can control my computer from another part of the world. But when I try to do the same with a friend of mine, the option is not appear available for me, I can not understand why.
hey AppleNinja , Great Video BTW , Enjoyed watching , HOWEVER , I am unable to connect to my local mac mini remotely on another wifi , I followed all the steps as mentioned above , I entered the public ip Address on the screen sharing app but its unable to connect, Please help
Hey Mr cardinal did you make sure to setup the port forwarding on the router? That is required for the communication externally to reach the mac on your internal network.
Hey Matthew! It needs to go on the router for the network that the Mac you want to remote into is connected to. Hope this helps bud. Have an awesome day!
When your router receives a non-static DHCP assigned IP address from your ISP there is a pre-defined time limit built into the assignment, this time limit is called a DHCP Lease. The typical lease time for ISP's in the United States is roughly 7 days.
I am new to Mac ... I got a Mac mini 2020 M1 and I also have a used 2015 Early MacBook Air. I want to take the mini to a friends house and use the USB microphone to record live music... I don't want to pack my large monitor/display but have no problem if I need to bring my keyboard and mouse. What I am looking for is to be able to boot up the mini and control it from the Air, ... I will want to click the audio app and record and set levels etc. ... Is there a way to do this using remote something or other... I am thinking I can learn to do key stroke remembering and have it launch from booting up.. without a monitor connected to the mini. I am needing guidance by Monday basically... the 26th... thanks ... just asking.
Hey its working great , while I am using Mac it suddenly and it automatically turn screen saver on and lock my screen . I am unable to unlock it , so I have to force restart the Mac . Can you fix this ?
Hello... This is a great video and I have set it up as you specified and it worked as a charm for the past two months without an issue. However, my modem's external ipadress changed and ever since, I cannot use the ScreenSharing utility remotely anymore. Complaining about computer is not reachable or is behind a firewall. It never complained about any of these issues when I configured it two months ago. I called the Internet provider for assistance but they have no clue what I am talking about. They say they do not support any port forwarding but yet they allow you to configure the modem. Anyway... I was wondering if you have any ideas how to make this work again. This is an essential feature for me. Thanks for your help.
Hi there Apple Ninja! Many thanks for this video! It's been incredibly helpful to me. Do you have any advice on how to do this via Google Wifi? It seems possible to set up port forwarding on both your main router as well as on the Google Wifi unit. I tried setting it up on the Google Wifi router first, but that didn't work. I then tried setting up port forwarding on both the Google Wifi router as well as on my 'parent' router (a Virgin Media Hitron Chita router) - but that didn't work either?! I've got a static IP so that shouldn't be where the problem lays. Any advice on how to go about this? Hope you can help and many thanks!
Just following up on this with the hope that you can help @AppleNinja? Sorry, but I've reached a dead end and would love to make it work if it's at all possible. Thanks!
Hi there @AppleNinja - just pinging you one last time before I give up. Any chance you might be able to help with some advice here? I'd really appreciate your help!
Hey Jonas sorry for not seeing this bud. It just popped up because Kori replied to you and you responded. Sorry guys. I do not have a Google WiFi so I just asked ChatGPT and here is what it said to do. Please let me know if this helps. To set up port forwarding on Google Wifi, follow these steps: Connect to your Google Wifi network: Use your smartphone or computer to connect to your Google Wifi network. Open the Google Wifi app: Launch the Google Wifi app on your smartphone or visit the Google Wifi website on your computer. Access the settings: Tap on the "Settings" tab located at the bottom of the app or website. Select the device: Choose the device you want to set up port forwarding for from the list of connected devices. If the device isn't listed, ensure it is connected to your Google Wifi network. Access the device details: Tap on the device name or click on the device's icon to access its details. Open Advanced settings: Scroll down to the bottom of the device details page and tap on the "Advanced networking" option. Configure port forwarding: Locate the "Port management" section and tap on "Port forwarding." Add a new port forwarding rule: To add a new port forwarding rule, tap on the "+" or "Add" button. Enter the port information: Provide the necessary information for the port forwarding rule, including the protocol (TCP, UDP, or both), the external port range (the port(s) you want to open externally), and the internal port number (the port on the device you want the traffic to be forwarded to). Save the settings: Tap on "Save" or "Apply" to save the port forwarding rule. Repeat for additional ports or devices: If you need to set up port forwarding for additional ports or devices, repeat steps 8 to 10. Test the port forwarding: After saving the settings, you can test the port forwarding by accessing the device externally using the specified port. You can use online port checking tools to verify if the port is open and accessible. Note: It's important to ensure that you configure port forwarding with caution and only for the ports and devices you trust, as it can expose your network and devices to potential security risks. Keep in mind that the user interface and options may slightly vary depending on the version of the Google Wifi app or website you are using.
