VNC server/client

[Farabomb]

I went looking here and found a few things but it's not playing nice. I'm probably doing something wrong.

I use RealVNC to connect to my NT box that controls the platemaker. Now It seems I am the lord of the new computerized timeclock fingerprint reader thingy. It needs to be hooked to a computer but it sure doesn't need a keyboard and mouse. I've read about the VPN service built in to OSX but I can't get it to connect to either the NT box or the timeclock box. 

I'm going to keep trying but if anyone has any hints it would be much appreciated.

[Joe]

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to remotely control a Windows PC from the Mac. There is nothing better and it's free. The built in Mac VNC only does Mac to Mac I think.

[Ear]

I use Jump Desktop. It's on the iPhone and iPad... can control my entire prepress kingdom from the couch at home.

[Farabomb]

I'm trying RDC for mac but it keeps complaining about network issues and not allowing me to connect.

[Joe]

I'm trying RDC for mac but it keeps complaining about network issues and not allowing me to connect.

Are you on the same network or are you trying to connect from outside of the network?

[Farabomb]

Same network, same DNS.

Trying to connect to the NT box gives the same results but I don't think NT has remote desktop.

[Joe]

What version of NT? Windows 2000 and up has remote services but you have to enable Terminal Services for MS RDC to work.

[Farabomb]

NT 4 WS iirc. That one isn't all that important I was just trying it.

The one I need to connect to is XP pro sp3. Is there anything I need to enable? I've already told the firewall to accept remote desktop connections.

[Farabomb]

Helps when I'm not doing 100 things at once. Got it connected to the XP box now.

Is it possible to get it to work on NT?

[Joe]

Helps when I'm not doing 100 things at once. Got it connected to the XP box now.

Is it possible to get it to work on NT?

I dunno for sure. Way back when I remotely connected to an NT 4 WS box I used VNC. If it has terminal services and you enable it, MS RDC might work but NT 4 is the equivalent of Windows 95 so I'd day it is a long shot.

[Farabomb]

Looks like there is a remote desktop for NT but I'll only try it if I get bored. I have VNC running now and that works just fine.

I wouldn't mind being able to check on all my boxes from the Mac but it's not important.

[Nick Burns]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, I set up our "computerized timeclock fingerprint reader thingy" and it just runs cat 5 to the switch, the software can be loaded on any pc that also runs cat 5 to the same switch.

I'm trying RDC for mac but it keeps complaining about network issues and not allowing me to connect.

Are you on the same network or are you trying to connect from outside of the network?

RDC uses port 3389 tcp, path must be open through all firewalls whether internal or external, if external, must port map public ip to private ip. And as mentioned, must be NT 4 Terminal Services edition, in order to enable it on NT.

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to remotely control a Windows PC from the Mac. There is nothing better and it's free. The built in Mac VNC only does Mac to Mac I think.

RDC does rock the speed with it's compression and I like it, but for convenience in a multi platform environment, I like VNC. And no Joe, it does them all, I use built in OS X Screen Sharing app to connect to all platforms, all servers (Real, Tight, Vine, etc..).

Tip: in Safari, type in url of your target's ip address like this but don't go there yet ->   vnc://ta.rg.et.ip

Now drag this url to your desktop, you now have a vnc shortcut that will launch screen sharing and go to that machine, if you elect to save password it will save it in your os x keychain. I have a folder that contains folders with shortcuts to every machine of every company and department in our group so that I can drill down to any machine in seconds. Here's a screenshot from my powerbook that I use for work (not a typo, yes I said powerbook).

IMPORTANT: If you use Screen Sharing App, it took me hours and hours to find this...

[Ctrl] [Alt] [Del] = [Shift] [Control] [Alt] [Command] big [Del] on a Mac full size keyboard, the little [Del] key won't work!

I use Jump Desktop. It's on the iPhone and iPad... can control my entire prepress kingdom from the couch at home.

Haven't used that so I can't comment on it, I can say I use iTeleport which is one of the oldest and original clients to control my entire group of companies kingdom from the crapper and it absolutely rocks.

[Joe]

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to remotely control a Windows PC from the Mac. There is nothing better and it's free. The built in Mac VNC only does Mac to Mac I think.

RDC does rock the speed with it's compression and I like it, but for convenience in a multi platform environment, I like VNC. And no Joe, it does them all, I use built in OS X Screen Sharing app to connect to all platforms, all servers (Real, Tight, Vine, etc..).

Yes, if you have a VNC server installed on a Windows PC  you can connect to them. For just Mac to Mac with no 3rd party server installed it (built in VNC) works great. I was more talking just the NT with terminal services running and I don't think the built in OS X VNC can connect to it.

[Farabomb]

Well so far my combo of RDC and VPN looks like it will do what I need. I can remote in with logmein and be able to hit all the boxes I need from home.

I'm pretty sure I tried RDC at first when I needed to connect to the NT box. Either I didn't get it to work or it didn't allow me to get into it from a cold boot. That's how I ended up with realVNC on it.

The timeclock thingy is a lathem biometric print reader. I have seen the ones you talk about nick but this one needs a computer with a USB port in order to work. Ebay special and is no longer supported by the manufacturer but it should do what we need. Personally I see it being more of a problem than a normal timeclock. Seeing as I have had it running for less than a day and it had issue reading 2 employee's prints and totally shit the bed after I installed reader on that box. Hopefully it will sort itself. I don't think the added complexity of a computer and a fingerprint reader beats a old fashioned time clock but WTF do I know. The boss loves having neat technology but doesn't know how it works or how to use it.

[Joe]

Well so far my combo of RDC and VPN looks like it will do what I need. I can remote in with logmein and be able to hit all the boxes I need from home.

I'm pretty sure I tried RDC at first when I needed to connect to the NT box. Either I didn't get it to work or it didn't allow me to get into it from a cold boot. That's how I ended up with realVNC on it.

The timeclock thingy is a lathem biometric print reader. I have seen the ones you talk about nick but this one needs a computer with a USB port in order to work. Ebay special and is no longer supported by the manufacturer but it should do what we need. Personally I see it being more of a problem than a normal timeclock. Seeing as I have had it running for less than a day and it had issue reading 2 employee's prints and totally shit the bed after I installed reader on that box. Hopefully it will sort itself. I don't think the added complexity of a computer and a fingerprint reader beats a old fashioned time clock but WTF do I know. The boss loves having neat technology but doesn't know how it works or how to use it.

We tried one of those and eventually dumped it. It kept punching the wrong employees in and out (when it would read anything at all). What a mess that was. :laugh:

Right now we use a Lathem facial recognition time clock that just plugs into the network via ethernet cable. The server software is loaded on a Windows 2003 server and then we can run the client on up to 6 Windows computers (XP, Vista, WIN 7). Works much better than the fingerprint one.