Network folder mac os. Setting up a network between Windows and Mac OS X

Setting up file and printer sharing is the responsibility of any system administrator. But sometimes computer networks non-Windows machines are used. What to do? As you know, macOS X does not support proprietary Microsoft technologies like HomeGroup. Windows, on the other hand, does not support AFP. But both operating systems can use SMB. Good old SMB (aka CIFS) appeared in 1983 as a joint effort between IBM, Microsoft, Intel and 3Com. IN Lately this protocol was developed mainly by Microsoft and with the release Windows Vista its second version became available. Windows 8 introduced a third version of SMB. Its stability has increased greatly, apparently due to the strong simplification introduced in the second version. Now this protocol is widely used large quantities operating systems, although it is primarily associated with the operation of a network environment in MS Windows.

These materials will be a continuation of the article: Setting up a network environment between Windows XP and Windows 7.

Setting up SMB in Windows 7 and macOS X, if you look deeper, is very similar. Creating users who can share access, opening files, setting up access to files on the disk. In some cases, simplified setup by a wizard can be used without manually creating a Guest account and setting up disk access. This article covers manual configuration.

Let's go to system settings by clicking the gear icon in the Dock. We are interested in two icons: “Sharing” and “Users and groups”.

First, open "Users and Groups" and create a new user: "Guest". To do this, unlock the menu by pressing the lock and entering the administrator password for the MAC computer.

Let’s create a new user to access the computer over the network with a plus sign:

Let's confirm that we want to create an account without a password:

Let's go back to the system settings and click the "Sharing" icon:

Here we can change the name of the computer on the network. The main thing you need to do here is to add a plus sign to the folders to which shared access is provided and the users to whom this access is granted. We allow access to logical Files disk 2 to Guest user with Read Only rights

In macOS X, SMB is disabled by default. Go to "Options" and enable SMB by checking the box: "Share files and folders using SMB (Windows)"

Sometimes to access over the network you need to edit the rights and ownership of folders, drives and files. This is done as in Windows: Click right key by folder (disk or file) select properties in the context menu:

Having unlocked the lock, we can add read rights to the Guest user with a plus sign:

You can expand the rights to attached files by clicking the gear and selecting the "Apply to attached objects..." menu.

After all the manipulations in network environment a new one has appeared computer MACBOOK with shared folders and files that are read-only after entering your login and password:

Guest user has no password. We gain access:

The article was written for Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.7.5 (Lion), which is already considered outdated, but is also suitable for modern version macOS 10.12.1 (Sierra). In general, the macOS interface has not undergone major changes since 2012, unlike Windows.

If the macOS "Shared Access" (Network in Windows) does not contain the computers you need or they are on a different subnet, you can try connecting to them by IP address through the "Go" menu via the SMB protocol:

This menu allows you to use other protocols in addition to SMB (FTP AFP), so you must write its name before the IP: smb://.

Materials used for the article:

Read 19815 once Last modified Wednesday, 13 December 2017 20:45

No matter how contemptuously the owners treat Mac computers To Windows machines, Ingoda, they need to be connected into one network. There is nothing complicated about this, in today’s guide we will make sure of this.

We will assume that you, like me, have an ADSL modem at home with a router function and a switch or modem with a built-in switch, that is, with several LAN ports. Let's also assume that the computers are successfully connected network cable, and all that remains is to make sure that they can see each other and freely exchange information.

Let's start by harnessing Vista. First of all, go to Control Panel → System. We enter information about the name of the computer and workgroup. Please note that both names must be written exclusively with Latin letters and must not contain non-standard characters. Besides, working group must be named the same on all computers on the network.

Then go to Status → Connection by local network. We see that the local network is connected. Next, click the “Properties” button and check the “Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” checkbox, since this data transfer protocol is this moment used everywhere. Then manually set the IP parameters: IP address, subnet mask, default gateway. As a rule, the addresses are standard: for example, the main gateway is 192.168.1.1 (modem). After entering the values, click OK.

Now go to the “Network and Sharing Center” and configure sharing and network discovery. We allow file sharing and folder sharing. We can also see which files and folders are shared on this computer. In order to turn a regular folder into a shared one, you need to click on it right click mouse, go to the Access panel → Additional access, where and allow access to the folder.

Now you need to configure the same settings on your Mac. Let's go to " System Settings", select the connection type. As mentioned at the beginning of the material, in our case it is Ethernet. Configuring IPv4. IP address: we write the address of our Mac, and the router is the same as the main gateway. There shouldn't be any problems with this. There we click “Advanced”, move to the WINS tab ( Windows Internet Name Service) and specify the name of the workgroup. It must match the workgroup name on all other computers on the network.

