Introduction
This article will guide you through establishing a secure screensharing connection from a Mac computer (acting as a client) to a Windows 10 machine (acting as a server) using a VNC server and an SSH tunnel. This setup allows you to securely access your Windows 10 machine's screen remotely from your Mac, even when both machines are outside the local network.
Prerequisites
Ensure the following requirements are met before proceeding:
- A Windows 10 machine with a VNC server installed and running.
- A Mac computer with an SSH client, such as Terminal or iTerm2.
- A secure SSH server that both machines can connect to, such as a home router with OpenSSH or a third-party VPS provider.
Setting up the VNC Server on Windows 10
Install a VNC server on your Windows 10 machine, such as RealVNC or TightVNC. Make sure the VNC server is configured to start automatically on system startup, allowing incoming connections from your Mac client.
Setting up the SSH Server
If you don't have an SSH server already available, you can set up OpenSSH on your home router if compatible or use a third-party VPS provider. Follow the instructions specific to the SSH server that you choose.
Establishing the SSH Tunnel
On your Mac, open the Terminal or iTerm2 application and use the following SSH command to establish a connection between your Mac and the chosen SSH server:
ssh username@sshserver -L 5901:windows10_server_ip:5900 -N
Replace the following parameters with appropriate values:
username: your SSH account username.sshserver: the hostname or IP address of your SSH server.windows10_server_ip: the IP address of your Windows 10 machine.
Connecting to the Windows 10 VNC Server via the SSH Tunnel
After the SSH tunnel has been established, start the VNC client on your Mac and connect to it using the following address:
localhost:5901
This address instructs the VNC client to connect to the VNC server on the remote Windows 10 machine through the SSH tunnel created earlier.
This article has covered:
- Setting up a VNC server on a Windows 10 machine.
- Configuring an SSH server accessible from both the Mac and the Windows 10 machine.
- Building an SSH tunnel between the Mac client and the remote SSH server to securely forward VNC connections.