Manage family Macs and Network

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Level 1

8 points

Manage family Macs and Network

Go easy on me with regard to this long winded question(s), as I am relatively new to the Mac/Apple community of products and ideas.

I have switched from a highly managed Windows domain for my family networking to utilizing iMac, iPads etc on an unmanaged network. Additionally I utilize TimeCapsule for router and common storage backup needs. Basically a home network. All works great! I would now like to manage those Macs and one or two PC's etc in a more deliberate manner. By manage, I mean log my youngsters out of their Mac or PC, on demand, and/or on a scheduled basis. As well as handle administrative tasks like file cleanup, updates, virus scanning, music file management, and handle parental controls of their systems and connectivity. What tools/software recommendations for this set of requirements would be advised? Apple's ARD, MacOSX Server, both, some 3rd party home network product compatible with Mac OSX? I'm not interested in Firewall/Router, or Web Managment filtering tools, as Internet surfing is only one aspect of handling the kids on a myriad of pervasive electronic devices withing the home... Thanks!

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Home Network Management

Posted on Sep 20, 2013 9:00 AM

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Answer 1

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Sep 20, 2013 11:57 AM in response to Cliff on Mac

I can't advise you on software to do remote management on both PC and Mac. However, I did want to stick my nose in and let you know the Macs don't need to be cleaned like a Windows PC. See:

http://www.thesafemac.com/the-myth-of-the-dirty-mac/

As for anti-virus software, see my Mac Malware Guide:

http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg

These are both things that you don't have to worry about the same way you do in Windows. Hopefully, this will help to simplify the task of managing the Macs for you.

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Answer 2

Sep 21, 2013 10:03 PM in response to Cliff on Mac

Cliff,

I too am managing a family Airport based network of several Macs, numerous iOS devices, and a stray Windows computer. I have found that running a Mac Server and using ARD for administrative tasks (and parental oversight) works pretty good for me. The Mac Server Profile Manager allows for configuring accounts and devices (Macs and iOS devices). Based on what I found on iTunes U, ARD will work for managing Windows devices. I recently read about an iPhone configuration utility (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1465) that might be worth adding to the tool belt.

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