We return to “System Settings” - it’s time to configure “Sharing”. In this panel we must check the “File Sharing” checkbox. Click Options and share files using AFP (a protocol used by Apple) and using SMB (a protocol used by Windows). Exit "Options". Here, without leaving the cash register, you can add folders to shared folders and edit access to them. You can add folders using “+”. We deny access by selecting the desired folder and pressing “-”. In the “Users” field, we configure access to folders for users: you can open a folder for reading, for reading and writing, only for writing, or not grant access to a particular user at all (in a network of several computers, each of them is represented by a separate user name) .

You want to use your Macbook at work, but your corporate IT department will only support Windows computers. It's not a problem.

Do you really love your Apple gadgets and don’t want to part with them even for a minute? Are your favorite iWatch and Mac always with you? You can take your Mac to the office or to a meeting without requiring support staff. You can easily access network drives, access shared printers, check Exchnage server Email and access to other resources in Windows network straight from your Mac. You can download Office 2016 as a torrent and work fully anywhere.

Here complete guide how to do it:

Sharing files and folders

Macs can easily run on a Windows network. However, you may need to enable sharing for this. To turn on sharing go to System Settings and click Exchange. Then click on “file sharing” and close the window.

To share a folder over the network with others, click the + icon next to the folder. Select the folder you want to make accessible, change the permissions to: Everyone. Click on Options and select Share files with SMB.

Other Windows network users can now access shared folders as usual by clicking Computer in their Network Neighborhood on their Windows machines.

Accessing drives from MAC

To access the network shared disk(or folder), open Finder and from the menu bar, select Connect to server. In the pop-up window, enter:

smb://servername/folder_name (e.g. smb://fileserver01/finance)

In some cases you may have to use an IP address Windows server(for example SMB://192.168.10.10/finance) or you can even see the server by clicking the Browse button.

Email via Microsoft Exchange Server

The Snow Leopard version of OS includes built-in Exchange server support, so you can very easily set up your mail and address book by logging into your Exchange account. If you have more early version operating system, you can still use the built-in mail application utility, though with disabilities access to corporate email.

Open Mail app and go to Settings -> Accounts. Click the + icon to add a new account. Cancel automatic installations. Click on Continue. In the next window, select Account Type and fill in the Exchange Server details.

Electronic Mailbox should now be configured.

Another option is to use Outlook itself, via Crossover, but in this case you may need to pay for the software.

Accessing files on Macintosh local networks

Local networks are an extremely necessary thing for normal computer life. Thanks to networks, all users can get convenient and fast access to any file on any machine, unless, of course, the owner allows it. Do you need a document located on the secretary's machine? Want to show your colleague in the next room your latest vacation photos? Transfer music downloaded from the Internet to your laptop? All this is done within the local network. Let's not go into physical device networks: wires, switches, hubs, routers - this is not the topic of this article, and therefore let’s immediately move on to the story of how this happens on Macs.

Before you can work with files on other computers, access must be enabled on them. That is, the owner of this computer must allow other users, all or only selected ones, to use certain files. To do this, it enables access to the desired folder or to the entire disk - File Sharing. We'll look at how this happens in more detail later, but for now let's imagine that access to the necessary folders is already enabled and we want to open this or that file.

If you are new to the world of Mac OS, but have used the network in Windows environment, then you probably immediately want to find something like “Network Neighborhood”. Don't look. On Macs everything happens a little differently. As you know, Mac OS X is one of the reincarnations of the UNIX environment, so the ideology of working on a local network is the same as in MacOS Classic. This means that before you start working with any files on another computer, you will have to “mount the disk”.

Most things in the world of computers are easier to show than to tell, so let's get straight to the examples. Open any window in Finder and click on the Network icon with a blue globe on the right side of the window, where frequently used folders are located, the so-called Sidebar. Or just press Shift-Command-K. If your Mac is configured to work with the network, then you will find yourself in the Network window - and there will be a list of computers working on the network. Depending on your network settings, this list may look different, you may only see a list of computer names and each one will have a globe icon, or they will be sorted into multiple folders. For example, local, workgroup, etc. If we draw any analogies with Windows, then the Network panel is an analogue of the “Network Neighborhood”, but the analogies end there.

