As much as I like Back to My Mac, despite its security hurdles that users must jump through… it has one thing that prevents me from using it. Ports!

Back to My Mac uses standard ports, ports for SSL and IPSec communication. Problem is, if you already have those ports routed, you cannot use the service at all. For example, Windows Home Server requires port 443 (SSL) to be used for logging into the server. As such, it forwards the port on the router to itself. This results in either BTMM or WHS not working. And there are just as many examples with folks using IPSec as there are with SSL.

The solution is rather trivial for Apple to implement. They simply need to pick two, unused ports, and designate them as “BTMM Alternate Ports”. In the .Mac settings, the user could check a box to “use advanced ports”, and that would alert the .Mac server to communicate to the Mac with those alternate ports. The .Mac server would then also tell other client systems to use those ports when resolving the client.

BTMM is a great service, and this workaround only works because BTMM exists, and uses the .Mac servers as a transparent DDNS service. But, Apple will need to implement it for this to work properly. Want it to happen? Head on over to .Mac Feedback and tell them (or just link back here)… they really do read each feedback.