If you are going to use the Screen Sharing app only, then 5900 is the only one needed. If you plan to use Apple Remote Desktop then you will want both for full functionality.
You can control a screen off network by just typing in the apple id of Mac you wish to control. This is a much better way of doing it than opening up ports and using IP addresses IMO.
Hey John the only problem with using the Apple ID is I have not found a way to do it without accepting the connection on the device you are remoting into. Are you aware of allowing the connection automatically, because I have not found a way. If there is a way that is a great option as long as all the Macs are signed into iCloud with Apple ID.
@@AppleNinja Ah I see what you're saying. No I have not found a way around that. It is useful for what I am doing but there is always someone on the other computer who can accept my request to connect.
Yeah I might have to put in a feature request to apple to have the ability to approve Apple ID’s automatically. It would be a way better solution than to port forward and open ports.
5900 is the screen sharing port and 3283 is for reporting information if using Apple Remote Desktop. If you are worried about security you can use a VPN, which will be more secure than port forwarding.
Ok but HOW TO DO THIS EXACT THING WITH AN IPHONE FROM OUTSIDE THE NETWORK…so use my iPhone to view access control my MacBook Pro which is at home, WITHOUT ARD? And ideally for free:)?
I’ve done everything exactly as the video says. The only difference is Xfinity has a very simplified version of port forwarding that must be done. Does anyone know why this wouldn’t work? Trying to connect from an iMac at work to an iMac at home both on Xfinity.
When you try while on the same network is it working with the internal IP address? This would confirm it works on network and point to the port forwarding config on the router as a place to look at.
So on server side network need to port the 5900 and 3283, with the Local IP Address & Start/End Port being the vnc address on the "Sharing Settings" of the server side? and then on the client side simple GO: to the vnc address provided and should be prompted... I have done the above but cannot connect? Also why did we get the IP address from the client side? it was never used? Thanks!
Ahh ok so I see the external IP address is what you use on the client side to remote into server side after port forwarding is set up.....getting connection failed on client side even after port forwarding?
I think I understand what you are trying to do. Please correct me if I am off base. SMB is file sharing so if you want to connect to an SMB Share hosted from a Mac on a different network. You would need to setup the SMB Share on that remote Mac with the steps below. Turn on SMB file sharing 1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing on the right. (You may need to scroll down.) 2. Turn on File Sharing, then click the Info button on the right. 3. Click Options, then turn on “Share files and folders using SMB”. 4. If you’re sharing files with Windows computers, select the On tickbox for each user that needs to share files with a Windows computer, then enter the password for that user’s account. 5. Click Done. You would also need to follow the port forwarding section of this video but you need to use the SMB port 139. I hope this helps! Here is the SMB Apple Article: support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/mac-help/mh14107/mac
When I'm setting up port forwarding. Is this to be done on the router of the iMac that I'm screening into or is it done on the router of the iMac that is doing the screen share request from? Thanks for your assistance!
The port forwarding is done on your internet router where the iMac you are screen sharing into resides. Good luck and let us know if you get it working.
This might be nice for some use cases. For security though this is not great. If someone knows your IP and wants to get into your system they can start with enumerating that IP to see what ports are open. Just a heads up for newer people.
Absolutely agree ragegeek! Have an awesome day bud!
@@AppleNinja Doesn't the connection require username/password every time? Why is it not secure?
@@jayseb11 Because VNC is not secure or encrypted by default. Also network scanners will keep trying different logins on open port and if your password is simple enough eventually it will be compromised.
So why is a secure way?
What is a secure way?
Thanks so much. Been trying to find a way to remote access my mac. This is super helpful.
Thanks Frank Chi! Have an awesome weekend!
Is Apple remote faster than classic screen share? Because that is really laggy.
OMG, I couldn't find the correct ports to forward for Screen Sharing to work remotely. You solved my problem, thank you!
Glad it’s working for you now! Cheers!
Thanks for sharing this video. I hit the like button before video was even finished. Right now only require LAN access. Thanks again!
Hope it helps you and thanks for the kind message. Have an amazing day!
Thanks. 🙏 I believe is a good info and option too, just remember, close the port after use. 👍
Great video @Apple Ninja! Especially the part to remote off the network 👍
Thanks @Mr. Macintosh! Have an awesome night!
