Q: how do I stop unwanted connections to my computer?  I have a firewall, 2 actually, but that doesn't stop my 13 year old from taking over my computer, locking it and generally being a pest.

In System Preferences>Sharing do you have all sharing turned off and are all incoming connections blocked in Firewall?

Be sure you turn off ALL varieties of Sharing in the sharing panel. If he uses the Terminal ssh interface to get in, the only way to keep him out may be to remove his account on your computer.

When there is no valid combination of username and password that could possibly allow him to log onto your computer, he can no longer do this using any mechanism.

Disable the guest account.

Open System Preferences > Users & Groups, click on Lock symbol to unlock, then click on Guest User and disable it.

Another thing you could try is to go into your router setup and change your WiFi key.

Kim

In system preferences security/firewall/ advanced. There is a check box at the top to block all incoming connection, except for basic internet.If you click the box it will block file sharing, screen sharing and some others. This along with the advise to turn off guest users may work. There is probably  a way in terminal to block it also(if you know his computer ip address) but I am not familiar with the command to do so. And as a side note,. If he has access to the router and can change and set a different static ip. He could bypass this.

Ciao.

I like the way you think.

Personally, I think that you should use a different strategy. Take away all of the 13 year old's computing devices. At first make it a week. If that doesn't work, make it longer.

Duane wrote:

 

Personally, I think that you should use a different strategy. Take away all of the 13 year old's computing devices. At first make it a week. If that doesn't work, make it longer.

Good idea. Even with handcuffs on, they could type.

Shmkabul wrote:

 

thanks, good answer but... I really want to figure out HOW he does it!

Sit him down and tell him that he will get his devices back when he shows you how he is doing it.

It sounds almost like he is using the "Back To My Mac" feature to lock your Mac. You can disable this setting in System Preferences -> iCloud. Are you sharing the same iCloud account with him? If so then he can probably re-enable it at any time.