How to access more than one client computer behind router

Question

I am new to ARD and have successfully logged on to a client machine at the office. I would like to access another machine behind my router. I am using pors 3283 and 5900 to access initial computer which works find. Can it be done with another computer. I have a fixed IP and run an ethernet network. Not sure what else I can tell you. Hope somebody can help?

Answer 1

If your workstations get their addresses from an NAT device rather than being "real", the ports also need to be forwarded in the router to the workstation's internal IP address. ARD uses port 3283 for the reporting and updating function, so if your Macs are getting their IP addresses through NAT, since you can only forward a port to a single workstation, as of today you can only get reports, push package/files to etc. for a single workstation.
ARD uses the VNC protocol for observation and control, though, and there are a range of IP addresses for that protocol, starting with 5900. ARD uses 5900 by default, so that port would be forwarded to the first workstation. You would, I believe, need to install VNC servers on the systems (since the ARD client cannot listen on any port other than 5900 while VNC servers can be set for other ports such as 5901, 5902, etc. You would then forward 5901 to the second workstation (and on to 5902, 5903, etc.). You can then use the following information:
Remote Desktop 2: How to specify a port number for a VNC client
to connect.
The only other options available now are: 1) to run the ARD administrator on a workstation on the network, and then take control of that system from outside, either via VNC or another copy of ARD, or 2) set up a virtual private network (VPN) so that when you connect from outside, your admin system is officially part of the local network.
Hope this helps.