To log in to your macOS computer remotely over Meshnet, enable remote access on your macOS system and use a remote desktop client on the device from which you connect.
Before you begin
Make sure that:
Both the macOS device you wish to access remotely (remote Mac) and the device you're using to connect are .
Your remote Mac is on.
Also, it's a good idea to look up the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the Mac you're connecting to in your NordVPN app. To copy this information for later use, go to Meshnet, click the device’s Nord name or IP address, and choose to copy it.
Set up your remote Mac for access
Before attempting a remote connection, it's crucial to set up your remote Mac to allow these connections.
Enable screen sharing or remote management:
Select the Apple menu > System settings.
Navigate to General, and select Sharing.
Do any of the following:
For basic tasks, under Content & media, turn on the Screen sharing toggle.
For more advanced control, such as installing software, under Advanced, turn on Remote management.
Next to the toggle, click the Info button.
In the Password field, enter a secure password that will be used to authenticate the connection.
Click Done.
Tip
Enable screen sharing or remote management:
Navigate to General, and select Sharing.
Do any of the following:
For basic tasks, turn on the Screen sharing toggle.
For more advanced control, such as installing software, under Advanced, turn on Remote management.
Tip
Do any of the following:
For basic tasks, select the Screen sharing checkbox.
For more advanced control, such as installing software, select Remote management.
Tip
Connect to your remote Mac
If you are looking to establish a remote connection between two Mac devices, the macOS Connect to Server feature offers a straightforward solution.
On the Mac you are connecting from:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the Mac you want to access.
In the Server address field, type vnc:// followed by the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the Mac you want to access and click Connect.
Example
When prompted, enter the name and password of your account on the Mac you're trying to access.
Click Sign in.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac over Meshnet.
On your local machine, perform the following steps:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the Mac you want to access.
Launch NoMachine and select the Add button to create a new connection.
Fill in the following information and, in the upper-right corner, click Add:
In the Name field, enter a custom name for the connection.
In the Host field, paste the copied Nord name of the Mac you want to access.
Example
Double-click the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select OK to proceed.
Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
Username: your remote Mac's account name
Password: the password you use to log in to your remote Mac
Example
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using NoMachine over Meshnet.
Add a remote connection
On your mobile device, perform the following steps:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
Open NoMachine and select the Add button, represented by a computer icon with a plus sign, in the upper-left corner to create a new connection.
Ensure that NX is selected as the protocol and tap Continue.
In the Host field, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the computer you want to access, and then select Continue.
Keep the default options for Authentication and Proxy.
Optionally, in the Name field, provide a custom name for the connection and tap Done.
Access your remote Mac
On the NoMachine main screen, double-tap the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select OK to proceed.
Enter your remote desktop credentials and select OK.
Username:your remote Mac's account name
Password:the password you use to log in to your remote Mac
Example
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using NoMachine over Meshnet.
Note
The instructions below use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as an example.
Install Remmina
If you don't have Remmina installed on your system, install it using one of the methods described below.
Open Terminal.
Update the package manager list of available packages by running the following command:
sudo apt update
Install Remmina by entering this command:
sudo apt install remmina -y
In the search bar, enter remmina and select the matching result.
Click the Install button.
Add a remote Mac connection
In the terminal, run the nordvpn meshnet peer list command and copy the Nord name of the device you want to access:
Click the New connection profile button in the upper-left corner of the app window.
From the Protocol dropdown list, select Remmina VNC plugin.
Under Basic, enter the information to create a reusable connection.
Server: the Nord name of the Mac you want to access.
Username: your remote Mac's account name.
User password: the password for the specified username.
Example
Click Save.
Access your remote Mac
Double-click the new connection profile you've created.
Accept the certificate presented by the server to verify that you trust the computer you are trying to access.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using Remmina over Meshnet.
Alternative remote desktop tools
If you prefer, you can use other remote access software like AnyDesk.
Using AnyDesk
For this setup, you won't need remote Mac account credentials. Instead, you can use either manual approval on the remote Mac or set up a dedicated unattended access password.
Optional: Enable unattended access with AnyDesk
In the menu bar, click AnyDesk > Preferences.
From the menu on the left, under Security, select Access.
Under Unattended access, click Set password.
Enter a secure password that will be used for authentication and click Change password.
After applying the changes, you can connect to the remote device without having to manually accept the connection request.
Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux
On your local machine:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the Mac you want to access.
Launch AnyDesk you installed earlier.
In the remote address field at the top, enter either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote Mac and click Connect.
In the Authorization dialog that appears, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote Mac and click OK.
Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote Mac to accept the connection request manually.
Connect from Android or iPhone/iPad
On your mobile device:
In the NordVPN app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
Open AnyDesk you installed earlier.
In the remote address field, paste either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote Mac and tap the arrow button to connect.
If you set up an unattended password on the remote Mac:
In the Authorization dialog, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote Mac and tap OK.
Optionally, you can select the Log in automatically from now on checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote device to accept the connection request manually.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Mac using AnyDesk over Meshnet.
Checklist for a successful connection
If you encounter issues while attempting to connect, check that:
See also
Have ready the name and password for the account you're using on your Mac.
You can find this information by going to the Apple menu > System settings > Users & groups.
Select the Apple menu > System settings.
Have ready the name and password for the account you're using on your Mac.
You can find this information by going to the Apple menu > System settings > Users & groups.
Select the Apple menu > System preferences and click Sharing.
Have ready the name and password for the account you're using on your Mac.
You can find this information by going to the Apple menu > System preferences > Users & groups.
Control-click Finder and choose Connect to server.
To connect to the remote Mac from Windows or Linux, first install the app on both your remote and local computers.
To connect to the remote Mac from Android or iPhone/iPad, first install the app on both your remote and local devices.
On Linux, you can use Remmina , which is a free remote desktop client available in the default repositories of many Linux distributions.
Launch App Center.
Launch the Remmina app that you installed earlier.
Once remote access is configured on the target Mac, install the app on both the Mac and the device you're connecting from.
By default, AnyDesk needs manual approval for incoming connections. To bypass this, you can enable the app’s :
