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Take Control of Back to My Mac
Gain secure remote access to all your Internet-connected Macs with Back to My Mac!
With the Back to My Mac feature of Mac OS X, you can connect securely from one of your Macs to another for file and screen sharing, making it possible to snag a forgotten document or control your Mac Pro from your MacBook while on a trip. Or at least that's the theory, since in practice, people have had huge trouble in getting Back to My Mac working. In this ebook from networking expert Glenn Fleishman, you'll find essential details on configuring common routers to work with Back to My Mac, learn about the security implications of Back to My Mac, and discover how to wake up a remote Mac. The ebook covers Back to My Mac in both Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Read this book to learn the answers to questions like:
What can I do with remote file sharing and screen sharing?
How do I configure a Linksys router for Back to My Mac?
What smoke and mirrors does Apple use to make Back to My Mac work?
Help! I'm double-NATted, and it's really bugging me! What should I do?
How do I erase all traces of my Back to My Mac info from a public computer?
How do I use Back to My Mac to access files on a drive attached to my AirPort Extreme base station or Time Capsule?
Book Info
95 pages
Version 1.2
Updated 04-Feb-10
1.6 MB download
ISBN: 1933671467
Free sample with Table of Contents, Introduction, Quick Start, and section starts.
About the Author
Glenn Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and two sons, both of whom are adept at accidentally pressing the Power button on his laptop.
He’s a contributing editor at TidBITS, responsible for much of their Web and publishing infrastructure; a columnist for the Seattle Times on all things Mac related; and a regular contributor to the Economist, Macworld, and Ars Technica. He appears regularly on his local public radio station, KUOW.
This book will help you master Back to My Mac, a feature introduced in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard that lets you remotely access files and remotely control the screens of multiple Macs that you manage or own. This book was written by Glenn Fleishman, edited by Tonya Engst and Dan Frakes, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc.
Introduction
If you thought this book title was interesting, then you probably own more than one computer, and your computers are likely located in different places—whether just down the hall or halfway around the world from each other.
I’m no mind reader, and you can easily determine how I predicted your computer ownership. It’s increasingly the case that when we’re on one computer, we find that we need files from or need control of another computer. Fortunately, starting with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Apple added a significant tool to our arsenal that can reach out over a local network or the Internet: Back to My Mac.
Back to My Mac uses a host of industry standards and Apple-developed protocols to create an intertwined web (as in a woven web, not the World Wide Web) of services. It uses these services to create a connection between Macs for the purposes of extending the power and convenience of a local Bonjour network to any other computers under your control—even if those computers are located across the Internet. This includes file sharing and screen control. The “key” to this connection, so to speak, is a shared MobileMe account.
Mac OS X uses MobileMe as a way to figure out where on the Internet computers are without requiring manual router configuration or know- ing fixed names or IP addresses for those devices. MobileMe “tunnels” can reach through home and office wireless and broadband gateways and past network obstructions.
Apple would like to say that one or two clicks turns on these services. However, as with any set of tools that relies on the Internet, there’s more beneath the surface.
In this book, I show you not only how to set up your network and your connected Macintoshes for the best results with Back to My Mac, but also how to troubleshoot problems, determine whether Back to My Mac can even work for you, and overcome stumbling blocks.
Back to My Mac Quick Start
This book shows you how to use Back to My Mac, including configuring your router, and it teaches you to troubleshoot problems that prevent the service from working reliably.
Learn background that will help you configure like a pro:
Read Why Use Back to My Mac? to get a better sense of how Back to My Mac addresses your needs.
Take a quick whirl through how Back to My Mac actually makes its way over the Internet or a local network for a connection, noting whether your networks are set up as Back to My Mac expects. See Learn How It All Works.
Learn networking terminology and concepts in Appendix A: Understand Network Terms.
Configure and use Back to My Mac:
Read Configure Your Router or Gateway to first see if you need to make any changes to allow remote access, and, if so, what settings to modify.
Enable remote file sharing and screen sharing with Back to My Mac. Consult Turn On Back to My Mac, Set Up File Sharing, and Set Up Screen Sharing.
Add Back to My Mac support to Apple base stations. See Access Base Station Hard Drives.
Learn how to connect to remote computers in Connect to a Back to My Mac System.
Help friends and relatives troubleshoot problems via Back to My Mac. See Overcome the Same MobileMe Account Limit .
Deal with Back to My Mac security issues:
Avoid security pitfalls that make Back to My Mac less safe. See Secure Back to My Mac.
Did you use Back to My Mac on a computer that’s not yours? Erase Back to My Mac’s Traces on that Mac.
Solve problems:
Diagnose and solve commons problems that prevent Back to My Mac from working. See MobileMe Preference Pane Troubleshooting Messages and Back to My Mac Stops Working or Doesn’t Work.
Figure out if your ISP is keeping Back to My Mac from making a connection. Refer to Double NAT.
Keep your computer from falling asleep and being unreachable remotely. See Sleep Causes Lack of Access.
What’s New in Version 1.2
This version contains updates for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (but still covers 10.5 Leopard), and it documents the addition of Back to My Mac support for drives inside or attached to Apple base stations:
Snow Leopard didn’t change how Back to My Mac works, but many cosmetic details in the interface are different. This version makes those changes clear.
