Help getting my Macs to see each other on network and connect

[stanw]

I use to be able to share files from my iMac to my MacBook Pro, though something happened and either he iMac does not show as an available device on my network or when I click on the iMac and try to connect it never works.File sharing is still turned on with the iMac and I turned it on and off and both computers have been restarted multiple times. What else can I try doing or look into. They are both running High Sierra.

I just turned the share files and folders using SMB on and off and the same with AFB

In the sharing window it shows two accounts under Windows File Sharing, not sure if this is relevant or not, though when I click on the second account it asks me for a password to enable sharing using SMB and I have no idea which password this is?

I went into Network preferences for both computers and when I view the Wi-Fi connected IP it is the same on both computers except the last two digits, what does this mean and is this my problem?



Thanks.

 

[freqrider]

Each computer should have a unique IP address, so you’re ok. TcpIp, the protocol for networking, is inherently buggy. Always has been. Sometimes you have to reboot the computers so they are recognized by each other. Do a Command, k and type in the IP address of the computer you wish to connect to. If that still does not work, you may have a firewall issue. Check your router’s settings.

 

[Brian33]

Hmm. Seems like you have it set up right. The Windows File Sharing stuff is irrelevant -- I would uncheck both accounts under that.

It is normal for the IP addresses to differ in just the last two digits, so that's OK (this indicates they are both on the same "subnet" which is what you normally want).

The iMac should show up in the finder window; when it does and you try to connect you say it doesn't work -- what happens? Nothing, or asks for password, or gives error message?

You might try enabling file sharing on your MacBook Pro, and see if that shows up in the iMac's finder and see if that works. Might give us a clue as to what's wrong.

Is your home network router an Apple device or something different, maybe supplied by your ISP?
[doublepost=1554846717][/doublepost]Now I'm wondering about the IP addresses and what you mean. You say

the same on both computers except the last two digits

IP addresses are four numbers separated by "dots" (period characters), like "10.0.1.22"

Only the last number (in this case the "22") should differ -- the first three numbers (10 and 0 and 1 in my example) should be the same. That would indicate that the machines are on the same subnet. So 10.0.1.2 and 10.0.1.137 would be on the same subnet as 10.0.1.22 and therefore OK for file sharing.