How to hide computer on network in finder sidebar?

[Cavara34]

I'm using a shared network and I'm seeing unknown devices in my finder sidebar under 'shared'. Clicking for info returns nothing. I've read something about bonjour signals, but I'm not sure what that is.

What I want to know how to do is prevent my own devices from appearing in other peoples' 'shared' section, or elsewhere. Not just to prevent access to the contents of the devices, which I think turning off all sharing options ensures, but to prevent the visibility of the device there itself.

I've read that bonjour changed with Yosemite such that it's no longer easy to modify (assuming this is what I need to do).

Any solutions? Thanks.

 

[redheeler]

Turning off all the sharing options will prevent your Mac from showing in Finder under "Shared" or "Network", but of course you'll still be discoverable by your IP address on the network. You can hide "Shared" in your own Finder sidebar by hovering over it and clicking "Hide".

 

[Cavara34]

Turning off all the sharing options will prevent your Mac from showing in Finder under "Shared" or "Network", but of course you'll still be discoverable by your IP address on the network. You can hide "Shared" in your own Finder sidebar by hovering over it and clicking "Hide".

Thank you. And turning off sharing options simply means all the boxes in the left-hand column in the 'Sharing' section being unchecked and limiting access to 'administrators' on the right-hand side?

A few related follow-up questions, if you don't mind:

I can't connect to an unknown device that appeared in my sharing section, presumably meaning they have their sharing options deselected. But then why can I still see them? My assumption was that this meant I was also visible to others, even though they couldn't connect to my computer.

Secondly, when I read about people looking for methods to disable bonjour signalling on their Mac, is this what they're trying to accomplish: not broadcasting themselves on a network somehow? I keep reading that foreign devices under 'shared' might be 'bonjour computers', but I don't know what that means.

Lastly, I have a popular VPN application I use to hopefully disguise my IP address and keep me from being discoverable that way. And yet I also use an IP scanner and what I've found is that my computer is listed twice: once with the VPN address, once with the real one. I assume this means that anyone with an IP scanner could see both? I took this up with the VPN provider and they had no answers.

 

[Cavara34]

Any other info on the above from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cavara34]

Could anyone kindly explain just why it is that I can see other peoples' devices in my 'shared' section in Finder but can't connect to them (presumably meaning their sharing options are deselected)? This is why I think I can be seen but not connected to by them for some reason that turning off sharing doesn't solve.