Screen Sharing Issue: Life After TeamViewer?

Hi everyone... this question will really only make sense of be solvable by users living in the Montreal area and who have Videotron as their ISP.


I previously used Macs convenient screen sharing function to help my elderly mum fix small problems on her computer from a distance. Her ISP is Videotron, and they do have excellent customer service, but are unable to help me with this. Videotron uses a router/modem called Helix, and it apparently creates dynamic IP addresses as well as adding an extra layer of firewall security. This now prevents the use of Mac OS's screen sharing ability. We resorted to TeamViewer, and they, quite greedily, have severely limited free use to only a few minutes. They are now blacklisted in my book.


Does anyone have an insight as to how I might reestablish a link using the MacOS screen sharing function? I have poked about the Helix app on my iPhone, and other than switch off "advanced security" measures, there are no other options to configure it to allow for the Mac Os screen sharing to function.


I am not a tech pro by any means, but an advanced power user - so I can do some "under the hood" stuff, but it is very limited. I prefer not to have to resort to the terminal.


Help!

Posted on Feb 16, 2024 6:44 AM

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Posted on Feb 16, 2024 9:35 AM

You will probably need to first create an SSH tunnel to the remote computer, then activate Screen Sharing/VNC over that SSH tunnel. You will most likely need to configure the router at the remote location to allow port forwarding of the SSH to the remote Mac.


Here is an article with instructions on how this works which is the easiest to understand example I've ever seen for this process (I know nothing about the third party utility they mention as an alternative to using the command line):

https://www.tech-otaku.com/networking/establishing-ssh-tunnel-remotely-access-mac-afp-vnc/

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 16, 2024 9:35 AM in response to Jacques Daviault

You will probably need to first create an SSH tunnel to the remote computer, then activate Screen Sharing/VNC over that SSH tunnel. You will most likely need to configure the router at the remote location to allow port forwarding of the SSH to the remote Mac.


Here is an article with instructions on how this works which is the easiest to understand example I've ever seen for this process (I know nothing about the third party utility they mention as an alternative to using the command line):

https://www.tech-otaku.com/networking/establishing-ssh-tunnel-remotely-access-mac-afp-vnc/

Feb 16, 2024 11:05 AM in response to Jacques Daviault

The usual method is to use an online service to monitor the IP address which you then access by using a DNS name for it. It is called a Dynamic DNS Provider of DynDNS. See this forum post here which also mentions some routers may have a configuration setting already built into the router for such purposes. Check your router's configuration first since that would be the simplest and probably least expensive option although some Dynamic DNS providers do offer free service.

https://superuser.com/a/890854

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Screen Sharing Issue: Life After TeamViewer?

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