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Level 1

5 points

Problems using 'Back to my Mac' with Yosemite

At home I have two Macs, an iMac and a MacBook, both running Mavericks. At work I use a MacBook Pro, also running Mavericks, and when I'm out I use a MacBook Air that was running developer preview of Yosemite.

My home iMac has now been upgraded to Yosemite. However when at work using my Mavericks MacBook I can no longer use 'Back to my Mac' to screen share back to my iMac, I get "Connection failed to "Conor's iMac", but I can still connect to the MacBook at home running Mavericks. I've also tried connecting to both Macs at home using my Yosemite MacBook Air but I get the same error.

I can screen share between all Mac when they are on the local network, but as soon as I'm using iCloud to screen share the only connection I can make is between Macs running Mavericks. It's almost as if 'Back to my Mac' via iCloud is broken in Yosemite.

I've tried disabling and reenabling 'Back to my Mac', signing out of iCloud entirely and then logging in again, but nothing I've tried so far will allow me to use iCloud to screen share between two Yosemite Macs.

Has anyone else seen this issue, or have any suggestions?

Posted on Oct 21, 2014 12:54 PM

220 replies

Alcand

Level 1

0 points

Nov 3, 2014 4:54 AM in response to Conor.P.M

I have the same problem. BTMM works fine on the local LAN, doesn't work at all across the Internet. It was working with Mavericks before upgrading to Yosemite so it's not my network. It's something specific to Yosemite.

nwmtnguy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 3, 2014 7:54 PM in response to Alcand

I'm also having the exact same problem. I have two Macs running OS X Server on Yosemite that are on different networks at different locations (many miles apart). I am only able to connect to these computers when I'm on the same local network as the computer I'm connecting to. As soon as I go somewhere else BTMM simply doesn't see the computer. I've double and triple checked all the settings more times that I can count and I can't find anything wrong. BTMM just doesn't seem to work.

Prior to Yosemite both these computers ran Mavericks (and before that Mountain Lion) with BTMM enabled and I never had a problem connecting to either one. I've been using BTMM for a long time and have set it up on many computers, so I'm pretty sure I'm not overlooking anything. My conclusion is that BTMM is broken for at least some Yosemite users at this point.

marc249

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2014 8:59 AM in response to Conor.P.M

Again, same issue as above. Works great on local networks, broken on the net. I can see the iMacs on the left column in my finder, but cannot connect. If you have a static IP on your target computer, you can use 'Connect to Server" in the Finder menu - command K.

But for now, BTMM is broken.

Sadly.

Nov 4, 2014 10:02 AM in response to Conor.P.M

BTMM and screen sharing are broken for me as well with Yosemite.

It worked just fine with Mavericks, and earlier. I have used it for years to remote from my MacBook Pro at work to my Mac Mini at home. Now I cannot connect from work at all. I even saved my Screen Sharing connection to a desktop file and double-clicking that just results in a connection failure. When I am on my LAN, shared computers show up in the Finder sidebar sometimes and sometimes not.

I have also been through the Apple support suggestions. The simple truth is that what used to work is now completely broken and useless with Yosemite.

Eric Root

Level 10

684,039 points

Nov 4, 2014 1:28 PM in response to RaceTripper

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

Conor.P.M Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 4, 2014 2:45 PM in response to Eric Root

I've been in contact with Apple support on several occasions over the last week or so. They provided me with a test iCloud account and asked that I create new local user accounts on two of my Yosemite Macs and retest screen sharing using BTTM. Disappointingly I still wasn't able to make a successful remote connection, or even attempt a connection (which meant I was unable to provide the data capture traces they requested).

However, having arrived at work the following morning one of my remote Yosemite Macs was visible in the shared section of the Finder sidebar on my Mavericks MacBook. I was able to make a screen share connection and I was able to perform several tasks. Unfortunately once I closed the session the Yosemite Mac no longer appear as a shared machine I have not been able to connect to it since.

