Listen For Reverse VNC Connection

[macmedix]

HI,
One feature that is really important to me is the ability for the VNC Server to initiate a Reverse Connection to me, so I can control it. The main benefit is that this does not require any port forwarding at the server end. I'm the Tech Support guy, so I often need to control Macs to help people at locations I have never been to, so I can't expect their router to have ports 22 or 5900 forwarded to their Mac.

I don't see a way in Remoter VNC for Mac (or IOS) to "Listen for Reverse Connection on Port 5500" and I'm really hoping that you can support that important feature. Chicken of the VNC does this very well. They call it "Listen for Server" (on "Connection" menu).

Some VNC servers support initiating a Reverse Connection (with or without SSH), notably Vine Server which has a version 4 Beta available that is supposed to work with Lion.
http://www.testplant.com/support/downloads/vine/

Could RemoterVNC please support Listening for Reverse VNC Connections?
It is a feature I would use often, almost every day.
Thanks!
Dave

[macmedix]

Still a highly desirable feature that would help eat TeamViewer's lunch.

[alexschomb]

Interesting, didn't knew about that possibility with Vine Server. Can you pack up Vine Server with a predefined remote address?

[macmedix]

I suppose you could package Vine Server with a predefined remote address, but I just tell my clients to enter my IP number or domain name into the text box before attempting connection. (See attached screen photo showing VineServer Reverse Connection menu & window.) VineServer(formerly OSXVNC) is an Open Source project, a free download.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/osxvnc/

Shows Vine Server with Menu selected to initiate Reverse Connection. Remote Server needs to input the IP address or domain name.

VineServer-ReverseConnection Window.png (51.61 KiB) Viewed 15639 times

A Mac consultant has taken the open source Vine Server and stripped out everything except the Reverse Connection window. He calls it Schnitz Remote Lite, and it worked great until OSX Lion. I must have used it about a thousand times. So easy! (See attached screen shot showing Remote Lite Reverse Connection window). Rather unfortunate that it no longer works, as a Reverse Connection is a fantastic way to view & control a remote machine without needing to set up any port forwardings at the VNC server end. Once the "Listening Station" IP or domain name is entered, it is stored in the preferences file and will reappear on relaunch. I used to send out a 500k DMG file with Remote Lite & an AppleScript to auto-enter my IP number as the Listening Station. I named the AppleScript; "Double-click me so Dave can help". That was a big hit with my clients.
Of note, once RemoteLite starts that Reverse Connection, quitting Remote Lite does not stop it. Remote Lite is a free download, with a paid option to customize its appearance.
http://www.schnitz.com/remote_support.html

I would LOVE to see Remoter for Mac support Listening for Remote Connections, and we also need some small file to send out to let the VNC server initiate the Reverse Connection.

Shows Schnitz Remote Lite Reverse Connection Window (Pretty much the only window it has).

RemoteLite ReverseConnecion window.png (23.15 KiB) Viewed 15639 times

[alexschomb]

Awesome findings thanks for sharing! I totally agree and would absolutely love to see such a functionality in Remoter for Mac.