# Port Forwarding



## ghyde (Dec 21, 2003)

I want to login to my Mac, through my router, from my PC at work (win NT). I've set up the router to forward port 139.  

To pull this off, will I need VNC (and how do I configure it) or any changes to System Preferences Sharing settings?


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## btoneill (Dec 22, 2003)

What do you mean by "login to my Mac". Are you talking about using ssh? Or, accessing file shares?

Brian


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## ghyde (Dec 22, 2003)

I want to get to my desktop and use it as if I were home.


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## bobw (Dec 22, 2003)

For free - OSXvnc server installed on your Mac at home, and a PC client at work.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/13327


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## btoneill (Dec 22, 2003)

Get the VNC server as bobw mentioned, turn off the port 139 forwarding, ASAP. Thats used by Microsoft networking, and could be a security issue if you have Samba running and have open access. If you are using a default install of VNC server, you want to forward ports 5800 and 5900 to the OS X box.

Brian


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## ghyde (Dec 22, 2003)

There we go..  Thanks.



			
				bobw said:
			
		

> For free - OSXvnc server installed on your Mac at home, and a PC client at work.
> 
> http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/13327


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## ghyde (Dec 22, 2003)

Okay, I turn off port forwarding in the router, then set up the vnc server to forward 5800 and 5900 and then I'll be able to get to my mac, through the router, from the NT at work by putting my wan ip in the address bar of a browser.

Do I have everything?


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## ghyde (Dec 22, 2003)

I just check OSXvnc and VNCthing and had no luck finding where to enter the port numbers.


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## bobw (Dec 23, 2003)

On OSXvnc Server, under the General Tab, you put the port in there. You don't need both ports. You can just use 5900, 5901, etc.

On the work machine, you need a VNC Client, not a browser. You wont have to enter the port number in that, only the IP of the home machine.

Windows Client/Server;
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/13327


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## btoneill (Dec 23, 2003)

ghyde said:
			
		

> Okay, I turn off port forwarding in the router, then set up the vnc server to forward 5800 and 5900 and then I'll be able to get to my mac, through the router, from the NT at work by putting my wan ip in the address bar of a browser.
> 
> Do I have everything?



You need to do the port forwaring on your router to your OS X box, not in the VNC application.

Brian


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## bobw (Dec 23, 2003)

To get to your Mac from work, the Server has to be installed on the Mac and the Client on your work machine.


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## ghyde (Dec 24, 2003)

Okay, this is confusing? I've done the vnc thing before.  But now I have a router in the equasion.  I'm hearing Yes to router and No to NNC, and I'm hearing Yes to VNC config and forget the router. I'm also hearing that changes need to be made in the Staring (network)? settings in system preferences. So which is it, boys?  My preference is VNC, so how would I configure that?


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## bobw (Dec 24, 2003)

Ok, describe your setup exactly.

 Mac at home - does this have a Router or Firewall?
 PC at work  -  behind a Router?

 If the Mac at home does NOT have a Router or Firewall, then install OSXvnc and open the Preferences. Put a Paswword in. This will be used by the work machine to connect. Go through the Preferences and set the way you want.

 On the work PC, install a VNC Client. Now you'll need the IP of the Mac at home to put in under Host.
 if you don't know the IP of the Mac, while on the Mac, open a browser and go to http://www.whatismyip.com

 Out the Mac's IP and the password you selected in the Client on the PC and click Connect. It will take a bit for the desktop to appear. It's pretty slow.


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## ghyde (Dec 24, 2003)

Great, this option is now clear.  How can I make the same thing happen going through a router at home (with or without a firewall, since it can be disabled). A firewall at work isn't a problem since others are getting into their home desktops all the time.

Also, I assume the password is entered in Accounts --> login, the same passwork used at login?

 PC at work  -  behind a Router?

And Thanks Very much!


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## bobw (Dec 24, 2003)

Just forward the port 5900 to the internal IP of the machine. You do this in the Router setup page. You should have a Forwarding page. If you're not sure, post the make and model Router you have.


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## ghyde (Dec 24, 2003)

I was told before to use port 139 sinc the machine at work is win NT. Will that still involve a login.  I don't lik ethe thought of being bare naked to the rest of the world



			
				bobw said:
			
		

> Just forward the port 5900 to the internal IP of the machine. You do this in the Router setup page. You should have a Forwarding page. If you're not sure, post the make and model Router you have.


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## PoEzra (Dec 24, 2003)

Well, I tried getting into my Mac at home, but when I enter my wan ip in the address bar, I get what I've always gotten: Can not find server.  I'm getting the feeling this is never meant to happed for me. When it was one cpe and one computer, getting in via vnc was a snap.

btw, it appeard macosx.com has had all kinds of melt downs over my orginal account. this is grhyde


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## bobw (Dec 25, 2003)

I use port 5900. I doubt that you would have to use port 139 specifically. Shouldn't matter what the machine at work is, since you're going out from that machine and not into it.

On the Mac at home, make sure the VNC is opened, and STARTED. You have to open the program, then click the START button and leave it that way.


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## PoEzra (Dec 25, 2003)

OK. I put port 5900 in the routers Port forwarding, And in the VNC server, right?  Do I need a VNC app in the other computer? Recommendations? 

Clarification: is Share My Desktop a VNC?  If so, is it a client?  

For that matter, as far as accessing my mac from elsewhere, what's the effect of running a client as opposed to a server on the Mac or on the PC?

Hope I'm not getting convoluted.


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## bobw (Dec 26, 2003)

Share My Desktop is the Server, like OSXvnc. To access a machine, that machine must be running the server. The machine you're accessing it from, runs the client.

Here's a PC client/server;

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/13327


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## PoEzra (Dec 26, 2003)

Thanks, Grumpy.  Do you have a preference between the Mac vnc servers?


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## bobw (Dec 26, 2003)

I use OSXvnc, works well for me.


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