Molson2043

Q: What does the (3) signify in a network connection

I've noticed that sometimes I will see a Mac connected on a network with a parenthesis designation after it's name, as in Bob's Mac(3).

 

What does the (3) signify?

 

Can this be a cause or a clue to network issues?

 

If so, what would be the cause or the clue.

 

Thanks,

 

M.

iMac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Jun 30, 2016 2:36 PM

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Q: What does the (3) signify in a network connection

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  • by Camelot,Apple recommended

    Camelot Camelot Jun 30, 2016 7:57 PM in response to Molson2043
    Level 8 (47,233 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 30, 2016 7:57 PM in response to Molson2043

    Typically this means that it's the third incarnation of "Bob's Mac" that your system has seen.

     

    The sidebar gets populated with available servers on the local network. Over time the OS tracks which servers its seen but if it sees a machine with the same name as another device but, for whatever reason, it doesn't think it's the same device, it appends an integer to the server's name.

     

    Typically this would indicate that there are three machines on the network called "Bob's Mac", but it could also be a flaw in the heuristics that make the OS think that it's not the same "Bob's Mac" as was seen earlier (either due to a bug, maybe a system upgrade, etc.)

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jul 1, 2016 11:09 AM in response to Molson2043
    Level 10 (207,926 points)
    Applications
    Jul 1, 2016 11:09 AM in response to Molson2043

    There are several possible causes for this behavior.

    1. Two (or more) computers on the local network have the same Bonjour name, such as "X's-MacBook-Pro.local". Please resolve the name conflict by renaming one or more of them in the Sharing preference pane.

    2. You have two physical connections to the same local network, probably Ethernet and Wi-Fi. In that case, either disconnect the Ethernet cable or turn off Wi-Fi.

    3. A Mac wakes from sleep due to network traffic. This is a bug in OS X that may only affect some models. You can avoid it as follows:

    Open the Energy Saver pane in System Preferences and unlock the settings, if necessary. Select the Power Adapter  tab, if there is one. Uncheck the box marked

              Wake for Wi-Fi network access

    if it's checked.

    4. A third-party wireless router has incompatible settings or firmware. In that case, refer to the manufacturer or ISP for support. Restarting the router may help, temporarily.

    5. If the router is an Apple device, it may need to be restarted.

    6. A Bonjour device on the network is misconfigured or malfunctioning. Finding out which is a process of elimination.

    7. There is more than one DHCP server on the network. Typically, there would be two or more wireless access points configured to act as routers.

    8. See this support article. The article refers to OS X 10.11 ("El Capitan"), but it's applicable to all versions of the OS.

    9. Back up all data. Make notes of your settings in the Network preference pane.

    Triple-click the line below on this page to select it:

    /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

              Services ▹ Reveal

    from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item named "SystemConfiguration" selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator password.

    Restart the computer and empty the Trash. You will need to recreate the network settings.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

              Go ▹ Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.