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Odds and Ends: Some Macs have Bluetooth peer file browsing enabled by default; more

Odds and Ends: Some Macs have Bluetooth peer file browsing enabled by default; more

CNET staff
2 min read

Some Macs have Bluetooth peer file browsing enabled by default Brian Crowe reports that some Macs ships with the option to "allow other devices to browse files on this computer" turned on (located in System Preferences>Bluetooth>File Exchange)

He writes "I have not tried to browse files on another Bluetooth computer, so I don't know how File Sharing preferences factor into all of this. It is my philosophy, though, to tighten up every hole and open the holes deliberately. Apple recently seems to embrace this strategy, too. But this preference default is inconsistent with a conservative security strategy. Every user should uncheck this preference box until they want to use this feature."

This option was not enabled by default on our in-house PowerBook G4, but if it was on your Mac, please drop us a line at late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Comcast connection problems with eMacs, some Power Mac G4s Dennis DiGiacomo, Jr. reports problems connecting some eMacs and Power Mac G4s to Comcast's cable Internet service cropping up over the last month. He resolved the issue by installing a router - apparently creating the buffer necessary for a successful connection.

"Recently in the last 4 weeks we have seen a rash of new eMac's that will to connect to a Comcast Cable Connection. This morning was not any different... ordered a new eMac, plugged in Comcast and no deal... After extensive troubleshooting we have resolved the problem by adding a cable/DSL router between the eMac and Cable modem and works like a charm, except one has to shell out up to a hundred dollars extra to get a cable/dsl router.

"The amazing thing is that other computers mac and windows alike would connect just fine, but the eMac's and a few G4 Towers (Graphite & Quicksilver) would not...( resolved with installing a Sonnet PCI ethernet card), But they can file share through the ethernet ports to the other computers just fine and the eMac's even connected to Earthlink /Sprint DSL modems and Time Warner's Cable Connections with no problem...

"There apparently is an issue with comcast having recently made changes in their service.... for some bizarro reason the two devices won't talk with each other... But the Cable /DSL router fixed the problem acting a mediating entity."

Resources

  • late-breakers@macfixit.com
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