OS x 10.5 - shared - an unknown name - is someone using my computer

[tsmith85]

Hello,

I'm really confused and would greatly appreciate some advice.
i recently upgraded to 10.5 and within the Shared section in the side bar it shows a pc computer titled, 'thomson'

i do not understand this - is this someone using my internet connection, if so ** can i prevent this.

many thanks
Terry

 

[walkerj]

I get weird stuff popping up on my shared sidebar from time to time but every time I try to connect to them Finder informs me that it can't access whatever it thinks it sees. Since a recent reboot and update, however, I haven't seen anything pop up (unless I'm glomming off of some else's network, which depending on where I am I may do.)

I'd consider it to be a phantom, and see if it goes away on a restart.

 

[edgefusion]

I have the same thing! For the longest time I thought it was one of my housemates computers but when they all went away for Easter and it was just me and my friend left that computer (thomson) was still there. I thought that maybe one of the neighbours was hijacking our internet but the password is some random gobble-de-gook supplied by British Telecom so it couldn't be (that and it's *always* there in my sidebar).

I suppose it's just a bug but it's annoying as hel.l

 

[shfle]

You don't have a speedtouch router by any chance do you?

http://macosg.com/group/viewtopic.php?p=85342

 

[voiceofra]

Wouldn't happen to be on a WiFi node would ya?
My block has open, public/municiple WiFi access (provided by the county by way of the courthouse immediately next door. Niiice).
People come to the cafe next door, or while visiting the courthouse and use the WiFi. Occasionally, somebody's laptop shows up in my Finder window (some of the latest - "Hal9000" and "baby").
Sometimes browseable, sometimes not. On some occasions, I can actually view their Shared Documents, their entire C drive...other times I have read/write access (of COURSE I'm going to check that...). I once viewed somebodies Masters Thesis, their gradebook, not so public-consumable pictures *cough*
It's not an OS X bug, it's carelessness on the part of the other wifi users.

 

[Blizare]

haha. thats sweet.

 

[djs]

Hi,
I believe that Thompson is the name of the BT router, ie; its made by Thompson Ltd and it broadcasts its name over the network, wifi and macs pick it up and register it in the panel. My mac registers the BT vision box as well. Also made by thompson !! I use the ethernet rather than the wifi.

 

[Brown Study]

Probably this Thomson (as opposed to Thompson).

It owns that half of the world (including the RCA brand) and politicians not owned by Microsoft.

 

[walkerj]

Interesting aside. Back when I used to work for the company I used to work for, I'd take my Macbook every day to use for my own personal browsing, etc. because they have a more or less public wifi which employees would use a VPN to get into the company network if they were using wireless. I didn't VPN with my Mac opting instead to use the company issued Dell to VPN in to do actual work type stuff. However whenever I had iTunes open on my Mac occasionally this shared folder would pop up with the name "Keith's shared stuff" or something like that.

This was an actual shared iTunes folder that someone out there had, and in it were some of the most awesome hardcore porn I'd ever seen. Ironic. I never had anything of that nature on any company owned computer and *I*'m the one who got fired?

 

[tsmith85]

thats so annoying ive spent days changing passwords etc. i cant believe its just the bt hub broadcasting itself - its crazy that even from speaking to various BT mac support staff non of them seemed to even know this.

does anyone know how to get rid of this?

and why does it say that it is a PC user? i don't understand that

thanks for the responses

 

[mordecaijones]

Only a month late, but...

I had the same thing happen to me, only the shared file was full of destinys child and gay porn. At least the guy had sense enough not to put his name on the folder. After some googling I found this just a feature of itunes. Go to itunes preferences, under sharing you have the option to search for shared files or to share yours as well.
I guess it's interesting to see what your neighbors are up to.
hope this helps

 

[Dysfunction]

the ones in my shared list are bonjour shares of other Mac's on my local network and some windows shares. So yea, unless there's another shared device...