Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
Back in 2004 , I covered AFS Monitor , a curriculum that helped you keep track of who ’s connected to your Mac via File Sharing . It was a useful utility , particularly since , unlike Mac OS 9 , OS X does n’t provide a commodious path to monitor File Sharing connector . Unfortunately , AFP Monitor has n’t been updated update in years , and I have n’t been capable to get it to forge 100 - percent faithfully under Snow Leopard ( OS X 10.6 ) . In addition , I always care it offer a menu - bar item to make it loose to keep an oculus on connections .
A courteous , Snow Leopard - compatible alternative is Sebastian Sparrer’sAFPStatus . This public-service corporation shack in your menu bar , displaying an OS 9 - similar file - share face icon that , fittingly enough , smiles when the File Sharing service is active and frowns when it ’s not . When another user or computer connects to your Mac via File Sharing , AFPStatus sounds an alarm , and the menu - legal profession icon change to showtwofaces ; the genuine card display the IP address of the connecting calculator .
AFPStatus ’ icon with File Sharing enable ( top ) and with a distant substance abuser connected ( bottom )
AFPStatus’ icon with File Sharing enabled (top) and with a remote user connected (bottom)
The program can also use Growl for connection and disjunction presentment , and you’re able to also opt for AFPStatus to announce those events using OS X ’s text - to - address feature ( although , because of the means File Sharing works under recent versions of OS X , you ’ll pick up such spoken alerts incessantly ) .
While file are being transfered to or from your Mac , AFPStatus ’ two menu - bar faces “ talk ” to each other — a cute item . AFPStatus also cater a utilitarian pick that foreclose your Mac from sleep if File Sharing users are tie ; its menu provides quick access to the Sharing dot of System Preferences ; and it keeps an leisurely - to - read log of File divvy up events .
regrettably , AFPStatus does n’t work on with Windows Sharing or other Sharing service , and the program ’s menu option to enable and disable File Sharing does n’t presently figure out because of changes Apple made to File Sharing in Leopard and Snow Leopard . Still , if you allow other people in your power or home to unite to your Mac via File Sharing , AFPStatus is a ready to hand way to cut across those connections .