To start working with a particular computer, click on its name with the mouse. First you will be asked for your login and password, and after entering them you will see a list of folders to which the owner has allowed access. Click on the folder. The computer access window has disappeared and a new disk icon has appeared on your desktop. This icon looks like a blue globe - this means that the drive is networked. What we have done now is called mount the disk. Then you can use this drive in the same way as you use your own or an external connected drive. On a Mac, you cannot work with files on other computers just by going into folders. First, you must connect the “shared” folder (a folder with open access to it) as a network drive, i.e. mount.

After you have finished working with remote disk, and if you no longer need it, disable it. Disabling occurs in the same way as with any external drive on a Mac - just drag the disk icon to the trash, which will change its appearance to the Eject sign, or by highlighting network drive, press Command-E.

If you use any network drive regularly, you can simplify the connection procedure. To do this, drag the already connected network drive to the Dock, to the right of the dividing line. The blue globe icon will remain in the Dock, and the next time you want to mount this drive, just click on it in the Dock. You will be asked for a password, and the disk will immediately be mounted on your desktop. That is, you do not need to call the Network panel every time and perform the operations described above.

And if you don’t want to enter your name and password, then when entering it, click the Add Keychan drop-down menu - the computer will remember the password for this particular connection in the so-called “keychain” and will no longer bother you with this question. Now, by clicking the mouse in the Dock, the network drive will be immediately mounted on the desktop - it couldn’t be simpler.

AFP, FTP, Samba and other dances...

If there are many computers on the network, and, moreover, different platforms and with different operating systems, there may be a certain delay in displaying the entire list in the Network panel, enough to cause you irritation. Especially if you know exactly which computer you want to connect to. For this, and not only this, you can use the Finder - Connect to Sever command by calling it from the Go menu or simply pressing Command-K. The window that appears is shown in the figure. A server means any remote computer, with which you plan to establish a connection. In order to connect, enter the computer name and click Connect - then everything happens the same as when selecting a computer in the Network panel. If you plan to use this method often, you can add this computer to the list of frequently used addresses (Favorites Server) by clicking the button with the plus sign.

However, not all so simple. If you connected to another Mac, simply entering the computer name will give a positive result. If this is not a Mac, then you will need to indicate which network protocol you plan to connect using. But what are these network protocols?

Every time computers connect to each other over a network, defining network names and transferring data, they use one or another set of rules and instructions, which are called network protocols. As always in the computer world, there is diversity, if not chaos. There are many different protocols, some of them are intended for certain cases, others compete with each other, as they were developed for different operating systems, and others are simply outdated. We will look at the so-called protocols top level who are responsible for working with files. We will not delve into their differences and features; we will simply list those that you will definitely encounter, indicating their scope.

AppleTalk is an old network protocol that was used on Macs before the Mac OS X era. It is now obsolete due to slow speed work. However, it is still supported in Mac OS X, for communication with computers on which Mac OS Classic is installed, that is, no higher than version 9.

AFP (Apple Filling Protocol) is a modern network protocol used in Mac OS X, and serves to connect poppies to each other.

SMB (Server Message Block) is a protocol for working with files over a network used in the Windows environment. To connect to a PC, Mac OS X uses its complete analogue from the world Open Source- Samba, so when, while working with a poppy, you come across a message with the word Samba, don’t be alarmed, your poppy hasn’t decided to invite you to dance...

FTP ( File Transfer Protokol is a popular protocol used to transfer files on the Internet.

All the protocols listed here (and not only these) are fully supported by Mac OS X. Therefore, you can connect not only to other Macs, but also to PC computers or remote FTP servers. You just need to correctly specify the address, computer name and protocol used. For examples, take another look at the picture above.

As for FTP, then Finder features will not replace you specialized programs ftp clients, such as Transmit, but for simple work, for example, uploading a file, they are quite suitable.

Accessing files on PC computers

All PCs are displayed in the Network panel along with Macs. Depending on the network settings, they will be located in one or in different folders or in the Network panel itself. These folders are domains or workgroups, which are designed to organize the structure of the network. Most likely, Macs will be located in the local domain, and PCs will be in the workgroup folder or some other folder, depending on what their workgroup is called and how your network is configured.

Mounting a “shared” folder on a PC as a disk occurs in the same way as when connecting to a Mac, described above. The only difference: the dialog panel for selecting a folder is slightly different from the similar panel when connected to a Mac (see figure). It is not clear why Apple did not make sure that these windows always looked the same - it is only because these parts of the system were written by different departments sitting at different ends of the office.

