"Find Me Anywhere" Beta
Key Points
- We're beta testing a new service to let you run FarFinder and Webjimbo on Macs you normally can't get to — in offices, universities, etc. (see below for more detail). This is also helpful for home users getting a red light.
- It's free during beta testing. When it goes live there will be a small monthly charge to cover costs.
- This is beta software: it won't be perfect, but it'll also improve as we go. Please make sure you report any problems.
Download the FarFinder beta
Download the Webjimbo beta
In Detail...
What is it?
"Find Me Anywhere" is a service for people who would normally be unable to use FarFinder or Webjimbo because their Mac is somewhere "hard to reach". This includes:
- difficult home networks
- offices and other workplaces
- universities and schools
- student residences
- hotel networks (not in all cases)
- anywhere else where the network can't be configured to allow direct access from the internet
Also for home networks
"Find Me Anywhere" avoids the need for you to manually set up your router or modem.
If you get a red light when you first install FarFinder or Webjimbo, the app hasn't been able to set up your network automatically. Previously, your only option was to manually change the settings on your router and/or modem.
Now you have another option - use the Find Me Anywhere service and things will "just work".
What does it cost?
We are currently in a beta testing phase; during this time the service is free.
There will be a small monthly charge to cover costs once the new apps are released officially.
What should I expect?
This is a pilot scheme using beta software, so you should expect that it won't always run smoothly. We'll be looking at how the service runs, and making improvements as necessary.
It is very important that you report any problems you have, using the normal Contact Support mechanism. This is crucial to finding any faults and ultimately creating a good and useful service. Don't just assume someone else will do it!
Access will be slower than it would be if you were using FarFinder by normal means. This will always be the case to some extent, since all your traffic goes through a central server.
The application looks different! We're improving the UI; one of the main aims is to avoid confusion between your login details and your Mac (Find Me) name.
FarFinder / Webjimbo works fine for me now, free of charge. Can I keep using it as I am now?
Of course. Find Me Anywhere is an optional service to help people who cannot use the applications by normal means. If they are running happily on your network, great — nothing needs to change.
How does it work?
Normally, FarFinder sets things up so your Mac can receive connections from the internet. While this usually works for home networks, in other places it's often not possible to make the necessary changes to the surrounding network and firewall.
With Find Me Anywhere, your Mac connects out to a central server to make itself available. Later, when you connect to your Mac, all communication passes through this server. (Normally, communication is direct with your Mac.) This is a bit like how Skype works, for example. By avoiding the need for inward connections to your Mac we also avoid the need to configure the network, which means the apps should work in many more situations.
The only requirement is that your Mac can connect to the internet. But there may still be some cases where the app doesn't work; that's where you come in! Make sure you let us know if it's not working for you.