@@AppleNinja hy! can you do the shared screen full res on the laptop? What is the max resolution it can share? Can it share the 6k xdr screen to a 16 inch mpb? Thanks in advance!
also, can i share my wmac screen to windows?
This is not remote desktop as RDP this is VNC screen sharing where screen is exposed to potential nerby viewer since remote screen is unlocked.
RDP locks session on physical remote screen you are accessing to.
Windows and Linux are both supporting proper RDP as well as virtual VNC session where remote desktop on target computer is not unlocked.
On the other hand you Windows as well as Linux offers remote pull of single apps window (MS Windows via RDP functionality and Linux via X11-forwarding).
This is one of many Apple's lacks of functionality's ...
The only reason I also use MAC (beside Windows and Linux) is that it has native MS365 applications required for business - but even those don't work all on MAC (eg. MS Access, MS Visio, MS Project, ...).
But please do correct me if I am wrong and there is a service serving proper RDP on MAC (I would love to se that video)!
Thank you very much. I followed the instructions carefully and it worked. Thank a lot!
Awesome Manny Kas! Have an awesome weekend bud!
Wow! thanks so much for this awesome tutorial! it really provides me more information about that Sharing folder which I never use but have been curious about. I can see how this area is where potential hackers could use especially if they know the owner of the Mac is not so computer savvy as they are.
Glad you liked it Nonoy! You are correct that if a hacker were to write a script they could easily enable remote access and grant themselves full access to your Mac. Always good to understand the settings available on the Mac and how to protect it. Have a great week Nonoy!
@@AppleNinja Thanks so much for your response! What do you suggest for the Mac owner to do in that case? Is there a way to know if a script has been written to remotely control the Mac? How can that written script be disabled somehow?
@@emmanuelpeninoy3469 I would not port forward at all instead what i used is a vpn that kinda tricks your computer to thinking that its on the other computers LAN even if they are outside the network try using tailscale and putting the two computers that want to access each other on it and it should work.(btw use the ip shown in the dashboard of tailscale). This eliminates all access from hacker because they need to login into your tailscale acc and then find that ip and authorize from your gmail and the hacker cannot do that and if they somhow do just disconect the vpn and ur fine.
@@AppleNinja Is this a viable option for a programmer who has an m2air base model(I sold my m1max) to get a Mac Studio?
So whenever I'm on the go, Uni, train, coffeeshop...name it I just connect to my Mac Studio and do my work while having insane battery life. OR its not really enjoyable because of the latency?
@@PKperformanceEU this is the same question I have.
But without the apparent high security risk..
Of course there's going to be pros and cons to these things.. wouldn't want just anyone to be able to log into the router and have access to everything.
This would work, yes, but it’s not necessarily safe considering you’re opening a port in the router.
So wat would be an alternative that accomplishes the same thing without as high of a security risk?
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. No steps missed.
Thanks Randall!
Thank you, brother. I purchased an iMac M3 and a Macbook Pro M3. Will everything you teach in this video work in the newer generation?
Yep it will all work on the newer devices too. Dang you got and M3 iMac and MacBook Pro! That’s super sweet! Enjoy bud and have an amazing day. Cheers 🍻!
Really helpful, I was truly lost figuring out why it wasn't working from an external network.
Have an awesome weekend!
This is great for when you need to log in to us network with out your vpn
GG bro, really helpful, now i can use my work mac studio from home
Awesome! I bet that Mac Studio is nice to work on. Have an awesome day bud!
Saved me some time. I thank you very much for doing this. I will subscribe.
Thanks buddy! Happy Friday!
I didn't know that Macs need specific ports, thank you!
this is awesome, I didn't know this was a thing in MAc. Great video
Thanks for the feedback! Have an awesome day, cheers!
Instead of opening your ports, you should just set up a VPN. It’s much more secure to tunnel into your homes network. And it’s easy if you have a raspberry pi or a pi knock off.
Totally agree!
This is super helpful! Thank you so much! Out of curiosity, how did you determine that 5900 was the right number to utilize?
Here is the link to all the ports with descriptions.
support.apple.com/en-us/HT202944
Have an amazing day!
Hi there, very helpful, any ideas how to initiate the screen sharing from an iPAD? I noticed there is no screen sharing app on iOS?
RealVNC Viewer will work for iPad and iPhone. It’s what I use to remote into my Mac’s from my iPhone or iPad. As long as your iPad has iPadOS 14 or later you are good to go. The free version works great too!
Cheers!