Back to My Mac was added as a so-called MobileMe feature in the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule so you can Access Base Station Hard Drives.
In Snow Leopard, Apple added a new Wake on Demand feature, which—if you have the right hardware—makes it easy to wake up a sleeping Mac for remote access. See Enable Wake on Demand in Snow Leopard for details.
I’ve enhanced my discussion of how to Revoke Certificates via Me.com.
What Was New in Version 1.1
Here is a list of the most important changes:
The book now refers only to MobileMe, the service from Apple that replaced .Mac in July 2008.
I added brief information about revoking digital certificates.
Version 1.0 claimed you could make Back to My Mac work with manual port mapping or default host exposure. Unfortunately, despite some success in testing, I’ve been unable to make these techniques work consistently, and Apple doesn’t officially support anything but public IP addresses and automatic port mapping. I removed all references to these options.
Do I need a MobileMe account to set up Back to My Mac?
Yes.
Which versions of Mac OS X does this ebook cover?
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Does this ebook cover Back-to-My-Mac access to drives attached to an AirPort/Time Capsule base station? Or how to configure a base station via a remote Back-to-My-Mac connection?
Yes, we added that in version 1.2.
Note that although you can access remote USB-attached (or internal on the Time Capsule) drives via Back to My Mac, you can't make Time Machine backups to them using a Back-to-My-Mac connection. Also note that the Back-to-My-Mac option is only for 802.11n AirPort base stations, and that you can't attach a drive to the AirPort Express.
Can I connect with Back to My Mac to a network through an AirPort base station from before 2003?
Glenn suggests that you not try. Specifically, Glenn says, "If you have a pre-2003 AirPort Base Station, any of the two 802.11b gateways (with the alien ship design) that Apple produced from 1999 to 2002, your best bet is to upgrade. You won't get the performance or features you need from it, and you're using outdated security, to boot. A used 2003 AirPort Extreme Base Station with the latest firmware—always a free update from Apple—is better than any of the pre-2003 models."
What if I want to know about screen sharing through other methods, like iChat?
Feel free to ask us if you have a question about this book!
Send Us Your Comments!
How could we not publish such kind words? If you'd like to send us your comments (good or bad, though we hope they're all good), just click the Feedback link on the cover of your copy of the ebook. Be sure to let us know if we can publish your comment. Thanks!
Update Plans
February 2010 -- This ebook is up-to-date! We don't have any immediate plans to update the PDF again, but it's possible that we'll reconsider if Apple changes the way Back to My Mac works. Meanwhile, we'll use the Blog (see below or via the Check for Updates button on the ebook's cover) for minor update information.
Screen sharing lets you control the mouse and keyboard of one computer while you sit at another computer across the room or on the other side of the world. It's great for providing remote tech support, configuring and managing a remote server, and collaborating on documents. In recent versions of Mac OS X, Apple has piled on the options, enabling screen sharing via iChat, through Bonjour, directly by entering an IP address, and via Back to My Mac. Plus, Skype has a screen-sharing feature and various iPhone apps can even enable you to control the screen of a remote Mac.
All these screen-sharing choices bring complexity, and Glenn Fleishman's new Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard helps you determine the best screen-sharing option for your needs. You'll learn how to configure the software—and set up your router, if necessary. And, should something not work as expected, the ebook also includes problem-solving advice.
This ebook is also available in a discounted bundle with the just-updated Take Control of Back to My Mac, also by Glenn, which goes beyond the basic coverage of Back to My Mac in Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard, providing details about how Back to My Mac works behind the scenes, explaining what to do if you can't get Back to My Mac working, and addressing security concerns related to Back to My Mac. Save $5 with the bundle option in the left margin of the Web page for either book.
(If you already own the Leopard edition of Glenn's "Screen Sharing" ebook, look for an email-based update message or open your existing PDF to page 1 and click Check for Updates to access an upgrade discount. If you own Take Control of Back to My Mac, note that the new version is a free update; to get it, use that book's Check for Updates page.)
With Apple's useful yet funky Back to My Mac feature, MobileMe users can share files and screens among their Macs, making it possible to grab a forgotten document or even use a work machine from home or while on the road. It sounds great, but some people have required extensive assistance to get their routers working right, or have questions about security or about extended features like remote access to drives attached to an AirPort Extreme Base Station or Time Capsule. To that end, we've just released the version 1.2 update to Glenn Fleishman's Take Control of Back to My Mac.
This book is also available in a bundle with Glenn's just-published Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard, which looks at the broad array of screen sharing options in both Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard. It covers Back to My Mac briefly, but looks more completely at connections via iChat, Bonjour, direct IP addressing, and third-party possibilities such as Skype and iPhone apps. Look for a $5 discount bundle in the left margin of the Web page for either book.
(If you already own Take Control of Back to My Mac, note that this is a free update; to get your update, open your existing PDF to page 1 and then click Check for Updates. If you own the Leopard edition of Glenn's "Screen Sharing" ebook, look on its Check for Updates page for an upgrade discount, or look in your email for an update-related message.)
Glenn Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and two sons, both of whom are adept at accidentally pressing the Power button on his laptop.
He’s a contributing editor at