From point of view simple user, the differences when working on the network with Macs and PCs are limited to this. However, if you are interested in the nuances, then it is worth remembering that Macs and PCs use fundamentally different file systems.

Actually, it was the use of completely different file systems that has always caused difficulties in connecting Macs and Win-systems. To get acquainted with what they are, you can refer to the article “File systems and file formats”, but here we will limit ourselves to only presenting the essence.

Unlike Windows, where any file is a certain limited set data written to disk, on Macs each file consists of two parts: a resource fork and a data fork. The name “data fork” speaks for itself, and the “resource fork” is that part of the file that stores various service information - creation date, belonging to a particular type, file icon, and earlier even code, if it is a program. Therefore, when copying a file from a Mac to a PC, the system needs to save, in fact, not one, but two files. And the next time you access the file, assemble a single whole from these two parts.

Before the advent of Mac OS X in older Classic systems, connecting Macs to PCs was solved only using additional programs. The most popular are Dave, a special extension installed on Mac OS, and Maclan, which worked on Windows. It installed the AppleTalk protocol and emulated Windows operation in this environment, as if it were another poppy. The most elegant solution, however, was based on Windows systems Server, starting with NT, which used features of its NTFS file system.

NTFS allows you to use not even two parts of files, as on a Mac, but many so-called file streams at once. One of them is allocated for the Mac resource branch, and saving files from a Mac to a Windows server has received a solution. But there are also disadvantages. All work takes place under the control of the outdated AppleTalk protocol. The disk on the server must be formatted as NTFS, otherwise you simply will not be able to enable access to it from Macs, and when copying a file to disk c FAT system or FAT32, the resource branch is always cut off, which leads to file corruption.

WITH Mac output OS X all these horrors are a thing of the past. As mentioned above, Mac OS X easily connects to PC computers using their own protocol, and OS X takes full responsibility for implementing the features of its file system on remote PC computers. The solution is simple - the resource fork, in the form of a second file with the same name, is saved to disk next to the main part. The difference is that this file is marked as hidden for both systems (Mac OS X and Windows). This is done by setting the file attribute for Windows, and the file name begins with a dot, making it hidden for Mac OS. This way, users on both Macs and PCs see only one file. But when copying files saved from a Mac to another folder under Windows, you should also overwrite their hidden “twins” - to do this, turn on the show hidden files mode.

As for Macintosh support in Windows Server, then perhaps it should be called obsolete. If there is a Win Server on your local network, tell your system administrator that you should no longer enable Macintosh Access. Now all the work of connecting to Windows Mac OS X takes over. Macs are no longer something like an appendix in win-networks, but have become full members of them.

Access to your computer

In addition to accessing files on other computers, you'll also need to solve the inverse problem: how to make files on your Mac accessible to others. All issues related to access to the Mac are resolved through the Sharing panel in System Preferences. Just check the box next to what you want to enable on your computer. The names of the services speak for themselves, and to organize access to files you may only need two items: Personal File Sharing, for access from other Macs, and Windows Sharing, for access to a Mac from a PC.

As you can see, Mac OS X handles such a complex part of interaction on local networks as accessing files on Macs from Windows computers. Connecting to a Mac from Windows is no different from what is customary in this environment. Your Mac will appear in the network environment along with other computers.

The name under which the poppy will appear on the network is the name entered in the Computer Name field. In the same Sharing panel, if desired, you can always change it.

So you've enabled access to your files, but which folders and files will be accessible? I'm afraid you'll be surprised to learn that Mac OS X doesn't have tools for specifying which folders to allow access to in the same way that you do in Windows or as you did in Mac OS Classic. All issues of access to files and folders are determined not by your direct instructions, but by the Mac OS X policy in relation to user accounts.

To understand this, let's start the presentation not from the beginning (enabling access to the folder), but from the end - the moment when the user connects to the Mac over the network. At this point, the username and password are requested, but what is this password? In order for the Mac to know what kind of user is trying to connect to it, this user must first be registered in the system, that is, have his own account. This means that in order to access files on a remote Mac, you must have your own account on this Mac. The creators of Mac OS X were seriously concerned about security problems - if you are not registered in the system, then “sorry, unauthorized entry prohibited." This rule has some exception; you can connect to another Mac over the network as a so-called guest. To do this, do not enter a name and password, but mark the Guest user as a user. However, in this case, your access to the computer will be significantly limited.

Based on the above, in addition to enabling file access modes in the Sharing panel, you must create your own account for each user who you are going to allow access to your computer.

