networking

Wi-Fi woes and connection conundrums

Reliable sharing My iMac and MacBook Pro already share access to my modem router, using an Ethernet wired connection and Wi-Fi, respectively. What’s the best way to share files regularly between them?

QMacs have many methods of sharing files, from ad hoc AirDrop over Wi-Fi, to iCloud Drive, which is ideal when you’re connected to the internet in another location, but inefficient on a local network.

If they’re already accessing the same modem router, the simple way is to turn File Sharing on for your iMac as a ‘server’, then connect to it from the MacBook Pro. In the Sharing pane, select the File Sharing item at the left, and add a shared folder such as your whole Home folder. Ensure you have Read & Write access to that in the list of Users at the

Aright, and check the box to turn file sharing on.

Note the Computer Name given there. On your MacBook Pro, open Finder’s preferences, and show Connected servers and Bonjour computers in the sidebar. Your iMac should then appear in the Finder sidebar.

If it doesn’t, use the Connect to Server command in the Finder’s Go menu to bring up the connection dialog. You can connect there by typing in the IP address of the server, in a form similar to smb://192.163.1.4. This is simpler when using fixed IP addresses, and SMB is now preferred over AFP.

Then enter the iMac’s user name and password, not that for the MacBook Pro. When you’re done, just eject that shared item, and turn File Sharing off. Share your whole Home folder, giving read and write access. Note that Macs now prefer SMB connections rather than AFP.