Cannot connect to other Macs since Mojave

[MissReena]

I have two iMacs (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) and one MacBookPro (15 inch, Early 2011).

Before I upgraded to Mojave, I could log in any of the computers from any of the other computers. For example, if I was on my iMac, I could see my husband's iMac and my MacBookPro listed under Locations in the panel on the left of the Finder window. All I had to do was click on the computer I wanted to connect to, click "Connect as" and use the administrator username and password from that machine, and I would have full access to everything on that computer.

Since the upgrade to Mojave, the computers do no show up under Locations on the left pane of the Finder window, and if I double click Network, then select the computer I want to connect to, the connection usually fails. On the off chance that the connection works, the only thing I have access to is any external hard drives that are connected to the other computer. I have no access to anything else. Not even the shared folders.

Has anyone else had that issue? And if so, have you been able to fix it? This is getting quite frustrating.

 

[FazzMac]

I have two iMacs (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) and one MacBookPro (15 inch, Early 2011).

Before I upgraded to Mojave, I could log in any of the computers from any of the other computers. For example, if I was on my iMac, I could see my husband's iMac and my MacBookPro listed under Locations in the panel on the left of the Finder window. All I had to do was click on the computer I wanted to connect to, click "Connect as" and use the administrator username and password from that machine, and I would have full access to everything on that computer.

Since the upgrade to Mojave, the computers do no show up under Locations on the left pane of the Finder window, and if I double click Network, then select the computer I want to connect to, the connection usually fails. On the off chance that the connection works, the only thing I have access to is any external hard drives that are connected to the other computer. I have no access to anything else. Not even the shared folders.

Has anyone else had that issue? And if so, have you been able to fix it? This is getting quite frustrating.

All the macs are upgraded to Mojave?

Also have you made sure on each machine that:
1. sharing options are enabled
2. A user has been added to the list of who can access the machine

When your able to connect if you want to make easier to access anytime, Select the server “Mac machine” your connecting to and go to “File” and select to “Add to Sidebar”

You can also use the “Connect to..” option and using the local IP address you can add it that way also, I used this for Mac and PC network connections.

 

[TomM1]

I used to screen share with a 10.11 Mac about a block away. After the Mohave upgrade that Mac has vanished from the Finder sidebar.

However, I can still connect 10.14 to a 10.11 on my home network.

 

[verdi1987]

I used to screen share with a 10.11 Mac about a block away. After the Mohave upgrade that Mac has vanished from the Finder sidebar.

However, I can still connect 10.14 to a 10.11 on my home network.

Back to My Mac was removed in Mojave.

 

[mpainesyd]

Try removing the login for the other Mac from your Keychain (you will need to enter the password again when first connecting to that Mac). I found that Keychain became "confused" by the Mojave update.

 

[MissReena]

All the macs are upgraded to Mojave?

Also have you made sure on each machine that:
1. sharing options are enabled
2. A user has been added to the list of who can access the machine

When your able to connect if you want to make easier to access anytime, Select the server “Mac machine” your connecting to and go to “File” and select to “Add to Sidebar”

You can also use the “Connect to..” option and using the local IP address you can add it that way also, I used this for Mac and PC network connections.

The two iMacs are updated, the MacBook is not at this point.
I do have sharing options enabled.

I never had to add extra users before. When I try to connect to the other computer, I always just used the administrator password for that computer. For example, if I was trying to connect to my husbands computer, I would use his login credentials in the "Connect as..." screen.

Thank you for the sidebar tip. If I ever get this working, I will make sure to do that.

I have not tried the IP address connection. I will give that a try.
[doublepost=1551458257][/doublepost]

Try removing the login for the other Mac from your Keychain (you will need to enter the password again when first connecting to that Mac). I found that Keychain became "confused" by the Mojave update.

I don't save the passwords to the keychain, so I always have to enter the username and password when connecting to that mac.

 

[MissReena]

So I am on a chat with Apple support right now, trying to figure this all out. Looks like they are going to have their engineering department investigate and get back to me. Once they finally understood that I was not using Back to My Mac, Apple Remote Desktop, or screen sharing, they were stuck on how to help.

It is almost like the person I am talking to had no idea that you could use Finder to access the files on the hard drive of another computer on your network.

As of today, I can use Finder to connect to my iMac from my husbands, and to my iMac from my MBP. But trying to access his computer only shows me the external hard drive connected to it, and trying to access my MBP fails to connect.

It would make more sense if none of them worked, but some of them working and some of them not is frustrating.

Will update if I hear back from them. In the meantime, feel free to let me know if you have any other suggestions, or if this has happened to you, and if you were able to fix it.

 

[MissReena]

SOLVED

So after a long chat session, and then a long phone call with a very friendly and funny Apple represenatative, we have solved the issue. One solution was almost a facepalm type of thing, while the other is a bit more annoying. Posting in case anyone else has an issue like this.

For the two iMacs, we had to go into sharing and uncheck the File Sharing. Once the machine disappeared from the Finder window on the other computer, we rechecked it. Once we could see it again in the Finder window, we could connect to it.

As for the MacBookPro, it can connect to the two iMacs, but the two iMacs cannot connect to it, because of some of the security features added to Mojave. And I cannot upgrade the MBP to Mojave, because it is a late 2011 model. You can only upgrade from mid-2012 and higher.

 

[TomM1]

SOLVED

security features added to Mojave.

So what are these security features added to Mojave?