Hello. Great video tutorial. May I ask please what is and/or why would the ARD Reporting Feature
3283 TCP/UDP eventually be needed?
same question here
Thanks! works great and easy to follow your steps 👍🏻
Thanks buddy! Have an amazing day!
Thanks, but the screens are not very sharp to see on my iMac or MBA. Perhaps you can get a live feed for your next video. Did get most of it, thanks again for doing the video!
Yeah I bought an adapter to catch the screens in better resolution which should help especially on reboots and recovery partition captures. Thanks for the feedback! Have a great day!
wow thanks for all the tips you have given while doing this tutorial! subs!
Have an amazing day Abudzar!
you are da f'in man!!! almost gave up. glad i saw your video
Thanks you Ron! Have an awesome week buddy!
Thank you so much from Italy!!! It works!!!
Cheers my Italy friend, glad it worked for ya! Have an awesome day!
hi this works really well thanks for making the video. I am however having a little problem, every day my main Mac disappears from network on the side bar menu and I have to restart my main Mac for it to show back up in network so I can control it again from my Macbook air... I would be grateful for any suggestions, it otherwise works great apart from me having to restart ever day.
Wow this is awesome , thank you soo much ❤ 😊 💜 , love ur video
Thank you and hope you have an amazing day!
Thank you very helpful! Is there a way to wake on Lan the Mac from external ip.
is this better than just using something like Parsec or Team viewer? But looks like with this method you can transfer files between the computers?
Thanks a million man great videos great ideas. one question, the internal and external IPs will not be changed at all ?
They both can change. The external IP will change based on when your ISP renews IP’s and the Mac internal IP can change as well, but if the Mac stays on it should stay the same. If the Mac disconnects from network a device can take that IP so there is no guarantee it will get the same one as it just uses DHCP. You could write a script and LaunchDaemon solution to monitor it and if they change it emails you the new IP’s.
@@AppleNinja thanks 👍🏼
Apple Ninja - question. I have a Google Nest WiFi system that's connected to my router. I added Port Forwarding 5900->5900 in Google. However, when trying to connect to my Mac I got this error: Unable to communicate with “XX.XXX.XXX.XX”. Make sure the remote computer is available and the firewall is not blocking screen sharing.
Any idea what the issue may be? I disabled FireVault and Firewall as well...
Same message. I followed this video to a T and get the same message. Please help us!
I was able to do the screen sharing, but I can't hear the audio from the other Mac which I'm trying to control remotely, any idea how to address this ?
Unfortunately it does not work with this method. The only way I am aware of is to use the Apple ID in the Screen Sharing when attempting to connect. The Apple ID must be signed into on the remote Mac and you will have to accept the connect on the remote Mac. I have not tried a remote connection with username and password to accept the Apple ID screen sharing session. That might work!
Is there any way to power on or wake a computer that you are trying to remote into from another external network?
Very helpful. Thanks a ton.
Have a great day!
Is Apple remote faster than classic screen share? Because that is really laggy.
Can this be done w mac with a ipad? For say fcp?from miles away out of town?Thank You
This video will show you how to set that up, but you will use the port forwarding portion of this video.
Control Mac With iPhone Remote Mac Desktop
ua-cam.com/video/nlEFPapIj_s/v-deo.html
Hey , great video
I plan on leaving my laptop at work and screen sharing it at home with a desktop?
Will this work if my laptop is off at work
Or do both need to be on ?
Hey Anthony both Mac’s need to be powered on and reachable. Back in the day Apple had that ability for it’s servers but not for regular Macs. Have an awesome weekend bud.
Thank you so much for sharing this video
Glad you liked it Ray! Have an awesome weekend!
Thanks, this works great but the audio is really choppy when I bring up something with sound. Is there any way to fix that?
Hi. Thanks for this. May I ask what happens if the IP of the Mac I am trying to connect has changed. Because the router was reset which means I do not have a static IP. And if that mac is at home should I make a note of the IP adress everytime I leave the house?
Sick ! Thank dude!
Can I do this with my iPad? I have an old version of Mac so screen mirroring doesn’t work for me. Looking for a workaround.
Thanks, how can I change desks ?
Thank you very well explained
Thanks Rupinder Singh, glad you liked it. Take care!
Would recommend if you have the netgear nighthawk r6700v3 router to flash freshtomato firmware on it.
great info, thanks
I have a Mac with os Monterey. Do you perhaps know how I could achieve screen sharing from my Mac to an iPad 4?
when you do screen share, mac on the right, will people know that you're sharing screen? For example, me screen share to B(left mac), then i zoom share screen to C. Will C know i'm screen sharing with B?
