This brief guide is intended to help first time users of Timbuktu Pro quickly set up and establish a connection between two Macs over TCP/IP through a router running Network Address Translation. This is by no means a definitive guide. There are alternate ways of establishing a Timbuktu Pro TCP/IP connection. This guide only presents one of them.

What is Network Address Translation (NAT)?

Network Address Translation enables a Local Area Network (LAN) to use one set of one IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set of addresses for external traffic. NAT then translates the private IP address being used on an individual system, on a network, to a valid Internet IP address (the one on the router). Outbound connections to the Internet through a router that is running NAT should not be a problem when using Timbuktu Pro. However, inbound connections cannot be made, by default, due to the fact that the network uses private IP addresses which cannot be located on the internet. A connection can be made to a SINGLE SYSTEM that is behind the NAT router when proper configuring has been done.

Following are the steps to take before the connection can be made.

Establishing a connection:

Router Configuration-

In order for Timbuktu Pro to establish a connection to a system behind a router running NAT, a few things must be configured on the router itself:

1. First, the ports that Timbuktu Pro uses must be opened on the firewall to allow Timbuktu Pro traffic through. If there is a proxy server at either the guest's (controlling machine) or the host's (controlled machine) end, a Timbuktu connection cannot be made.

   Please refer to the following chart for a listing of the ports that Timbuktu Pro uses:

   Firewall	Mac to Mac connection (v5.2.x and higher)	Past Mac versions and Windows connections
   Connection (Handshaking)	TCP 407	UDP 407
   Control	TCP 407	TCP 1417
   Look	TCP 407	TCP 1418
   Send	TCP 407	TCP 1419
   Exchange	TCP 407	TCP 1420
   Chat	TCP 407	Dynamic TCP Ports
   Knock	TCP 407	Dynamic TCP Ports
   Invite	TCP 407	Dynamic TCP Ports
   Intercom	Dynamic TCP Ports	Dynamic TCP and UDP Ports

   *Note:

   -If you are connecting between systems that are running two different versions of Timbuktu Pro for the Mac, or between a Windows machine, please use the ports listed above for previous versions.

   -Most users do not want to export services for the Timbuktu Pro services that require dynamic ports. In order to utilize those services, all dyamic ports must be exported.

2. Once the ports have been opened on the firewall, you must set up the exporting of Timbuktu services on the router.

   What is exporting services?

   This is a configuration of the NAT router that routes any inbound traffic, on the ports used by Timbuktu, directly to the one host behind that router that you want to reach.

   For instructions on configuring your router, you can check our list of routers in which we have provided instructions for configuring Timbuktu Pro through. If your router is not listed at the link below, please consult your router manufacturor or user manual

   http://www.netopia.com/support/howtodocs/router.html

   *Note: In order for exporting services to work, you must have a static IP address assigned to the host (system being controlled) as well as the router itself.

Timbuktu Pro Setup-

1. Once the router has been configured, then Timbuktu Pro security and preferences must be set up in order to access the system.

   For directions on configuring Timbuktu Pro for a TCP/IP connection, please see our "How to setup a TCP/IP connection for Timbuktu Pro for MacOS" document at the following URL: tcpip.html

2. Once the router and Timbuktu Pro have been configured, a connection can be established. When the guest is ready to connect to the host machine, select New Connection from the File menu.
3. Select the TCP/IP tab (it looks like a globe). Then you will enter the IP address of the router in the TCP/IP address field within the New Connection window.
4. From the Services menu, select a service (such as Send, Exchange, Control, or Look) with which you wish to open a session with the host Mac.
5. A login prompt will appear once Timbuktu Pro has connected to the host.
6. Within the login box, either enter in the username and password that you set up for yourself within the Visitor Privileges window or Ask for Permission.
7. Once you have been authenticated, a window will open up for the service that you selected

Is it possible to change the TCP contact port used by Timbutku Pro for Mac?

It is possible to change the TCP contact port used by Timbuktu Pro for the Mac. For instructions, please visit the following FAQ: tcpport.html