Could someone please point me to a good how-to FAQ on how to run a mixed PC/Mac network? I would love to add a Mac to my home PC network but I am not sure how easy or how hard it will be. Sure, both platforms run TCP/IP for Internet access; that's no problem. But what about file-sharing and printer-sharing? I want all my computers to be able to use all my peripherals. Is that so much to ask?
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
Originally posted by helenWhat versions of Windows are you running? Also are the printer(s) directly on the network (as in they got their own IP address)?
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
So you just want to add a mac, and have it be able to get to the windows shares, and use the printers on the widows boxes? No problem. This is what samba is for, and OSX has pretty good samba support. The only wrinkle you might run into is if you are running osx 10.2, you have to do a little hacking on the Mac to get it to work properly. Here's a tutorial link:
http://homepage.mac.com/william_whit...o_windows.html
I think they rolled this stuff up into 10.3, so you shouldn't have to worry about it. As for getting to the shares, there's "connect to server" on one of the pull down menus - can't remember which one right now. You can also just hit apple-k.
Hope this helps.I am Jack's absent signature.
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
I'm still thinking about getting a Mac, haven't done it yet.
Here's a slightly different Mac/PC question. Suppose I want to have a Mac be the machine that my printer(s) are connected to on my network, and I want my PCs to be able to access those printers? Does Samba do that, too?
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
I'm sure you can massage it into doing just about anything. I've never actually tried this, as the only mac I have is a rather antiquated laptop.
Originally posted by Glen MiyashiroI'm still thinking about getting a Mac, haven't done it yet.
Here's a slightly different Mac/PC question. Suppose I want to have a Mac be the machine that my printer(s) are connected to on my network, and I want my PCs to be able to access those printers? Does Samba do that, too?I am Jack's absent signature.
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
It looks like Apple has already thought of this since they probably figure, correctly, that most of their new customers will probably be PC users like me. So maybe Samba won't even be necessary. I do wonder whether the switch to x86 processors will improve Mac/PC networking even more than before.
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
Originally posted by Glen MiyashiroIt looks like Apple has already thought of this since they probably figure, correctly, that most of their new customers will probably be PC users like me. So maybe Samba won't even be necessary. I do wonder whether the switch to x86 processors will improve Mac/PC networking even more than before.I am Jack's absent signature.
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Re: Mixed PC/Mac networks
Originally posted by kamapuaaThe networking stack is independent of the core hardware architechture.
Added: Yeah, the OSI Model. Now I remember.Last edited by Glen Miyashiro; July 5, 2005, 10:32 AM.
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