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Nakahara Informatics Home > iGet > Support

iGet support

This page is the starting point for iGet support. If you have a problem, a question about using iGet, or need help setting up your Mac's network configuration, we have a several resources available to you.

• iGet Tutorials - There are several of these tutorials, which provide step-by-step help with more complex issues, such as networking, setting up dynamic DNS, controlling iGet with Automator, and more.

• The Frequently Asked Questions list below has quick answers for common questions.

• When those options are not sufficient, you can contact our support staff, who will be happy to try to help you with your question. You don't need to be a registered user, as we do make every effort to provide pre-sales support (although we do prioritize responding to existing users, of course). Normally, we will get back to you within one business day.

Network setup issues?

Troubleshooting the Mac's networking configuration is by far the most common kind of support issue we handle. Using iGet is delightfully simple. Setting up your network... not so much.

One reason it can be complicated is because everybody uses slightly different equipment. You might use an ISP supplied modem, or maybe an Airport base station bought from Apple. You might have cable, or DSL, or something else. Your IP address can be dynamic or static. So there are a lot of variables.

If you have a network-related question, please do check out our detailed tutorials.

iGet Frequently Asked Questions	Short Answer	#
What OS version does iGet require to run, and what version does it require on the remote side?	10.4, and 10.3, respectively.	1
Do I have to have a password set for my account on the remote Mac in order to connect with iGet?	Yes.	2
I don't have a password set on my Mac. Where do I set up a password?	The Accounts pane.	3
Our organization uses Open Directory to centralize account maintenance for a network of Macs. Do we still need to create an account for each user on each machine in order to use iGet?	No.	4
I want to connect to my remote Mac, but I don't know its "host name" or "IP address". How can I find out that information?	There are several ways...	5
Will iGet connect to Windows or Linux machines?	Not currently.	6
How can I join the beta test program for future versions of iGet?	Easily!	7
When using a slow connection such as a modem, browsing files gets slower when I am uploading or downloading in the background. Is there anything I can do to speed this up?	Yes.	8
Can I share files with other people using iGet, without giving them an account on my Mac?	No, but...	9
I don't have a static IP address at home. How can I connect to my home Mac from the road if the IP address keeps changing?	Use dynamic DNS.	10
How can I determine whether I have a static or dynamic IP address?	Ask your ISP	11
I cannot connect to my Mac at work, because it's behind a firewall. What can I do?	Use a VPN.	12
I cannot connect to my Mac, because it's behind an Internet sharing device (such as an Airport Base Station or Linksys box). What can I do?	Use port forwarding.	13

Q: What OS version does iGet require to run, and what version does it require on the remote side?
A: iGet requires you have Mac OS X 10.4 or later on your machine to use it. However, the remote side need not be so recent; iGet can connect to remote Macs running Mac OS X 10.3 or later.	1

Q: Do I have to have a password set for my account on the remote Mac in order to connect with iGet?
A: Yes. iGet runs its own custom protocol on top of SSH, which is provided by Mac OS X's built-in Remote Access service. The Remote Access service does not allow access for accounts without passwords, and with good reason. Opening up your Mac so that anyone can access it without a password would be a serious security risk.	2

Q: I don't have a password set on my Mac. Where do I set up a password?
A: You can set your password in the Accounts pane in System Preferences. From the Apple menu, select "System Preferences..." and then click on the Accounts icon. You will see a list of accounts; click on your account and input the password in the dialog to the right.	3

Q: Our organization uses Open Directory to centralize account maintenance for a network of Macs. Do we still need to create an account for each user on each machine in order to use iGet?
A: No. iGet's only requirement is that you have a login and password which will allow you to connect using SSH. This can be achieved using Open Directory, without setting up an account on each machine in your network.	4

Q: I want to connect to my remote Mac, but I don't know its "host name" or "IP address". How can I find out that information?

A: For a small local network, you shouldn't need to determine your hostname because each nearby Mac will appear in the "Local Network" section of iGet's connection dialog. If you want to see your hostname anyway, you can see it at the bottom of the "Sharing" pane in System Preferences.

If you are connecting across the Internet, the answer becomes more complex. In the case that your Mac's Internet connection has a dynamic (changing) IP address, you should use the hostname provided by a Dynamic DNS service (see separate QA).

If you have a static IP address, first ensure that you can connect to it by entering it in place of a hostname in iGet's connection dialog. Once you can connect, try to locate your hostname by using reverse DNS. There is an online reverse DNS tool at dnsstuff.com. Keep in mind that some hosts don't have a reverse DNS entry, and for others, the name in reverse DNS will not work because it does not map back to the same address. The dnsstuff.com site will help you determine which situation you're in.

If all else fails, you may have to ask your ISP or network administrator for your hostname.

Q: Will iGet connect to Windows or Linux machines?
A: The current version of iGet is focused on Mac-to-Mac file transfers. iGet uses a custom protocol to support the Mac filesystem and to optimize speed. However, we may add support for cross-platform protocols (such as SFTP) in the future. We're interested to hear if cross-platform transfers are important to you; if so, please contact us and let us know.	6

Q: How can I join the beta test program for future versions of iGet?
A: We offer all registered users of iGet the opportunity to join the pre-release test program for future versions. If you are interested in being one of the first to see the next version, and you have purchases a license, visit our software test program sign up page for details.	7

Q: When using a slow connection such as a modem, browsing files gets slower when I am uploading or downloading in the background. Is there anything I can do to speed this up?
A: In the current version of iGet, fully taxing a relatively slow connection (such as a modem) for a file transfer does slow down the listing of folders. A workaround is to make an additional connection to the same remote Mac. A future version of iGet will likely improve this, and make this workaround unnecessary.	8

Q: Can I share files with other people using iGet, without giving them an account on my Mac?
A: No. iGet leverages the Accounts system built-in to OS X, and therefore gains filesystem permission enforcement from the OS itself. Thanks to this, iGet is as secure as OS X, but you must create an account to allow someone else to connect to your Mac. We recommend that you create a non-administrator account for visitors.	9

Q: I don't have a static IP address at home. How can I connect to my home Mac from the road if the IP address keeps changing?
A: You can connect to a Mac with a dynamic IP address if you set up dynamic DNS service. Dynamic DNS service will provide you with an internet hostname for your Mac, such as example-mac.no-ip.com. Once you have such an address, you can connect to it using iGet. One popular dynamic DNS service is no-ip.com. There are many free and low-cost dynamic DNS services available.	10

Q: How can I determine whether I have a static or dynamic IP address?
A: You should ask your ISP or network administrator. Most low-cost DSL and cable Internet connections use a dynamic IP address. Corporate networks often use a mix of both static (public) addresses and dynamic addresses behind a firewall.	11

Q: I cannot connect to my Mac at work, because it's behind a firewall. What can I do?
A: We recommend setting up a VPN connection to your office; Mac OS X 10.3 and later have VPN support built-in. Contact your firewall administrator and ask about getting a VPN account. Once you are connected to your office with a VPN, you can use iGet to connect to your work Mac as if you were at work. Frankly, VPNs are the bomb!	12

Q: I cannot connect to my Mac, because it's behind an Internet sharing device (such as an Airport Base Station or Linksys box). What can I do?
A: You should set up port-forwarding on your router. iGet requires access to the SSH port on your Mac (port 22), so this port must be "forwarded" through the router to your Mac. You can find help on this topic for an array of router devices at portforward.com. You may also need to set up dynamic DNS service, unless your router has a static IP from your ISP.	13