Filed under: Software, Internet Tools
ShareTool offers a Back to my Mac alternative
Back to my Mac is one of the much-touted features that .Mac subscribers gained with Leopard. Basically, it lets you enjoy screen sharing between two appropriately configured Macs. The main drawback for many is the required .Mac subscription.If that's you, check out ShareTool. This $20US utility lets users access all of the Bonjour services on their home network, like iTunes music sharing, screen sharing and file sharing from anywhere.
It requires routers that support NAT-PMP or UPnP and Mac OS 10.3.9 (that's right, Leopard is not required). The folks at Bains Software claim that everything is properly encrypted, but we haven't tested this. You can try it out for 15 minutes for free.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark said 3:10PM on 2-08-2008
VNC is just fine for me, thanks.
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Marcos said 4:27PM on 2-08-2008
Yeah, you're comparing apples to oranges.
The thing about Back to my Mac is that you can access your computer remotely without the need of knowing its IP address or without needing to install and configure a dynamic DNS service yourself.
VNC is a remote desktop solution, which by the way is built into Leopard and you can use through Back To My Mac.
(Almost) all .Mac offers can be replicated in some other way. The nice thing about .Mac, including Back To My Mac is that it's all very easy to use, very well integrated with your OS and requires very little or no configuration.
ser91e said 3:16PM on 2-08-2008
I prefer to use logmein.com It's multiplatform, free and does it's job perfectly.
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R2B2 said 4:09PM on 2-08-2008
Same here, I've tried a lot of different remote access apps in the past including Timbuktu, Apple Remote Access + a dynamic domain name, VNC + Hamachi, but none have been as pleasant to setup and use as logmein. I do miss file transfer abilities in the free version though.
QuakerProf said 4:38PM on 2-08-2008
Me, three. I have used LogMeIn.com for two years, first between PCs (gasp!), and now with a mixed group (my Mac, my wife and mother's PCs). It's reliable, free, and when I go to full-screen mode, I often forget that I'm not looking at my actual Mac and try to print something. No software needed on the computer doing the remote accessing, just on the computer being accessed.
xxdesmus said 3:55PM on 2-10-2008
Another vote for Logmein.com
I've been using it for 2.5 years now, and I wouldn't consider switching to anything else. Sure I could use the file transfer on occasion, but you can beat Logmein's free price. It's fast, it's secure, it's free, and it's an absolute breeze to setup.
Marcos said 3:57PM on 2-08-2008
I got Back To My Mac finally working for the first time the other day between my MacBook (at work) and my Mac mini (at home).
I remember I could see my printer at home through Bonjour but I believe that my remote iTunes Library was not available.
Has anyone gotten the remote iTunes streaming working through Back To My Mac (in remote subnets, of course)?
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Nick said 4:40PM on 2-08-2008
Don't forget about logmein:
http://www.logmein.com
I use it to help my mom with her computer issues.
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Rob said 5:02PM on 2-08-2008
Hmm.. Does not sound like a very secure solution. You must use uPNP and Bonjour which lower your security significantly.
uPNP is very INSECURE. It lets any program (such as a trojan you downloaded off the internet) to open up ports on your router WITHOUT your knowledge. Not a good idea. IMHO, Everyone should turn OFF uPNP on their routers.
Secondly, Bonjour is a hackers dream since it does NOT require any sort of authentication for its use It lets anyone easily discover all the devices, Macs etc on your LAN including software version numbers etc. That is the first thing a hacker wants to know. What hardware and software you are running.
There is always a tradeoff between security and convenience. uPNP and Bonjour are very convenient (especially for those who are newbies to computers) but that convenience comes with a price -- much lower security.
Since Mac to my mac and Sharetool require uPNP and Bonjour, I would never use EITHER product.
It is best to stick with a secure VPN solution (typically via a SSH tunnel) or Apple's ARD. To easily find the remote computer on the internet, use a free service like dyndns.org.
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Jacques Lema said 5:54PM on 2-08-2008
For file sharing:
Enable the builtin FTP server (or the SSH server for SFTP)
To control remotely your mac running Leopard:
a) install a no-ip.client from no-ip.org (or others dynamic DNS services) and configure it
b) from the Finder menu > Connect and enter:
vnc://thenameyouregistered.no-ip.org
That's it. Free and (rather) easy.
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Rees Maxwell said 7:07PM on 2-08-2008
One more option, which isn't as robust but is free: YuuGuu.com. Works on PC and Mac.
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robogobo said 9:05PM on 2-08-2008
How do we know we can trust these guys? I mean, we're opening our selves up to random joe who says he's safe and secure, but who are they?
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Yakuzah said 12:46PM on 2-09-2008
I think this entry was presuming that Back to My Mac actually works, which for the majority of people I know it does not!
So this software looks very interesting, as Apple still have not managed to get BTMM working correctly
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igor said 12:46AM on 2-13-2008
www.livelook.net - share screen without installing anything on your PC/MAc
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