VNC: Windows server, Mac client

josephgjosephg
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Can anybody give VNC advice?



My main computer is a Mac, but I need to run a Windows program (AutoCAD). There's a PC in the next room. It's the living room media center, so it's not really set up as a work station. But I'm thinking of using VNC to connect the 2 computers, so I can work off my Mac.



Is there going to be noticeable lag? If there is, I figure that this wouldn't be a feasible set-up, since AutoCAD requires a pretty responsive interface. But if it would work, then rock on!



client: Powerbook 667, OS X 10.2

server: 2GHz Celeron, 512 MB RAM, Windows XP

802.11b network





Thanks for any advice!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    bobwbobw Posts: 49member
    There will be a lag, but on a LAN it's not great. But, with AutoCAD it may be worse than with other apps. VNC is free, so try it.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    karl kuehnkarl kuehn Posts: 756member
    If you are using XP Pro you will also want to check out Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection. I have heard is can be a little faster than VNC.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    scott_rscott_r Posts: 98member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by josephg

    Can anybody give VNC advice?



    [snip]

    Thanks for any advice!



    Hi Jose,



    I use VNC to work my Mac from the PC all the time. I have used an iMac G3 400Mhz and the speed was very good. Just got a Mini yesterday and the speed to my 2.8 GIG PC is very snappy (at 1280X1024.) There are no good VNC apps that let you run your PC from the Mac. I have two: VNCthing (If you can find it - and no longer supported) and Chicken of the VNC (very slow and colors are not right on the Mac screen.) VNCthing will also lock up the PC keyboard so that you can't type on the PC keyboard after about 20 minuets of use.



    The best VNC app is OSXvnc. Then control your Mac from the PC. With TigthVNC on the PC. You have the option to scale the screen of the other PC/Mac your controlling. Very nice if you are useing a much bigger screen on your Mac than you have on your PC.



    I haven't checked lately, and there may be a new Mac version of the of VNC client. Would be great if there was one as nice as TightVNC. The Mac seems to lack in this area unfortunately!





    -Scott
  • Reply 4 of 11
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Microsoft RDC and VNC don't even compare; if you have XP Pro, use RDC.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    scott_rscott_r Posts: 98member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by chych

    Microsoft RDC and VNC don't even compare; if you have XP Pro, use RDC.



    Hi chych,



    RDC = Remote Desktop Client?



    Is this Apple software?



    Where do you get a copy to try out?



    -Scott
  • Reply 6 of 11
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by scott_r

    Hi chych,



    RDC = Remote Desktop Client?



    Is this Apple software?



    Where do you get a copy to try out?



    -Scott



    RDC in this context is Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection (as posted by Karl Kuehn up top). Allows you to run a session from a Windows XP Pro computer on your Mac/PC.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    josephgjosephg Posts: 111member
    Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm gonna try it out, will report back.

    J
  • Reply 8 of 11
    cj3209cj3209 Posts: 158member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by josephg

    Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm gonna try it out, will report back.

    J



    Well, I've tried RDC successfully controlling my work XP notebook from a PB but that's within our work firewall and LAN. When I try to connect outside the firewall, it won't connect.



    Also, I have a WLAN at home and I can use RDC successfully but ONLY WITHIN the WLAN. Whenever I go outside my local WLAN, I cannot seem to connect to my XP notebook. I tried configuring my wireless router to accept a port forwarding request but it still doesn't work.



    Anyone have any solutions as to why RDC doesn't work for me outside my LAN?



    Thanks, in advance.



    CJ

  • Reply 9 of 11
    josephgjosephg Posts: 111member
    So, I tried RDC this weekend...got it up and running fairly painlessly, which was a real surprise, but found it lagged too much to be usable, at least for AutoCAD. The delay was way too long, and besides, the AutoCAD cursor doesn't show up, so it's a virtually blind interface.



    Kinda figured this was going to be the case, but thought I'd try it anyway. Thanks for all the advice, though! Who knows?--RDC might come in handy for something else down the line.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    skatmanskatman Posts: 609member
    Quote:

    So, I tried RDC this weekend...got it up and running fairly painlessly, which was a real surprise, but found it lagged too much to be usable, at least for AutoCAD. The delay was way too long, and besides, the AutoCAD cursor doesn't show up, so it's a virtually blind interface.



    Unfortunately RDC for Mac OSX is crippleware. It has all sorts of artifacts and display issues.



    Quote:

    Anyone have any solutions as to why RDC doesn't work for me outside my LAN?



    What exactly is the topology of you lan setup and what port number are forwarding? Are you using DHCP for the XP computer you're trying to access? If yes, have you reserved a specific address for your XP computer such that DHCP server serves the same address every time?
  • Reply 11 of 11
    cj3209cj3209 Posts: 158member
    What exactly is the topology of you lan setup and what port number are forwarding? Are you using DHCP for the XP computer you're trying to access? If yes, have you reserved a specific address for your XP computer such that DHCP server serves the same address every time? [/B][/QUOTE]



    Thanks for the advice, skatman. Those are some very good questions which I will address.



    Thanks, again.
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