Devices cannot wirelessly find each other

[bdill12]

My apartment complex just changed the Wifi system on us. Suddenly the entire building has the same Wifi and there isn't a password on it.
When I connect to this new Wifi, my computers can't home share.
Are there certain types of networks that don't allow it? How can I get around it?
I have been searching all day, and every type I just get the same troubleshooting articles. I promise, I have checked them all and followed ALL the advice... Nothing.

Bonus question: what should I do to make my Internet browsing more secure? It makes me uncomfortable that our network now has no password.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Welcome to Mac-Forums..

Hmm, a shared WiFi with no security at all? That's hardly a smart thing. First and foremost you want to ensure you are not doing anything with your financial institutions..

Next, any and all transactions with your credit cards or other sensitive info should be done with an HTTPS:// connection to the site. Most browsers now put a green secure indicator in the URL bar to ensure that is the case.

One obvious solution to the security problem is to get your own Internet network and router and be safe..

Now far as the Home Share and stuff goes, it is definitely possible for them to block that based on ports.

If you look at this KB article, you'll see that iTunes Home Sharing uses TCP port 3689 and UDP port 5353 for operation. If the router used to make your complex WiFi available blocks these ports, you don't get Home Sharing. Since the router is out of your control, you can't really work around this unless you can configure iTunes to use different (open) ports for its communication and I don't believe that's an option, so you're stuck there..

To solve this problem as well, you might want to get your own Internet service and router..

 

[bdill12]

Thank you. I was afraid of that. Oh well. I'd rather be on my own little network anyway.

 

[harryb2448]

Yes that is the go and use WPA2 Personal as secutiry, with a 13 digit numeric/alphabetical password.