You don´t need to use the default port to connect in, you can use a random port like 2023 and from there route to 5900 in your network and in your vnc client you can put this info, this is just a little bit more secure than keep the default 5900 port.
If your router has a IDS you can enable port scan detection.
Apple Ninja i need your help, for some reason when i try to connect to my Imac, the user name and password is not accepted even on my local network. but if I put my email address instead of my IP address it connects with the permission from my imac. How do I fix this please?
Thank you for the tutorial....
Quick question, which computer's user name and password are you supposed to type in?
Thanks in advance for the response!
You want to use the username and password of the Mac you are trying to remote into. Hope this helps. Have an amazing day!!
You are the man! Thanks
Thanks bud, glad you liked it! Have an awesome day!
Beautiful!
Can you execute terminal commands on the desktop you are remotely controlling? ty
Great video man!! in case my IP address changes overtime? a think I would need some tool to send me the new ip also?
Hey Alexander,
Not sure there is a tool to do that. What could possibly be done is a script that runs a daily check on the IP and sends you an email when it changes.
How it would work:
LaunchDaemon to run the script daily
Script to check the IP against stored IP in file and if different sends you an email and updates the stored IP file.
Interesting.
@@AppleNinja Thank you!! Looting for some help to make this script now!! Keep it up!! Wonderful job!!
Dors This trick Work on all macs ? And would I be able to run a CAO software that way ?
why did you have to add a 2nd port also arent there any security related risks to this?
Hello,
Why is my connection failing when trying to access from different network after setting up the port forwarding?
where can I get the IP address on the latest OS? can't see it in the screen share settings anymore
In the Settings app you can click on Wi-Fi (if connected to WiFi) or click network to see which connection is active. You can also hold down the Option Key and click on the WiFi icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen to see more info about the WiFi connection. In the Sharing pane if you click on the little i next to Remote Management you can see it in there as well.
Hope this helps! Cheers!
Big like , thanks
Thanks @GabiVegas-dj! Have a great night bud, Cheers!
Most importantly - is that a long beard getting in the view from time to time?
That’s the best comment yet! 🤟🏻😁. Super long now and almost to the waistline!
Cheers bud!
is it possible to establish the remote access with my iPad to Mac aswell?
Hi. Is possible to access to Mac when it is in sleep mode?
This seems like a great solution for me in that I want to access my group of networked computers on my LAN when traveling with my laptop. I could screen share into the lead computer in my office LAN, and then screen share from the lead to the others within the LAN. i.e, just port forward to one of the computers in my LAN. I noticed many comments are concerned about the lack of security with this approach; a novice user here, and I apologize if my question is really naive, but with Mac screen sharing you can limit access to a specific user, and that user would then need to enter their password to connect. If you use a secure password, is the vulnerability really that significant, especially if you are just a regular Joe and not a bank or something that would be a target for hackers?
BTW, Apple used to have BackToMyMac that worked seamlessly for this. I don't understand why they no longer support it...Anyone know?
The entire session for screen sharing is encrypted and as long as you use the username and password of the account and do not enable VNC in the extra options of screen sharing then you should be ok.
These are the risks associated with port forwarding.
Port forwarding on a router can expose a computer on your network to several security risks, such as:
Remote access: By forwarding a port to a computer on your network, you are essentially opening a door for someone to remotely access that computer. This can potentially allow an attacker to gain control of the computer or steal sensitive information stored on it.
Increased attack surface: Opening a port also increases the attack surface of your network. Attackers can use automated tools to scan for open ports and then attempt to exploit any vulnerabilities on the computer to which the port is forwarded.
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: An attacker can use a flood of traffic directed at the forwarded port to overload and crash the computer, making it unavailable to legitimate users.
Unauthorized access to services: Port forwarding can also expose services running on the computer to unauthorized access. For example, if you forward a port to a web server, an attacker can potentially access the server and compromise any data stored on it.
It's important to be aware of these risks when setting up port forwarding and to take steps to secure the computer to which the port is forwarded. This may include installing a firewall, keeping software up-to-date, and disabling unnecessary services.
You could protect yourself further by securing the account/Mac you are port forwarding to by not allowing it to access anything other than screen sharing and never save any passwords in Keychain.
Hope this helps Harry. Have an awesome weekend!