Now, when a user connects to your Mac, no matter from another Mac or from a PC, after entering his password (authorization) in the list of “shared” folders, he will see the names of all users of this Mac. It can mount one or more of them, as mentioned above, however, the capabilities of working in these folders will be different:

User's personal folder. As you know, when creating a new account, a personal folder is created for each user. All user folders are located in the Users folder of your system disk. Having chosen your own folder on your computer, the user gets full access to it, just as if he were sitting at your Mac.

Other users' folders. By connecting to them, the user will only receive limited access, since these are not his folders. Namely, to the Public folder, which is used to transfer files between users. As you may have noticed, every user has such a folder and is located in his home folder. The connected user ends up in the Public folder, the name of which he selected in the list of available folders during the connection. The owners have posted the files they contain for public use. You can open and copy them to yourself, but you cannot save and write your files to this folder. To transfer files, that is, to copy your files to a remote Mac, use the Drop Box folder, which is located inside the Public folder and has its inverse function. This folder is a mailbox: the connected user can write (drop) his files into it, but cannot open and copy from it to himself.

If the user is connected in guest mode, then he does not have a personal folder, so he can only work in the Public folders of other users.

At first glance, the described system may seem somewhat complicated, but think about it, each user has access only to those files that are assigned to him by the system and other users, and this is security.

If you are still not satisfied with the rules of Mac OS X, then, of course, you can bypass them. The main question that worries users is “how to make accessible a folder on a disk that is generally located outside Users folders, that is, outside of anyone's user folder?".

The productivity of any work depends on the reliability of the network. No matter who you are, a professional or a novice user, an office worker or a freelancer, it is always important to have two or more computers with a reliable connection between them. Mac OS X makes networking much easier. You barely have to move your mouse to connect two Macs. Nearby computers appear in the sidebar automatically and after quick authentication you have access to general information. Remote screen control is also enabled with one click.

But the network has a strange tendency to not work when it is needed most. This could be a problem with the router or Mac settings. At such moments you see a “connection error”. What's the problem? Is there a solution? I hasten to warn you: this is not an instruction manual for solving complex problems. network problems. We offer you a guide that will help you set up file sharing between computers on your network. So let's get started.

Connecting Mac and Mac

First of all, let's look at the method Mac connections to the network. To connect to Macs operating system Mac OS X uses a special unified protocol called AFP (Apple Filing Protocol). A kind of Bonjour for OS X. Sharing options are located in System Preferences in the “File Sharing” section.

Mac OS X allows you to connect to Macs on the network to read and write files in permitted folders, which appear in the Finder sidebar.

If you want to share without authentication, go to System Preferences -> Sharing. Click “+” and specify the desired directory (or simply drag it into the window). Add several folders, differentiating access rights for different users. To quickly share a folder, open its Properties window and check the “ a shared folder" Here you can add users and change rights in the Sharing and access rights section. A little trick: Create a special user in Accounts, on whose behalf you will connect to your folders. This account will not have any files on the disk, but will be used to access network folders.

If for some reason you cannot connect to your Mac (the Mac does not appear in the Finder sidebar), use the Go to –> Connect to Server command (Command + K). Enter the IP address of the remote machine or its name and add “.local”. Connecting by name is much more reliable, since the computer's IP address tends to change.

Connecting Mac and Windows

Windows computers on a local network are detected by the OS X operating system without additional settings. PCs, along with Macs, appear in the Finder sidebar. More often. If your computer does not appear in the sidebar, you can connect to it manually. Open Finder, press Command + K and enter “smb://local-ip-address.” You cannot connect to computers with Vista and 7 without creating a password for your account. Go to Network and Sharing Center –> Extra options sharing –> Disable sharing from password protection. Instead, for security reasons, I recommend simply adding a password to your account.

To access files on a Mac from Windows, you will need a little trick, although the connection algorithm itself looks like this. On a Mac, go to Sharing Properties -> File Sharing -> Options and enable the “Share files and folders using SMB (Windows)” option. Then specify the account to connect to. Your Mac will now appear in the Networks section in the Windows 7 Explorer sidebar.

If this does not happen, use the Mac connection by IP address or name (i.e. \\192.168.0.2 or \\imac). Windows will ask you to enter the username and password that you specified when you opened access to the file system. If you connected immediately, then there are no restrictions.

