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According to LocalSend docs these are the ports that need to be opened: Multicast (UDP) Port: 53317 Address: 224.0.0.167 HTTP (TCP) Port: 53317 AFAIK macOS firewall is app-based, at least in the GUI. So depending on how you installed LocalSend, you may have to add it to the list of allowed apps: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mh34041/mac
You may be able to add the ports above to /etc/pf.conf manually, but AFAIK messing with pf on macOS is not recommended.
The other thing I wanted to ask is about Vallum. If you have it running on that Mac, would it not “take over” the macOS firewall?
i will try these when i go back.
what do you mean by “take over”?
i prefer vallum as it permits more precise rules. macOs firewall is just an on/off switch and by default gives permission to all apple processes
Why not SMB?
smb?
If you don’t know what SMB is, it’s probably a bad idea for you to turn off the Mac firewall. You don’t know enough about this stuff to be monkeying around back there.
You can theoretically set up actual network shares that are readable by both devices which will solve your problem and not require any messing around with the firewall at all.
i’m not an apple customer, mac user. I won’t be. Whenever i try to do something on macOs, i am surprised by how closed everything is.
I don’t want to learn more than what is necessary about macOs.
How do i “set up actual network shares” on macOs?
And what can happen if i turn off macOs firewall and keep Vallum instead?
SMB is not an Apple specific thing, it’s a standard file sharing protocol.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mh17131/13.0/mac/13.0
thanks
will reply to this in a couple of days when i go back there and show how it may work
I got a feeling it’s probably quite a bit risky. Isn’t it possible to get another firewall made by a third party?
vallum is the third party firewall
Why don’t you tell us what problem you’re trying to solve. I run a lot of things on my Mac and I’ve never had to mess with the firewall.
He wants file transfers between MacOS and Android. It can probably be done with a LAN file share but he’s using some kind of random app to do it.
like i wrote, it’s not what i need to do, it’s what “a non geek friend” can do.
would a LAN file share be easier to explain to somebody who would rather dropsend it because they make it “soooo easy”?
Then tell them to get an iPhone and they can use AirDrop.
A LAN share is easier than whatever you’re doing now. You’re here asking how to deal with the firewall when you could have set up the network share in ten steps, and never once needed to touch the firewall.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mh17131/13.0/mac/13.0
but why shouldn’t i touch the macOs’ firewall? Why is it a bad idea?
So, if you’re a typical Mac user, you really don’t need to enable the firewall. But, if you’re doubting the advice here or just feel better with it enabled, you’re also free to enable it. Typical Mac users probably won’t notice many (or any) issues after enabling the firewall. Everything should continue working normally.
In summary, a firewall isn’t really necessary on a typical Mac desktop, just as it isn’t really necessary on a typical Ubuntu Linux desktop. It could potentially lead to more hassle with setting up certain network services. But, if you feel more comfortable with it on, you’re free to enable it!
https://www.howtogeek.com/205108/your-macs-firewall-is-off-by-default-do-you-need-to-enable-it/
https://appletoolbox.com/mac-firewall-what-is-it-do-you-need-it-how-to-use-it/
When you shouldn’t use the firewall
Of course, there is a reason that Mac has its firewall disabled by default, and that’s that most users will never need it. If you don’t download apps over the internet too often and you vet them before downloading them, and if you’re not a developer, you should be fine.
wouldn’t it be better to tell them to install linux on that macbook? (like they would listen to me)
get localSend to work, like i wrote
Whitelisting localSend doesn’t work?
i tried, it didn’t work