Sharing between Macs

[PaBear]

I am getting poor if not non-existent sharing & file exchange between two Macs.

They are:

A. i-Mac 21.5-inch, Mid 2011, High Sierra 10.13.4

B. Late 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro also on High Sierra 10.13.4

Using same Time Capsule for regular back-ups and wi-fi, both have Bluetooth selected and in use for mouse/keyboard.

Preferences>Sharing is set with the same choices on both (except for DVD/CD drive i-Mac to MBP) namely file, printer, remote login, Bluetooth.

The older I-Mac can see and reach the younger MacBook; MacBook cannot reach i-Mac though it is offered as a choice in Finder>shared. Message “Connection failed” appears.

When I reset and confirm Bluetooth is on and make and accept a fresh link, it works both ways for a little while but then MBP looking at i-Mac drops out almost straightaway.

I remember reading that with Bluetooth the age of any given Mac affects the ability to connect with another Mac of a different, usually later, build.

Could this be the root of the problem?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

You don't need Bluetooth Sharing enabled to share between the two Macs. That is used for other devices. You can use AirDrop (which uses Bluetooth for Bonjour discovery), or normal file sharing over Wi-Fi. AirDrop can be a bit finicky, and there are a couple of tips in this article under the section: How to share via AirDrop from a post-2012 Mac to a pre-2012 Mac.

I prefer simply using standard file sharing, by clicking the name of the Mac in the sidebar under Shared, authenticating, then having it mount as a network drive on the Desktop.

C

 

[PaBear]

Hello,

You don't need Bluetooth Sharing enabled to share between the two Macs. That is used for other devices. You can use AirDrop (which uses Bluetooth for Bonjour discovery), or normal file sharing over Wi-Fi. AirDrop can be a bit finicky, and there are a couple of tips in this article under the section: How to share via AirDrop from a post-2012 Mac to a pre-2012 Mac.

I prefer simply using standard file sharing, by clicking the name of the Mac in the sidebar under Shared, authenticating, then having it mount as a network drive on the Desktop.

C

Thanks, Cory. Again.

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries...I assume you found a working solution from that?

C

 

[PaBear]

No worries...I assume you found a working solution from that?

C

Yes, I can make contact & pass files between the MBP & i-Mac by selecting the appropriate remote machine on the sidebar. I don't, however, need to 'authenticate', a point you mentioned. I do get one or more folder icons appearing on the i-Mac desktop.
I note also that though the i-Mac is usually on H24, I cannot wake it this way from the laptop; I have to go & do the awakening manually. Of course, the MBP cannot be awoken with the lid closed. I don't understand the piece about mounting (I assume, the MBP) as a network drive on the Desktop. Again, I can't imagine that would that allow me to connect when the MBP lid is down.