[restbeckett]

I have my Mac on 10.2.3 and my PC running Windows 2000 Pro and I want to be able to access my PC-drives from my Mac - for files, media, etc. - with a Cat-5 (Ethernet) cable.

Can someone please help me step-by-step on how to setup the fsucking PC! It's a real fsucking headache with a billion settings everywhere.

[I hear not much setup is required on "our" side.]

[Angus_D]

It's not too bad, you just need to create a LAN connection in your Internet Connections foldery thing (the one with all your PPP connections).

[TiSteve]

A few things:

1. If you are going to be connecting the mac to the PC directly with an ethernet cable, make sure that you have a cross (or reverse) cable. If you just have a straight cable, then you will need sometype of ethernet hub.

2. If you are going to use the ethernet cable, then you will be connecting the two computers using IP. I am not sure how network savvy you are, but you will have to make sure both machines are addressed properly (networking pane in Mac OS X, and Network connection in Windows Control Panel)...basically they need to be in the same network. Sorry, hope you know how this works, cause this is one of those things that i can do in 2 seconds, but takes me hours to explain (especially when typing )

3. Once this is done, you need to set up sharing on the PC. To do this, you just select the drive or the folder that you want to share by doing something like right clicking on the drive or folder, and selecting "sharing and security". If win2k is like winXP, then you will have a sharing tab, and then an option to share the folder on the network, and set the share name.

BIG NOTE: when you try and connect to the share from the Mac, there will be authentication required. On my PC, I have just setup the PC in a workgroup (done with network identication using system control panel and then under computer name tab ..at least this is the way it works in winXP), and I can authenticate using the username name that I have set up on windows user accounts (which has admin privilege). If your win2k machine has been setup for use in another network, and has been configured to use things like domain controllers, and some of the other security features (or if you dont have admin privileges), then I am not sure what will happen there. It might work using your username...you will have to try and see what happen.

This is no means step by step instructions. Would prolly be best if you ask specific questions as you go thru the process.

[coolmac]

someone once posted this, so I'm passing it on:


Assuming you are usingt OS X...
I can't take credit for this, I clipped if from another message board but it was very helpful. This tells how to setup in both directions.
-----------------------------
-On PC and Mac. make sure the workgroup names are the same.
On PC, this means Start-›My Computer-›Rightclick-›Properties-›Computer Name-›press Change. Should be Workgroup as the workgroupname.
On Mac, Applications:Utilities launch Directory Access, click lock and enter password to admin, then click smb and configure. Make sure name is the same workgroup name as on PC.
-On Mac, System preferences:Sharing Tab, Click on Windows File Sharing
-On PC: Make sure you have at least one folder shared.
-To mount PC share on the Mac:Go menu, Connect to Server. If the PC shows up great, just click it. If not, enter the IP as smb://IP_Adress/sharename. Enter user ID and password and you're set.
- To mount Mac shares on the PC:Start-›My Network Places, Click Add Network Place. Click Next a few times until you see a Browse button, click browse, expand Entire Network object until you see the Mac name there.

Both the Mac and the PC have to have folders shared in order to share.