Question

Connecting Mac and XP PC through ethernet, for internet(from airport) and file sharing

Asked by: nullsquid

Hello,
    I have internet through my Airport on my macbook with OSX 10.4, but not on my PC with XP running. I would like to get Internet (and preferably file sharing) through an ethernet cable. After trying to get the internet to transmit to the pc and failing, I settled on just getting the two computers connected using the ethernet cable, as I found that if the Airport and the ethernet were both on, one of them would stop working.

So I:
     turned off the Airport
     in the Network box in the mac set
          the IP Address to 192.168.1.3          (The Airport is set to 192.168.1.2 - should these be the same?)
          the Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
          the router to 192.168.1.254
     In the Sharing->Services box on the mac enabled
          Personal File Sharing
          Windows File Sharing
          Personal Web Sharing
    In the Sharing->Firewall box disabled the firewall
    In the Sharing->Internet box enabled sharing from Airport to Built-in Ethernet (not important just now, as the airport is off.)

Then, on the PC, Control Panel->Network Connections->Local Area Connection->Properties->TCP/IP->Properties:
     set IP Address to 192.168.1.1
     set Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
     set Default Gateway to 192.168.1.254
     left the DNS server info blank
Add filesharingto the exception list in the windows firewall

With this, I can ping both 192.168.1.3 and 192.168.1.1 from either computer, and I can find an apache server if I open http://192.168.1.3/ from firefox in XP.

However, I cannot see any computers in any network place from explorer. When I try to map an network drive from Explorer->Tools->Browse I cannot find the mac in the workgroup network. I can enter \\192.168.1.2\[macaccountname] to get to entering a password for a user on the mac, but once it has been entered, the password entering box immediately reappears with the username replaced with [pcname]\[macaccountname] and this goes no further.

Worse, when I turn the Airport back on on the mac, I can no longer ping the mac from the pc (and nothing else works either).

I am a newbie in this area, so I don't mind the comment "you'll have to start all over again". So what do I need to do to get Internet and file sharing set up over an ethernet cable between a pc and a mac, with the internet being supplied from the mac's airport?

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Asked On
2009-06-14 at 11:48:56ID24490579
Tags

Networking

,

Mac

,

XP

,

Internet

,

ethernet

,

airport

Topics

Apple Networking

,

Windows XP Operating System

,

Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger)

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: MiniDevoPosted on 2009-06-14 at 12:05:19ID: 24624723

Here's a quick how to on the best practices for sharing files between 10.4 and XP.
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/3020.html

As for your airport issue, that sounds a little tedious. How old is the airport?

 

by: renazonsePosted on 2009-06-14 at 12:09:37ID: 24624740

What you need to do is configure your Airport to do DHCP (which it does by default on a 10.0.1.x subnet). After you've done this you'll no longer have IP conflicts like you're getting when you're statically assigning your IP's now. Also, don't recall if this is an option in DHCP in the Airport or not but if it is you want to append some sort of DNS suffix within the DHCP settings. This may be listed as domain name or search domains... but it typically doesn't matter what you use on a 2 machine network but something like home.lan will do. If you don't have this option in the airport you can manually add this within your network settings on the mac and on the PC. If your mac is not in the same workgroup as the PC you will not be able to reach it by name.

Right click on My Computer and go to Properties >> Computer Name tab >> note the workgroup >> in the Network Settings of your Mac >> add the workgroup name under "Search Domains"

after this is done you'll be able to connect to the machines by name instead of by IP allowing you to use DHCP without having to check the IP of the machines.

You'll also need to add a rule in the firewall on the PC and Mac to allow file sharing on your subnet (currently, 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0) or, disable the firewalls. On the Mac you'll need to enable Windows File sharing under the Sharing section in System Preferences and you'll have to have File and Printer sharing enabled on the PC.

To connect to the PC from the Mac you'll need to use this syntax >> smb://pcnameoripaddress  >> when prompted for a username and password you'll probably need to use this syntax for the username >> pcname\username

looks like you're on the right track..this is some extra details that will make it easier in the long run.

 

by: nullsquidPosted on 2009-06-14 at 12:22:58ID: 24624769

MiniDevo:
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/3020.html
I think everything is as it should be here, apart from when I get to step 5, the mac does not see the other computer.
The air port is an Airport extreem 1.4.4

 

by: renazonsePosted on 2009-06-14 at 12:26:02ID: 24624781

You're having some sort of IP conflict preventing your machines from communicating...if you review my post and enable DHCP your conflicts with your IP's will be absolved and you'll be able to browse to the machine from either Mac or PC.

 

by: nullsquidPosted on 2009-06-14 at 12:54:14ID: 24624872

renazonse:
In the process of reviewing your post.
So:
"What you need to do is configure your Airport to do DHCP" - done
"Right click on My Computer and go to Properties >> Computer Name tab >> note the workgroup >> in the Network Settings of your Mac >> add the workgroup name under "Search Domains"" - done
"You'll also need to add a rule in the firewall..." -done
"On the Mac you'll need to enable Windows File sharing under the Sharing section in System Preferences and you'll have to have File and Printer sharing enabled on the PC." -done

...And I can access the internet from the PC, and access shared files on the PC from the MAC! Great.

However, at the moment, I can't access shared files on the mac from the PC. Although I can definitely see the computer in the Workgroup network, it will not accept the username and password I give it.

Any clues there?

 

by: renazonsePosted on 2009-06-14 at 13:02:56ID: 24624906

Did you enable Windows file sharing on the Mac? You may need to enter the computername\username when connecting to the Mac as well... like so:

from Start >> Run on the PC >> type \\maccomputername >> when prompted enter maccomputername\usershortname  for the user

Also, if you look under System Preferences >> Sharing >> read the text under the Computer Name field >> it will give you the computer name you need to type in to reach the machine by name...when connecting to the Mac from the PC you'll need to eliminate the .local from the computer name to connect.

 

by: nullsquidPosted on 2009-06-14 at 13:11:15ID: 24624939

hmm. I made another account, and it worked. I don't know what I'm doing wrong with that one, must be my mistake, though. Ah, well.

 Thank you for all your help!!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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