Apple moved away from BackToMac for other solutions as described in this article here:
support.apple.com/en-us/HT208922
Also note in the Screen Sharing app you can use the Apple ID that a Mac is signed into iCloud with anywhere and it will prompt the mac and ask to allow control. This also allows for audio from the screen and mic through the session. So if you want to help a relative in another part of the world you can just use their Apple ID and it will ask them on the screen to grant you remote access. Which you can then talk to them through the mics of the Mac’s themselves.
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much, Ninja! Very much appreciated; this should work for me.
@@AppleNinja I (Brazil) always help my mother (UK). She shares internet so I don't have acesss to the modem. Was using teamviewer but the performance is really bad. I also never bought ARD because it seems like it doesn't work without the port forwarding (also too dangerous because of sensitive information). This Icloud thing seems like the perfect solution if it allows remote control like mouse and keyboard without port forwarding. Because just screen sharing takes a lot of time for this with old people for things we take as granted like closing a windows when you need to explain every single time how to do it. Going to have a look into it. I don't know much about networking but teviewer does through nat address something without the need for por forwarding but as I said very poor performance.
Hi. Im tryimg to zoho assist remote session connect from window 11 to mac os. Please help.
i use the chrome remote desktop ipad app to remote into my 2009 imac with my ipad. how can i do the same to remote into a 2012 mac mini?
Great video, thanks for the great tips!!!
Happy to help Elliot! Have an awesome day buddy.
Awesome video, thanks so much! Worked like a charm remotely. Should I be concerned with security? I have passwords needed to unlock computer in order to gain access.
Hey Anthony thanks for the feedback. Anytime you enable remote access you are opening yourself up to attacks on the host system. Thankfully Screen Sharing is more secure than traditional VNC connections, so I do not believe the Username/Password can be compromised during transition. Make sure the Mac you are going to remote into has a strong password. Cheers bud, have an awesome day!
@@AppleNinja Thanks, buddy! Have a great day as well.
Thank you Anthony!
@@AppleNinja this port forwarding of port 3283+5900 is only somewhat secure, the Apple ARD Admin guide states:
“With Remote Desktop 3, keystrokes and mouse events are encrypted when you control Mac OS X client computers.
(…) Control and Observe screen data, and files copied via Copy Items and Install Packages are NOT encrypted !”
(Statement from the PDF slightly changed by me for clarity, the original uses a weird double negative statement)
Someone capturing your internet traffic (the ISP or a state sniffing on you) is likely not able to get your password or takeover your established session, but they can WATCH the entire screen content sent to you. Also of course if a security flaw in the authentication of this system is ever discovered your machine can be taken over quickly.
If you do not have state sponsored enemies, you will probably be fine, but it is certainly not good security practice to have this open on the internet instead of only available inside a VPN connection.
@@AppleNinja Hi again, any idea how I can add another computer to this port for sharing? It's not allowing me to use the 5900 again. It's saying "The rule is duplicate".
This is a great feature, but it has a time limit for me. Screen sharing won't go further than 30 min. Is this the same for you? do you have any idea how to get rid of the time limit?
If you have a time limit set to sleep either of the Mac’s it could be losing the connection. Try preventing the Mac’s from sleeping to see if that helps.
Can we receive the sound of music on another computer remotely from mac osx, please?
So the device you are accessing has to be on a static address? - i never looked before but doesn’t the address change every time it powers up? Oh and one more thing - the one you are accessing remotely would also have to be logged on? Or can I just have it on? As in on but no it logged into ( I would be trying to access my Mac mini from a remote location but not have it logged on (signed on) - this so no one can walk up to it and use or access if I am not there.
There is a way to remote and share the screen by using Messages. In my case a technical used this option one time just asking me the iCloud account associate to my computer, and that's all, he can control my computer from another part of the world. But when I try to do the same with a friend of mine, the option is not appear available for me, I can not understand why.
hello i can have Audio from the other computer with this App?
hey AppleNinja , Great Video BTW , Enjoyed watching , HOWEVER , I am unable to connect to my local mac mini remotely on another wifi , I followed all the steps as mentioned above , I entered the public ip Address on the screen sharing app but its unable to connect, Please help
Hey Mr cardinal did you make sure to setup the port forwarding on the router? That is required for the communication externally to reach the mac on your internal network.
Apple Ninja, quick question, hope you still find this a year later, lol, does the forwarding rule go on the HOST router? Or on the REMOTE router?
Hey Matthew! It needs to go on the router for the network that the Mac you want to remote into is connected to. Hope this helps bud. Have an awesome day!
Great video!, thanks but have a question, it is necessary a static public IP address right?