Problems often arise when connecting computers over a network. There is a lot written on the Internet about how to solve such problems. There is 128-bit encryption, access rights, and many, many other bottlenecks. Two Windows 7 on different computers can connect to a Mac with the opposite result. All I can do is wish you good luck.

Access Mac via FTP

Third or less safe option connections are FTP. (For systems that cannot connect using the normal protocol). The most current example is the iPad. After enabling FTP in Sharing on Mac, all you have to do is enter the server address and account. You can connect to your computer from any application on your iPad, including Guesto.

iChat and sharing

One of the most rarely used features of iChat is connecting computers without additional settings. Enable bonjour and it will automatically find any machine on the local network. Send messages, stream audio and video, and even connect to a remote screen. One of the features of iChat is the ability to transfer files without problems with file system. Drag the file from remote screen to your desktop, and it will end up in your Downloads folder.

Communication with DropCopy

There is another, more convenient way connections of computers on a local network. is one of those applications whose capabilities you see right away. By installing it on all your networked Macs, you will immediately be able to transfer files between them without additional settings. How is it different from Public Access? Regular way sharing only works for files, but DropCopy adds a communication aspect to it. Drag any file to the round transparent icon on your desktop and select its destination. That's all. You don't need to open special folders or enter your account information. After you release the mouse, the remote user will immediately receive a notification about the new parcel. In addition, you can send and receive quick messages without installing an additional interface in the form of an IM client.

The program works not only between Macs. DropCopy is also a client for iPad and iPhone that allows you to transfer files over Wi-Fi. Not as nice as Pastebot, of course, but quite decent. The only limitation in the iOS version is the inability to copy data to the mobile OS clipboard. The Windows version is in development and the release date of the program is still unknown. DropCopy is free for personal use(up to 3 computers) and $25 for large networks. Application under iOS universal and costs $4.99.

Merge a Mac using Teleport

Allows you to use one mouse and keyboard to control multiple Macs. Move your cursor to the edge of the screen and it will instantly appear on the other Mac. The beauty of Teleport is that virtually no configuration is required. The program works on Bonjour, so detection is automatic. After a quick authentication, your Macs are ready to go. But Teleport's functions are not limited to just managing screens. You can transfer files in the same way - simply by moving the cursor!

This is an amazing application for users who work with multiple Macs at the same time, or to control a media center without their own keyboard and mouse. Teleport, unfortunately, only works on Mac.

Merge Macs with Synergy

Works on Windows, Mac and Unix supporting TCP/IP. The program allows you to halve the number of keyboards, mice, and clipboards for two Macs, just like Teleport. You can even sync your screen savers.

Synergy is difficult to set up, crude (the Mac version allows you to exchange text only via the clipboard) and not as reliable as we would like. In addition, there are security issues. Therefore, before starting installation, I strongly recommend that you read the manual. However, Windows and Mac users will appreciate this solution.

Lighthouse for opening ports

Each of us has faced the need port mapping:

Have you tried connecting to an HTTP or SSH server on your Mac hidden behind a router on your local network? Or work on one document in SubEthaEdit? Or increase the rating in your favorite BitTorrent client?

Or do you really want to finally enable the Back to my Mac feature, better known as Back to my Mac?

Personally, I don’t know how ports work and what forwarding is. All I know is that Lighthouse works. Set your Mac to receive automatically email addresses and create profiles. Lighthouse contains a set of ready-made profiles for most popular applications, including Transmission, SubEthaEdit, Back to my Mac and others. I know that the program does not always work, but I can say that the Access to my computer connection will work for you. Lighthouse costs $12.99.

There is a free (open source) alternative to Lighthouse called Port Map. The program has the same functionality, except for ready-made profiles and contains excellent documentation.

ShareTool - the solution to all problems

If everything else may not work, it always works! Developed by Bains Software and later acquired by Yazsoft, ShareTool brings life to any network. It doesn't matter if you're in the next room or country, enter your account information and in an instant you'll have access to your Mac as if it were on the same local network. iTunes will appear in public access via bonjour, and you can even use a remote printer. All this does not require port mapping configuration and does not depend on the IP address. I'm no security expert, but Yazsoft claims the connection is very secure.

ShareTool costs $15 for one license (although a minimum of two is required to work) and $25 for two licenses. The program is more expensive alternative solutions, but it is, of course, worth the money.

There are other applications and ways to share data between computers, including cloud services, eliminating many of the problems described above. In one of the articles earlier there are 5 ways remote connection from Mac, including VNC, special services LogMeIn and GoToMyPC, Timbuktu Pro and others. Happy connections!