Sharing doesn't work for my two macs

Question

Sharing doesn't work for my two macs

I have two Macs-- an 201 iMac running El Capitan (10.11.60 and a 2015 Macbook running Catalina, (10.15.1).

File sharing works sometime, but very rarely. The iMac shares its internet connection over Wifi and the laptop can access the internet through that connection. Using the Network Browser, the iMac can see the laptop can see the laptop but the connection is denied. [See picture] The laptop can't even see the iMac.

I've read Apple's set up instructions and sharing should be working but it almost never does. I've gotten used to sharing files by Dropbox or Email despite the fact that the two computers are six inches away from each other.

Grateful for any help.

iMac 21.5", macOS 10.14

Posted on Nov 23, 2019 5:32 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

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118,227 points

Nov 23, 2019 6:05 PM in response to stufromhalifax

Do you absolutely need to use your expensive Mac as an awkward-at-best network router?

That’s likely at the root of the problem here.

Get a Wi-Fi router, connect that to the Internet, and then network the two Macs as clients of that router,

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Answer 2

Nov 23, 2019 7:43 PM in response to MrHoffman

True enough but my Adobe programs for desktop publishing wouldn't work on the newer system. I'd have to subscribe to Creative Cloud for programs that aren't much better than the ones I already own. I am thinking about biting that bullet but I'm not happy with being frog-marched down the road towards computers and systems that are supposed to be better but don't work very well. I tried a brand-new iMac recently and found it about 30 per cent slower than the one I have now because the hard drive is slower. So I tried a Mac Mini, supposedly much faster, but it won't connect to the Internet and Mac support people don't know why.

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Answer 3

Nov 24, 2019 6:06 AM in response to stufromhalifax

The world you want is not now and never will be possible, as security and networking makes that dream of app permanence utterly impossible. Systems that are truly isolated? Maybe. And I’m skeptical. For the rest of us that interoperate? Nope. We get to upgrade. Either as part of our security policies, or dragged forward when our accesses are blocked due to our older and exploitable security.

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Answer 4

Nov 23, 2019 6:14 PM in response to MrHoffman

Never thought of that-- thanks! I'll give it a try.

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Answer 5

Nov 23, 2019 7:09 PM in response to stufromhalifax

I’d look at upgrading that 201x-era iMac to something a little more current, too.

The oldest 2010 iMac can get to High Sierra, and various iMac models newer than that can upgrade further.

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Sharing doesn't work for my two macs

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