Bonjour browser opens upon launching screen sharing

When users screen share with computers on the local network via the Finder, the sharing application will open and immediately connect to the desired computer. Alternatively, users can use the Finder's "Connect To..." option to enter a specific network address for VNC connectivity. However, some users are noticing that upon connecting a browser window opens that shows Bonjour names, and users must close this window manually.

Apple Discussions poster Mr. Moto writes:

"When I connect from my iMac to my MacBook using Screen Sharing, I immediately get the screen of my laptop and I can give any command I want. When I try to connect my MacBook to the iMac, however, I first receive an irritating interface, showing 'My Computers' and Bonjour."

Mac OS X's "Screen Sharing" feature is a stripped down version of the suite of VNC utilities Apple has developed for it's "Remote Desktop" computer management software. This software has many features that are by default not turned on, either because they are in development or because they are not necessary for most home users and could lead to bizarre screen sharing behavior if improperly used. One of these features is the "Bonjour" browser for screen sharing, which upon launching the screen sharing application will show a list of available computers on the local network. Apple keeps this off by default because the Finder automatically discovers computers on the network, and presents the option to share their screens by opening them in the Finder. Additionally, this feature is not fully debugged, and while it connects fine for some users, for others it causes screen sharing to load a blank screen.

Fix: Undo the bonjour browser settings There are several reasons why someone's screen sharing might have the bonjour browser enabled, but regardless of how it was enabled, entering the following command in the Terminal will change the settings to disable the bonjour browser (copy and paste if necessary):

defaults write com.apple.ScreenSharing ShowBonjourBrowser_Debug 0

To re-enable the browser, enter the command again with a "1" instead of a "0" at the end.

Resources