Resolved Adding another local Mac to Finder Network locations?

[BeatCrazy]

EDIT: Solved! Please see post #7

I've done this in the past, yet apparently have forgot how to do this!

I have a few Macs on my local network, and I like to see/access them via Finder/Locations. I already have one listed (Mac mini 2014), but I'd like to add another in the same spot.

I've already turned on appropriate sharing permissions and can see the other Mac in the "Network" section. But I'd like it listed as it's own machine, just like the Mac mini 2014 shows up in this screen grab.

 

[bogdanw]

Can't you drag it there?

 

[BeatCrazy]

Can't you drag it there?

No, it won't drag. If I try and drag, it turns it into a shortcut and then can drop inside another location. But it can't become a 'root' location like the Mac mini 2014 you already see there.

 

[DarkPremiumCho]

It's strange that my MacBook Pro does not appear in the sidebar under Locations in Finder on my iMac running Ventura, which is the same issue as OP.

However, the iMac is visible on my MacBook Pro running Big Sur.

Both devices have the same sharing settings, and there do not seem to be any unusual firewall settings.

 

[Bigwaff]

List your Mac models w/model year and versions of macOS installed on each. There are numerous reasons older versions of macOS don’t display newer hardware icons in the Finder side-bar.

 

[BeatCrazy]

List your Mac models w/model year and versions of macOS installed on each. There are numerous reasons older versions of macOS don’t display newer hardware icons in the Finder side-bar.

Late 2014 Mac mini 12.6.5 (shows correctly)
2021 iMac M1 13.3.1 (doesn't show)
2022 Mac Studio 13.3.1 (host computer where the screenshots came from)

 

[BeatCrazy]

I believe I've found the solution.

First, ensure your Remote Login and Remote Sharing options are configured correctly. Not the same thing as Screen Sharing! In fact, Screen Sharing would be not applicable to what I'm trying to do here:

Next, this is where the real voodoo happens.

1 - you need to go into your Network locations, and find the Mac you're trying to connect to. Click that Mac.
2 - you want to use Connect As... not screen share
3 - Connect
4 - Ensure you're connected as a Registered User, with that Mac's login name/pw.
5 - Once you're connected, drill down to the user home folder of the connected Mac (this part is critical). This will cause it to pop over to your sidebar. It will have an eject option. You can press eject in your Locations sidebar, but the Mac will remain connected as long as it's booted up.

When you reboot devices, they will automatically reconnect so you see the destination Mac still in the host's Finder Network locations. To remove it, you probably just need to stop the Sharing preferences you set previously and it should disappear.

 

[Bigwaff]

I wrongly assumed you had enabled sharing to start with. Glad you worked it out.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I wrongly assumed you had enabled sharing to start with. Glad you worked it out.

I did have it enabled, you can see in my original screenshots. Step #5 (the drill down) is where I never went to.

I include the Sharing Steps as a requirement for people that either forget or may not know the initial steps.

 

[DarkPremiumCho]

This is indeed a fascinating discovery. I never expected Apple to have implemented a mechanism like this.