This evening I have download the developer seed of 10.10.1 to test on two of my Yosemite Macs, and while I'm far from finished testing, I have been able able to use BTTM for screen sharing over my test network. I'll try a few more tests once I get to the office as a more definitive test, but this may be some progress.

Nov 5, 2014 1:06 PM in response to Conor.P.M

10.10.1 (14B17) fixed it for me! This is a beta seed and not officially out yet. I have BTMM both directions between my home and work Macs.

This also fixed a related issue for me. Shared mac showing up several times

Nov 5, 2014 1:13 PM in response to Bobby Wan

If the 10.10.1 (14B17) upgrade gives you a black login screen like it did on my iMac simply delete "com.apple.loginwindow.plist" found in /Library/Preferences/ and reboot. You can follow the guide here: http://www.imore.com/black-login-screen-your-mac-heres-fix

But I was at work so I SSH’d into my iMac using the newly fixed BTTM and deleted and rebooted via command line. Worked well.

Conor.P.M Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 5, 2014 1:30 PM in response to Bobby Wan

I did get it to work with my test network (a secondary guest Wi-Fi network that blocks access to the local network) but at work I'm still having issues. I can now see remote Yosemite Macs as shared devices in Finder, but I don't have a 'Screen Share' button and all attempts to connect fail. I need to try another network to see if the issue is specific to my work network, but if 10.10.1 has fixed the issue for some people and not others then it's time for me to look at other solutions.

Lets see what happens once 10.10.1 is officially released.

Nov 5, 2014 2:17 PM in response to Conor.P.M

Same issue here. I'm hoping 10.10.1 fixes this issue.

Rob Frei

Level 1

105 points

Nov 10, 2014 10:58 AM in response to Conor.P.M

Same problem here. I can't connect to either of my iMacs at home when I'm at work using BTMM on my MBP. I had no problems doing this on Mavericks - it broke when I installed Yosemite. Sometimes I can see and connect with my TimeCapsule at home. Same problem occurs using BTMM for establishing an SSH connection home.

I'm not sure if its related - might have something to do with the computer name changing after waking up from sleep - but Apple Remote is no longer working very well either since upgrading to Yosemite. Seems like I have to reboot my network when I want to use it to listen to iTunes.

I left feedback for Apple.

Nov 12, 2014 3:15 PM in response to Rob Frei

Same problem here. Hopefully the next Yosemite update will fix it...

Magik-i

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2014 3:25 PM in response to Conor.P.M

I'm having the same issue. Yosemite broke Back to my mac for me both on my local network and over the internet. It all worked fine on Mavericks. I also have weird issues with the computer name for my macs having a incrementing number after their names, e.g., MacBook (4), MacBook (5), etc... which I hadn't noticed before. Bring on 10.10.1 already...

KMNZ

Level 1

4 points

Nov 16, 2014 7:51 PM in response to Magik-i

Same issue for me. Working before moving to Yosemite on computers. Now only if I ask for the remote computer (Mac mini) to be restarted will I be able to connect for a while. Then ? after remote computer goes to sleep it will not work. Just get connection failed message. I have checked and rechecked all the settings and the wake on demand areas with no luck. I have 10.10.1 on both computers now but the problem remains. It is intermittent as to whether I see the remote computer in the shared section of the Finder sidebar and even when it is there, the option for screen sharing is only sometimes available - the connect to option being the only one given.
There is no pattern that I have been able to work out. I have established that if the remote computer is restarted then it becomes available through BTMM for a time.

nwmtnguy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 16, 2014 10:24 PM in response to KMNZ

I have noticed this same thing as well. If I have someone at the other end manually reboot the remote Mac running Yosemite, Back to my Mac seems to work for a short period of time, then becomes unavailable again. I think it may be that once the screensaver kicks in or the screen locks, Back to my Mac stops working. After the remote Mac stops responding, the person at the other end has confirmed that they computer is still awake and running. It hasn't gone into sleep mode or shut down.

I have anecdotally heard from a couple other people that Back to my Mac stopped working as soon as they upgraded to Yosemite as well.

Problems using 'Back to my Mac' with Yosemite