 

[xaosnox]

This makes me so hesitant about Mojave. It seems like every OS release drops more features and makes things harder on the user in the name of "security". And it's things for which there is just non justification. The first was the widget at the top right of the Finder windows that let you quickly turn the tool and sidebars on and of with a click, and a command+opt click opened up the "Customize Toolbar" menu. Next, to adding your own shortcuts to the the toolbar. Then, no colors in the sidebar. Then, they got rid of the cmd+1,2,3,4 for the icon, list, column, and CoverFlow views. No reason for this. I have to go in and set up those key commands manually.

Now, no Back to My Mac, and it sounds like no screen sharing or remote access! Can that be real? I need to get into an old G5 server (from back in the days when a Mac was actually a productive, professional tool with a user-friendly and beautiful OS—now it is user vicious and looks like a toy made by color blind children in slave labor factories). It sounds like Mojave is total mess!

 

[circatee]

hmm, oddly, I used to be able to 'connect' to my Windows 10 desktop, from my iMac.
Based on this thread, I just tried, and it is not working (not recognizing the password for Windows and that account). I will have to research this...

 

[TomM1]

Screen Sharing is still there in Mojave, it's just not working outside my home network.

 

[MissReena]

So what are these security features added to Mojave?

I don't know. I was happy to get it working, so I didn't ask for any specifics. Especially once we realized that all we had to do was uncheck the sharing and then recheck it, and it worked with the Mojave machines. I might try another chat with them later to see if I can find out what the actual changes were that caused this
[doublepost=1551744608][/doublepost]

Now, no Back to My Mac, and it sounds like no screen sharing or remote access!

There is still screen sharing and remote access. It just cannot be done with Back to My Mac. They mentioned something in the chat about what you can use, but I don't remember exactly what it was. They are really quite wiling to help and answer questions if you contact them via chat or over the phone.

 

[harriska2]

I have a 2018 mac mini on 10.14.1 and it connects to our el capitan 2013 imac just fine to grab files and the 2013 imac on el cap connects to the 2018 mini on mojave perfectly to drop files and grab files. I just did all of that this whole week. In fact, I did it with the other 2013 imac on el cap that just got pulled apart to write over the hard drive for disposal. Our 2015 mac book pro is on el cap and also swaps files with mojave mini.

What is the laptop on?

Are you connecting via ethernet or wifi? Are you on the same network?

 

[MBAir2010]

when i upgraded, i had to check some sharing boxes and change setting in the security & privacy,
then the mini and macbook air became friends!
i hope this helps!

 

[TomM1]

when i upgraded, i had to check some sharing boxes and change setting in the security & privacy,
then the mini and macbook air became friends!
i hope this helps!

Which settings in security & privacy?

 

[MissReena]

What is the laptop on?

Are you connecting via ethernet or wifi? Are you on the same network?

The laptop is running High Sierra. And I have tried it on both the wifi and the ethernet.

Edit: The laptop will connect to my iMac at the moment, but will not connect to my husbands. And neither of our machines will connect to the laptop. When I open up the finder window and click on the laptop, it immediately says connection failed.
[doublepost=1552061463][/doublepost]

when i upgraded, i had to check some sharing boxes and change setting in the security & privacy,
then the mini and macbook air became friends!
i hope this helps!

I have the sharing boxes checks, but I do not see anything in Security & Privacy. What did you have to check there?

 

[harriska2]

I wonder if it is a wifi issue with the laptop.

 

[MissReena]

Okay, fun update... decided to try a few things today and here is what happened.

Tried to connect to my husband's iMac from my iMac - connection failed
Tried to connect to my MBP - connection failed
Tried to connect to my iMac from MBP - successful
Tried to connect to my husband's iMac from MBP - connection failed

Turned off File Sharing on my MBP, made sure it did not show under Networks, then turned it back on.
Tried to connect to my MBP from my iMac - successful

Turned off File Sharing on my husband's iMac and turned it back on
Tried to connect to my husband's iMac from MBP - successful
Tried to connect to my husband's iMac from my iMac - successful

As of this moment in time, the connections seem to be working. I have not connected to the MBP from my husband's iMac, but I never do that anyway, and he is playing WoW, so I only had enough time to turn sharing off and back on. He has an appointment later today, so I will try it while he is out, just to confirm that is what I needed to do.

How to tell if the connection is going to fail
The tech mentioned this on the phone the other day, and I was reminded of it today. If I open up the finder window and attempt to connect to the machine, and see that the top of the finder window says "Not Connected", then when I log in using the "Connect As..." button, I will get a connection.

But if I see the "Connecting..." and then it changes to the "Connection Failed" message, I need to do the whole trick of turning the file sharing off and then back on. This is a bit of a pain in the butt when my husband's iMac is concerned, because he is upstairs at the other side of the house, but at least for now it seems to be doing the trick.

I am going to contact Apple Tech Support again about this, because this only started when I upgraded the two iMacs to Mojave, so I think there is something going on with this update that is causing this.

 

[harriska2]

If the imacs stay on ethernet does the connections stay? What switch or router are you using for ethernet? Are both imacs connected to the same switch/router? I know when I had wifi network problems it came from my modem. I had to turn off wifi on the modem and add a router with wifi. Fixed the network problems.

 

[MissReena]

I wonder if it is a wifi issue with the laptop.

No, we tested that. Even when it was on the ethernet, with wifi turned off, it did not work. If you check my latest post, you will see that I got all computers talking to each other today, and shared some info on what I had to do to make it work, and how I can tell if I need to do it or not

 

[harriska2]

I’m on mojave 10.14.1. Don’t know if that makes a difference. Although I don’t have problems connecting to or from the mojave machine, my old windows 7 machine can’t see either macs but the new windows 7 does. I can connect all machines to the old windows 7. Go figure. The old windows 7 just needs to have the os re-installed.