[johntravers]

can i use screen sharing across internet. Im running 10.5.5 and my friend has a mac using 10.5.5 across the atlantic. They are a little bit mac illiterate and keep messing up on sending me files and really confuse me when trying to explain how.

Can i use screen sharing to access their computer across the internet?

Ive never used it, and i saw some oblique reference to ssh, has anyone got an idiots guide to it. More especially on their side it needs to be complete idiot proof.


thanks in advance

[Janichsan]

johntravers, on November 25th 2008, 09:10 PM, said:

Can i use screen sharing to access their computer across the internet?

Yes You Can!®

Sorry, I could not resist...


There's no mystery about screen sharing. The most simple way is via iChat: choose your friend in iChat then select "Ask to Share Remote Screen" in the "Buddy" menu – or let your friend select "Share my Screen" in the same menu.

Second method requires your friend to activate Screen Sharing in the System Preferences under "Sharing". Then you can connect to your friends computer with the adress that is shown in the same preference panel (something like "vnc://some.IP.adress".)

[johntravers]

Janichsan, on November 25th 2008, 08:48 PM, said:

Yes You Can!®

Sorry, I could not resist...
There's no mystery about screen sharing. The most simple way is via iChat: choose your friend in iChat then select "Ask to Share Remote Screen" in the "Buddy" menu – or let your friend select "Share my Screen" in the same menu.

Second method requires your friend to active Screen Sharing in the System Preferences under "Sharing". Then you can connect to your friends computer with the adress that is shown in the same preference panel (something like "vnc://some.IP.adress".)

excellent, ill try it thanks

[teflon]

sharing the screen through iChat should also enable a voice chat at the same time, which is nifty cos it means you can be explaining what youre doing while youre doing it.
Also, beware that things are still going to be at least a bit laggy, if not a horrible lag filled mess.

good luck!

[johntravers]

im just emailing instructions to them but ive had a look myself and the address it gives under sharing is an internal ip address ie mine is showing 10.0.1.4.

How would i access across the internet?

[PeopleLikeFrank]

The 'summary' section of the Airport utility will show you the external IP of your router. There are also about a zillion websites out there which will tell you as well.

[Janichsan]

johntravers, on November 28th 2008, 05:04 PM, said:

im just emailing instructions to them but ive had a look myself and the address it gives under sharing is an internal ip address ie mine is showing 10.0.1.4.

How would i access across the internet?

Ah, okay, that of course depends on how you set up your network. When the computer is not connected directly to the internet but through a router, this can happen. But don't despair: you can either look-up your external IP either in the router's config menu or by special web sites like this one.

Or use iChat. As I said, that's really the easiest solution.

[teflon]

iChat is by far the simplest, as it means that you dont have to relay instructions for them to set up their mac to accept screen sharing via email.

[johntravers]

for anyone who hasnt tried it, screen sharing is bizarrely really cool, taking control of their computer. I was chatting via msn to talk them through it and noticed that i kept typing on their msn rather than mine coz it was easier...



for copying files its a pain though, is it possible to set up file sharing so i can access their computer. As far as i could see with screen sharing, i had to use their amsn to send me a file, i thought maybe i could drag and drop a la virtual pc sorta, but you cant.

would they need to be there with file sharing or could they just set me up to have access?

[teflon]

so you went through the screen sharing app? and not iChat?
glad you got that working, but as everyone here has been screaming iChat is easier and has voice chat at the same time.
On the other side of things, if you just want the screen sharing, you could give jollyfastVNC a quick try, as its reportedly quite a bit faster than the built in client.

for file sharing, they could set up Back to my Mac, or a clone there-of, which, I believe, allows you to access not only screen sharing but also access just the files.
Really, trying to do file transfers and screen sharing is just asking for a steaming laggy dog mess of an experience, which is why its not usually a feature. Really it would be better set up an FTP on their end (head into System Preferences>Sharing>File Sharing>Options or use a dedicated app so its easier to turn on and off on their end for security) and for you to drag and drop/copy various files into a dedicated folder (the Public folder is perfect for this) for you to access once a chat or screen sharing is done.
That gives you several advantages, speed, bandwidth, convenience (they can email you and let you know a file is there for you to nab and then just leave the computer on for you or give you a time that theyll leave it on for you or something), neatness, and its easy for them to learn (copy whatever files into this folder, simple).

[johntravers]

i know its not the best of solutions but i dont think my mates are up to anything complicated.

Why would screen sharing work and file sharing doesnt, on the same machines?

Talked mate through turning on screen sharing, which gave an address which i typed into goto server and it connected immediately.

Told them to click the tick box for file sharing and add the same user name and password with the documents folder selected, giving an address which i typed in and it says error, something about the address not being available or something.


thanks again

[teflon]

screen sharing and file sharing will be using different ports, you may need to open up these ports in the firewall (which they should have turned on BTW)
also, did you have them check the box which says enable FTP in the options section of File Sharing?