Access macbook via android phone/tablet - what works for you? yosemite/android 4.4

[wakkaday]

i want to be able to access my macbook via my android phone/tablet
i have read that es file explorer can do it via the sftp, but it doesnt recognise my macbook username / password

i use es file explorer as my main file manager on android and i have checked the guides/settings online but it doesnt connect...

when i use an app like airstream it (desktop client on mac) and the app on android, it works fine over the same local network...
but i would rather use a file manager to access macbook rather then another app / client running...

and also how would i send torrent files or other files that i want to download to my macbook (at home remotely) so it can download?

i have the latest virgin superhub as my router installed...

what are the best apps / client / clean interface...

please advise?

[Stephen]

As far as I know, android cannot read the file system of a Mac. Hence only being able to access using another app/client.

I found this myself after connecting a Mac formated USB HDD to my Note 3 and couldn't see any files. After searching the web that was all I could really find out.

So you will need to use a remote access client app.

[Hom3r]

I use a simpler option, that might suit you better.

I bought a NAS drive and access that remotely using the android app.

I also access from my PC.

I have all my music on it, plus a load of videos collected over the years.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Stephen

As far as I know, android cannot read the file system of a Mac. Hence only being able to access using another app/client.

Well duh, no device can remotely read the filesystem of any other device, unless you want to get into remote data recovery software and iSCSI. Even then you cannot access a filesystem it on two devices at a time as it would cause devastating corruption, again unless you get into things like clustered filesystems and Lustre.

Sharing and accessing files across a local or wide network NEVER involves directly accessing the filesystem. The only time it ever matters what file systems a device can read is when the storage medium is physically connected directly to the device. When accessing a laptop's drive from anything but the laptop itself, the filesystem is totally irrelevant. Hence what you can (or can't) do with a USB drive connected to your phone says nothing about what someone else can do with a not USB drive not connected to his not phone.

As for doing it without an app - not possible, practically everything on Android is an app, even the home screen is an app. What app (and protocol) you use depends largely on what you are trying to do. If all you want it to send torrent files for it to download you don't need any sort of file manager, you should install a torrent client with a remote access interface instead. Plenty of torrent clients are specifically designed to be accessed remotely, over any internet connection, or using a dedicated app. Such a system gives you a specialized interface that's far superior and is also more secure.

[Uncle Peter]

Originally Posted by wakkaday

i want to be able to access my macbook via my android phone/tablet
i have read that es file explorer can do it via the sftp, but it doesnt recognise my macbook username / password

Works perfectly fine for me

Screenshot_2014-11-09-23-45-48.png

Did you actually enable remote login to invoke the sftp daemon?

Is the account you are using to login a member of the Administrators group?

[ianch99]

If you enable File Sharing and then add SMB sharing for the specific shared folder via Options, you should be able to access the share from any SMB (read: Windows) compatible client. A lot of Android file manager apps have a SMB network addon/plugin ..

[Uncle Peter]

Originally Posted by ianch99

If you enable File Sharing and then add SMB sharing for the specific shared folder via Options, you should be able to access the share from any SMB (read: Windows) compatible client. A lot of Android file manager apps have a SMB network addon/plugin ..

This is fine in theory but cross-platform sharing became rather finicky once Apple started increasing the baseline for SMB (now SMB3.0 in Yosemite). Negotiating down from various implementations of SMB client invariably does not work properly.

Windows 7 needs to force NTLM2 responses to place nicely for example. ES File Explorer just does not play ball at all hence the op having sftp recommended as a means of connecting via Android device.

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

This is fine in theory but cross-platform sharing became rather finicky once Apple started increasing the baseline for SMB (now SMB3.0 in Yosemite). Negotiating down from various implementations of SMB client invariably does not work properly.

Windows 7 needs to force NTLM2 responses to place nicely for example. ES File Explorer just does not play ball at all hence the op having sftp recommended as a means of connecting via Android device.

That's good to know, many thanks. I have yet to upgrade to Mavericks or Yosemite so this was working for me ..

[wakkaday]

managed to do it
i had to disable firewall settings

but this only works on local network
is there a way i can work out if my WAKE UP LAN is working? i have installed the app and entered the macbook mac address but im unsure if its actually working

and also there is no way to access the macbook remotely is there from another network?

thank you

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by wakkaday

is there a way i can work out if my WAKE UP LAN is working? i have installed the app and entered the macbook mac address but im unsure if its actually working

Put it to sleep and see if it wakes up when you use the wake up function?