When your router receives a non-static DHCP assigned IP address from your ISP there is a pre-defined time limit built into the assignment, this time limit is called a DHCP Lease. The typical lease time for ISP's in the United States is roughly 7 days.
Does this work if the remote compute is in sleep mode?
we can do this with samba file sharing?? thanks before!
I am new to Mac ... I got a Mac mini 2020 M1 and I also have a used 2015 Early MacBook Air. I want to take the mini to a friends house and use the USB microphone to record live music... I don't want to pack my large monitor/display but have no problem if I need to bring my keyboard and mouse. What I am looking for is to be able to boot up the mini and control it from the Air, ... I will want to click the audio app and record and set levels etc. ... Is there a way to do this using remote something or other... I am thinking I can learn to do key stroke remembering and have it launch from booting up.. without a monitor connected to the mini.
I am needing guidance by Monday basically... the 26th... thanks ... just asking.
Does this work with an iPad trying to control a Mac mini?
Hey Rob it does bud.
Hey its working great , while I am using Mac it suddenly and it automatically turn screen saver on and lock my screen . I am unable to unlock it , so I have to force restart the Mac . Can you fix this ?
Hello, can you have multiple screens being shared on one computer?
Yes you can.
my network is slow and I want to do same thing with data cable between macs, is it possible?
@AppleNinja how did you know its 5900 port?
Here is Apple’s list of ports used:
support.apple.com/en-us/HT202944
Hello... This is a great video and I have set it up as you specified and it worked as a charm for the past two months without an issue. However, my modem's external ipadress changed and ever since, I cannot use the ScreenSharing utility remotely anymore. Complaining about computer is not reachable or is behind a firewall. It never complained about any of these issues when I configured it two months ago. I called the Internet provider for assistance but they have no clue what I am talking about. They say they do not support any port forwarding but yet they allow you to configure the modem. Anyway... I was wondering if you have any ideas how to make this work again. This is an essential feature for me. Thanks for your help.
If your external IP address changes, you need to use the new external IP address. This is not rocket science.
@@geraldh.8047 duh....well... I did change the ip address
Use DDNS
Does the connection timeout?
You do not want to open ports, that lead directly to your client. Instead, set up a VPN server to get your outside device in your network. Much safer.
A VPN is definitely the best way!
Hi there Apple Ninja! Many thanks for this video! It's been incredibly helpful to me. Do you have any advice on how to do this via Google Wifi? It seems possible to set up port forwarding on both your main router as well as on the Google Wifi unit. I tried setting it up on the Google Wifi router first, but that didn't work. I then tried setting up port forwarding on both the Google Wifi router as well as on my 'parent' router (a Virgin Media Hitron Chita router) - but that didn't work either?! I've got a static IP so that shouldn't be where the problem lays. Any advice on how to go about this? Hope you can help and many thanks!
Just following up on this with the hope that you can help @AppleNinja? Sorry, but I've reached a dead end and would love to make it work if it's at all possible. Thanks!
Hi there @AppleNinja - just pinging you one last time before I give up. Any chance you might be able to help with some advice here? I'd really appreciate your help!
@@jonasskafte did you ever figure this out?!
Hi there @@koriv6329 -I'm afraid I did not and I gave up in the end 😞 So please do let me know if you have any luck in finding a solution!
Hey Jonas sorry for not seeing this bud. It just popped up because Kori replied to you and you responded. Sorry guys. I do not have a Google WiFi so I just asked ChatGPT and here is what it said to do. Please let me know if this helps.
To set up port forwarding on Google Wifi, follow these steps:
Connect to your Google Wifi network: Use your smartphone or computer to connect to your Google Wifi network.
Open the Google Wifi app: Launch the Google Wifi app on your smartphone or visit the Google Wifi website on your computer.
Access the settings: Tap on the "Settings" tab located at the bottom of the app or website.
Select the device: Choose the device you want to set up port forwarding for from the list of connected devices. If the device isn't listed, ensure it is connected to your Google Wifi network.
Access the device details: Tap on the device name or click on the device's icon to access its details.
Open Advanced settings: Scroll down to the bottom of the device details page and tap on the "Advanced networking" option.
Configure port forwarding: Locate the "Port management" section and tap on "Port forwarding."
Add a new port forwarding rule: To add a new port forwarding rule, tap on the "+" or "Add" button.
Enter the port information: Provide the necessary information for the port forwarding rule, including the protocol (TCP, UDP, or both), the external port range (the port(s) you want to open externally), and the internal port number (the port on the device you want the traffic to be forwarded to).
Save the settings: Tap on "Save" or "Apply" to save the port forwarding rule.
