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emsp1lot · Feb 6, 2005, 10:21 AM

I am currently trying to network a PC running Windows XP with an iMac G5 running latest version of OS X. The set up I am using is phone line >>> DSL modem >>> Linksys router >>> Linksys switch and a line to each computer. Both computers see the internet with no problems. My iMac sees the PC and I can retrieve and work with my PC's files on my Mac. The problem(s) is /are ; my Mac does not see the printer(Epson) connected to my PC (USB) and my PC does not see the Mac or its printer(HP). In fact the PC does not even see itself on a network in "My Network Places" window. I can "ping" the Mac from the PC and obviously from the Mac to PC. I would settle for just being able to access the printer attached to the PC. Short of reinstalling XP, any ideas??
TIA

larkost · Feb 6, 2005, 10:35 AM

Have you setup file or printer sharing on either computer? Have you searched the forums or MacOS X Hints for guides to setting this up?

emsp1lot · Feb 6, 2005, 06:56 PM

Originally posted by larkost:
Have you setup file or printer sharing on either computer? Have you searched the forums or MacOS X Hints for guides to setting this up?

Thanks for the reply.
Yes. I have set up sharing of printers and files on both computers. Both OS's make it relatively easy to find and set up. At least as far as checking the appropriate boxes and such. That is what makes the problem so frustrating. I have been to several websites and most of the sites follow pretty much the same protocols with slight variations. The biggest discrepancy is when they tell you to go to "My Network Places" on XP to see the computers in the workgroup and I have nothing there. Not even the PC. I have gone thru the "Network Wizard" more times than I can count with negative results. I'm almost at the point where I think the PC's OS is missing something. ???? I know this is probably a problem more appropriate for Windows forum but not many people are willing to help with Mac's.

ghporter · Feb 7, 2005, 08:15 AM

Please describe your network a bit more thoroughly. I'm most interested in a) which Linksys router you're using, b) which Linksys switch you're using, and c) what device is providing DHCP addresses-because I think this is the crux of your problem.

emsp1lot · Feb 7, 2005, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by ghporter:
Please describe your network a bit more thoroughly. I'm most interested in a) which Linksys router you're using, b) which Linksys switch you're using, and c) what device is providing DHCP addresses-because I think this is the crux of your problem.

The router is a BEFSR41 Etherfast Cable/DSL router with 4 ports connected to the DSL modem and the Linksys EZX55W switch. I'm pretty sure the router doesn't have switch/hub capability, thus the addition of the switch. The router was and is providing the addresses to my two computers in the 192.168.1.1xx range. Both computers ping each other (and the router). Mac connects to PC thru SMB (PC does not show up on the Mac as a server so I use the "Go".. "Connect to server" route), but PC doesn't see the Mac on the workgroup/network.
TIA

ghporter · Feb 7, 2005, 05:42 PM

The BEFSR41 does indeed serve as a switch. Until mine took a dive off the shelf, it served me as my router/switch for almost six years. You could, if you wanted, just get rid of the second switch. In fact, your network would be a bit simpler if you just plugged both computers into the BEFSR41.

Now, your Windows computer running WinXP seems to be a big part of the problem. Obviously the XP machine has an IP address, but maybe its connection isn't as good as it should be. Click on Start, then right click on My Network Places and select Properties. Now right click on the machine's network card and select Repair. This may do the trick.

In order to see anything on the Windows machine, you must explicitly share some folder or printer. You must also explicitly share both printers on the computers that they're connected to; you didn't mention that you'd done that.

emsp1lot · 07:59 AM

Originally posted by ghporter:
The BEFSR41 does indeed serve as a switch. Until mine took a dive off the shelf, it served me as my router/switch for almost six years. You could, if you wanted, just get rid of the second switch. In fact, your network would be a bit simpler if you just plugged both computers into the BEFSR41.

Now, your Windows computer running WinXP seems to be a big part of the problem. Obviously the XP machine has an IP address, but maybe its connection isn't as good as it should be. Click on Start, then right click on My Network Places and select Properties. Now right click on the machine's network card and select Repair. This may do the trick.

In order to see anything on the Windows machine, you must explicitly share some folder or printer. You must also explicitly share both printers on the computers that they're connected to; you didn't mention that you'd done that.

Before I added the switch to the setup, I couldn't see the PC from the Mac. After the switch, I could. Of course I might have just gotten lucky :-). I have enabled sharing of files and printers on both computers (at least as far as checking the appropriate boxes). Both computers' firewalls turned off.
I will try the network card repair. I would agree that Windows is probably a big part of the problem(isn't this why we love Mac?).
Thanks

2/09/05 - Some progress made. I now have a workgroup and computer (not the Mac :-(() showing up in "My Network Places" with shared files and printer. Still can't see the printer from the Mac and can't see the mac at all from the PC.

emsp1lot · Mar 14, 2005, 07:57 AM

For anybody who is interested. I solved most of my problems with the file/printer sharing. Turns out that one of the services (SAP - services advertising protocol) on the XP machine had been disabled. Once I enabled that, I "manually" connected to the Mac and got a sign in window. No problems since. My PC shows the Mac on "workgroups", files, printers etc. Of course once this connection was established I was able to see the PC's printer from the Mac. Now I use that printer for all my printing except photos. I have a photo printer connected to my Mac. The one problem I haven't solved is printing from the PC to the Mac's printer. The Epson's driver as installed on the PC(and Mac) will not work. However, using an Apple driver (Apple Color LW) will allow me to print to the Mac's printer but it does not have the ability to choose photo paper and resolutions that the Epson is capable of, so the output is poor. I guess I will have to wait until someone writes a driver that will allow me to use the printer at its full potential. Should I hold my breath??

ghporter · Mar 14, 2005, 08:04 AM

Congratulations. I'll bet the XP machine is running XP Home; it's not nearly as easy to network with as XP Pro is. Kind of backwards of Microsoft, don't you think? It obviously can be done, but you have to spend so much more time setting things up on a Home machine.

Again, I'm glad you found the trouble and fixed it.

fillmeup · Apr 10, 2005, 11:18 PM

I love to hear more details.

It was a breeze to get the windows XP home system to recognize and access the Mac. Still no luck at all getting the Mac to get onto the Windows system.

What I'm trying to do is:

Get file sharing to work between a Mac 10.3.8 and a Laptop with wireless tech. running Windows XP Home SP2 using a - firewire connection-. Yes, I have combed through the postings here, on MacOSHints.com , and MacDevCenter.com (which just talked about the connection over Ethernet).

No luck at all. Any fairly detailed help would be great!