Howdy:

I've been trying to find my brother's iMac using Remote Desktop 3.2.2 on an intel iMac (2007 aluminum) running OS X 10.5.5. He and I are both behind wireless routers. He's got the same machine, same RD version. I know his router's IP address. We both have File Sharing and Remote Management enabled in Sharing in System Preferences, and have enabled ARDAgent and RD firewall access in Security in System Prefs on our iMacs. I'm using Apple Airport Extreme Base Station and latest software. He's got a wireless router that he configures using a browser. We're both using DHCP dynamic addressing from our ISPs. I've tried adding him by using a scanner in RD, as well as by "Add by address".
Any ideas?
Thanks!

Gaz

You need the actual IP address of your brother's computer as it is seen on the internet. Since he is using DHCP that can and will change from session to session. Your brother can get his current IP address by going to WhatIsMyIP, pass that along to you and then you use that IP address to access his computer.

You might be able to get the ISP to give your brother a fixed IP address but if it is available at all it will almost certainly be at a very substantial premium.

I know his external and internal IP addresses. It hasn't helped. Is there a way to specify both?
Thanks!

Gaz

Isn't there a port forwarding issue to resolve here?

In order to access a computer behind a NAT firewall, you need to direct the specific port traffic that you want to allow through the firewall to your brother's computer by configuring his router to pass that traffic on that port to his local IP address behind the router.

My brother enabled Remote Login and Remote Management in Sharing. He has Remote Login (SSH) and Apple Remote Desktop showing in Firewall, and ARDAgent and ARD as apps accepting incoming connections. He opened UDP port 3283, and rebooted his router. I used "add by address" in RD, specifying his external (router's) IP address, with my user-name and password on his machine. RD found his computer in France, but showed it as offline, and failed to connect when I tried to observe it.
Next, we had him find me. I allowed all incoming connections in Firewall. He also used "add by address" in RD. He found my machine, but it also shows as offline, and failed to connect.
What next?
Thanks!

Gaz

Try forwarding the following three ports:

3283,5900,5988

Ok, I had my brother open the ports 3283,5900 & 5988 as UDP, and the last two as TCP as well.
My RD does find his router, but can't seem to find the computer (it still lists it as offline). We allowed all incoming connections in his firewall, and set his router's security to minimum.
No joy in mudville!
Anything else I might try?
Thanks!

Gaz

Has your brother assigned his computer a manual local IP address....many routers will not port forward to a DHCP assigned local address.

So here's the example:

If the router (192.168.1.1) is serving local IP addresses to other devices on the network in the range of 192.168.1.100 through 192.268.1.199, then manually configure the computer you want ports forwarded to so that it is in the correct sub-net, but not within the DHCP range of automatically assigned IP addresses --- 192.168.1.10 for instance, with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and gateway / router IP of 192.168.1.1 ---

Now when you configure port forwarding in the router, you have a permanent IP address (192.168.1.10) to send them to rather than one that can change on every power change.

Thanks for the follow-up. I'm travelling for the next few days, so will continue this when the chance arises.

Gaz