[schalliol]

We're installing a bunch of Minis in a remote manufacturing setting where we'll have only a few external IPs available. Does anyone know of a way to access all machines via Apple Remote Desktop over network address translation? Thanks!

[Angus_D]

VPN is probably the best solution.
You could set up SSH tunnels on the fly.
You could just set up the NAT so they are all on different ports.

[schalliol]

That's a good point, we could use port forwading if we don't end up going with a VPN. Has anyone actually used ARD for many computers over NAT?

[Tsilou B.]

I'd really go with a VPN. It's so much easier to configure and maintain. If you have an old, slow PC with Windows XP available, you can use that machine as the VPN gateway.Here you'll find instructions for configuring the PC. You'll then have to activate port forwarding only for that gateway PC. Then you'll be able to connect from your Mac that's outside the network to the gateway PC using the "Internet Connect" application.

This method is not only much easier to setup, it's also a lot more secure, because all traffic going through the internet will be encrypted.

[Kristoff]

You could always install ARD on one of the machines at the facility, then double connect.

That is, connect to it from external, then once connected, connect to the other ones.

Not sure if it would work, or how the performance would be, but there's only one way to find out :-D