What is "home_network_ga"?

That’s a file server present on your local network.

Could be another computer with a file share enabled, a router or a network printer with a file share, some network-attached storage server of some sort, etc.

And if you want to start down the tools" path, fetch this (free) tool:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/discovery-dns-sd-browser/id1381004916?mt=12

invoke it, and you'll get an alphanumeric-sorted list of (some of) the local network activity.

In that list, find _smb._tcp. (Server Message Block over TCP/IP), and tap or click on the disclosure triangle to its left.

From that, you should get a list of local computers and devices (if any) offering a file share.

That's what Finder is looking when it reports a file share.

That's also the list of computers that you're going to be looking for.

In that list, you should see the file share.

Tap the disclosure triangle to the left, and you'll see the IP address for the file share host.

You may and probably will see that same host listed under one or more other sections of the display, other than the _smb._tcp entry. What else that device is offering can potentially help identify what that device is.

A file share is a computer, printer, network-attached storage (NAS) server, router, or some such other network-connected device (on your same network) that offers remote access into files resident on that server.

A file share client computer connects to the server offering the file share, and a user or an app on the client computer can then access the files and directories shared on the server offering the share.

System Preferences > Sharing > configure the file sharing server present in macOS

Download the Discovery DNS-SD browser from the Mac App Store (free), and use that tool to view what all is connected to your network. You’ll see at least one SMB file share (_smb._tcp. (Server Message Block over TCP/IP)), and may or will see other services associated with that same network-connected computer (or printer or router or NAS or whatever, same IP address), and those other services can help determine what device is offering the file share.

Download the ➡️ Discovery DNS-SD browser ⬅️ from the Mac App Store (free), and use that tool to view what all is connected to your network. You’ll see at least one SMB file share (_smb._tcp. (Server Message Block over TCP/IP)), and may or will see other services associated with that same network-connected computer (or printer or router or NAS or whatever, same IP address), and those other services can help determine what device is offering the file share.

Select and ⌘I on the entry in the left column of Finder, and see what that shows. You'll probably get a host name shown minimally, and maybe some other data.

Check the vendor documentation for the network-connected speakers, and for the router, and for whatever else is connected (other than the iPhone and the Mac you're using) and see if any lists file-sharing capabilities.

Otherwise, we're going to have to remotely inventory and troubleshoot your network, and that means learning more about command-line tools and likely installing apps to scan your network more easily.

greenapple50 wrote:

but can you delete it

You can disable the display of local file shares in the Finder sidebar (see the Finder Preferences), and you may be able to disable the file share itself on whatever network-connected device is offering it, but—unless you find and disable the share on the network device offering it—the share remains on your local network.

tupppi wrote:

Interesting.

I tried turning the display of each one off in turn, but none disabled the display of home_network_ga.

Does this tell us that it's neither a hard disc, an external disc, a CD, DVD or iOS device, a Bonjour computer nor a connected server (those are the items in the preferences list)? And if so, is there anything else that would fit into your definition of a "network connected device" which might be responsible for this thing being listed in my locations?

I think the list covers my phone, speakers and modem. What else could it be?

I don’t know what’s connected on your network.

The Bonjour tool will show what is being announced.

One of the items being announced on your network is a file server.

A file server can be a Windows or Mac computer, can be embedded in a network printer, even some Wi-Fi routers, or another device.

When I get back to the Mac tomorrow, I’ll look up the setting to remove the file share from visibility.

Hi thank you for your help - downloaded Discovery and that says there are only 2 devices - My Mac and my printer. Have had my printer for over 2 years and never noticed this home_network_ga before.

Suppose will have to live with it.

I am going to migrate to a new MacAir as current MacPro is 11 years old and really struggling, so wanted to clean up things.

Again thank you

Power down your printer, give it ~five minutes or so, and see if the PC-like icon disappears. Printers can and do present shares, depending on the model.

The two related Finder sidebar settings are Connected Servers and Bonjour Computers.

These control what computers and shares show up in the Locations section of the finder. If those two are not (when switching out of the sidebar settings) controlling the appearance of the PC-like display in the sidebar, (if not the printer) I'm left with something that's either not in the "location" section (which would be unexpected) or is running entirely locally on the Mac.

It nothing more than another’s computer. Nothing to worry about though, you computer is completely secure unless you grant it access.

but can you delete it