Repeat for additional ports or devices: If you need to set up port forwarding for additional ports or devices, repeat steps 8 to 10.
Test the port forwarding: After saving the settings, you can test the port forwarding by accessing the device externally using the specified port. You can use online port checking tools to verify if the port is open and accessible.
Note: It's important to ensure that you configure port forwarding with caution and only for the ports and devices you trust, as it can expose your network and devices to potential security risks.
Keep in mind that the user interface and options may slightly vary depending on the version of the Google Wifi app or website you are using.
I have had much trouble with port forwarding. You did not explain how you got the numbers 5900 and 3283, so now I’m still having trouble
Those ports are the standard Apple Ports for Screen Sharing on Mac.
@@AppleNinja so for my time Mac, I go to the modem website and port forward the same numbers?
Yep. Those numbers are the same for everyone. Have a great weekend Amanda!
Do I have to put both 5900 and 3283 or just one?
If you are going to use the Screen Sharing app only, then 5900 is the only one needed. If you plan to use Apple Remote Desktop then you will want both for full functionality.
I'm using an AT&T Router and I am having so many problems!
You can control a screen off network by just typing in the apple id of Mac you wish to control. This is a much better way of doing it than opening up ports and using IP addresses IMO.
Hey John the only problem with using the Apple ID is I have not found a way to do it without accepting the connection on the device you are remoting into. Are you aware of allowing the connection automatically, because I have not found a way. If there is a way that is a great option as long as all the Macs are signed into iCloud with Apple ID.
@@AppleNinja Ah I see what you're saying. No I have not found a way around that. It is useful for what I am doing but there is always someone on the other computer who can accept my request to connect.
Yeah I might have to put in a feature request to apple to have the ability to approve Apple ID’s automatically. It would be a way better solution than to port forward and open ports.
how do you know the port number to use to hit your router? Networking newb here
5900 is the screen sharing port and 3283 is for reporting information if using Apple Remote Desktop. If you are worried about security you can use a VPN, which will be more secure than port forwarding.
Thanks, @@AppleNinja !
Ok but HOW TO DO THIS EXACT THING WITH AN IPHONE FROM OUTSIDE THE NETWORK…so use my iPhone to view access control my MacBook Pro which is at home, WITHOUT ARD? And ideally for free:)?
is it possible to share 2 displays via remote desktop?
I’ve done everything exactly as the video says. The only difference is Xfinity has a very simplified version of port forwarding that must be done. Does anyone know why this wouldn’t work? Trying to connect from an iMac at work to an iMac at home both on Xfinity.
When you try while on the same network is it working with the internal IP address? This would confirm it works on network and point to the port forwarding config on the router as a place to look at.
So on server side network need to port the 5900 and 3283, with the Local IP Address &
Start/End Port being the vnc address on the "Sharing Settings" of the server side?
and then on the client side simple GO: to the vnc address provided and should be prompted...
I have done the above but cannot connect? Also why did we get the IP address from the client side? it was never used? Thanks!
Ahh ok so I see the external IP address is what you use on the client side to remote into server side after port forwarding is set up.....getting connection failed on client side even after port forwarding?
How do i smb to the mac from another network? Mine simply go to my NAS on the same network...
I think I understand what you are trying to do. Please correct me if I am off base.
SMB is file sharing so if you want to connect to an SMB Share hosted from a Mac on a different network. You would need to setup the SMB Share on that remote Mac with the steps below.
Turn on SMB file sharing
1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Sharing on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
2. Turn on File Sharing, then click the Info button on the right.
3. Click Options, then turn on “Share files and folders using SMB”.
4. If you’re sharing files with Windows computers, select the On tickbox for each user that needs to share files with a Windows computer, then enter the password for that user’s account.
5. Click Done.
You would also need to follow the port forwarding section of this video but you need to use the SMB port 139.
I hope this helps!
Here is the SMB Apple Article: support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/mac-help/mh14107/mac
When I'm setting up port forwarding. Is this to be done on the router of the iMac that I'm screening into or is it done on the router of the iMac that is doing the screen share request from? Thanks for your assistance!
Anyone?????
@@rich2785 should be done from the server side, not the client (a.k.a. from the mac whose screen to be shared)
@@ozgunozerk334 Thank you so so much. This explains allot! I was doing it on the client side.
The port forwarding is done on your internet router where the iMac you are screen sharing into resides. Good luck and let us know if you get it working.
@@AppleNinja Thanks! I will definitely get back to you all. I appreciate the help!