[cbk1994]

The Ultimate Guide to Transferring Files,
by Chris K.

Mac to Mac File Transferring
In order to enable a Macintosh computer running 10.x to be able to share files with another 10.x Macintosh computer, click on the blue apple in the left hand corner of the screen.

Then, from the drop down menu, choose System Preferences.

Then, under Internet and Network, chose Sharing. Check the box that says "Personal File Sharing".

Farther down, in a grayed out section, you should see something like this, 'Other Macintosh users can access your computer at afp://xxx.xxx.x.xxx/ or browse for "Computer Name" by choosing Network from the Go menu in the Finder.'

Write down the xxx.xxx.x.xxx on a scrap of paper, or on the computer.

For the next step, their are two possible ways to do this.

1. Connect and Ethernet cable between the two Apple computers.

OR

2. If you're on an (Mac/i/Power)Book or other Apple computer with an Airport card installed, click on the Airport status icon in the task bar at the top of the screen. You should see a meter if you're connected to anything.

Next, click on 'Create Network. . .'.

Where it says 'Name', chose something simple, like 'Apple' or 'Connect' or similar.

Where it says 'Channel' keep it on 'Automatic (11)'

Click on 'Show Options'

If you live in a populated area, it is a very good idea to add a WEP password.

Now click 'OK'.

--

Now go onto the Apple computer you wish to access the files from, and join the airport network you created.

When in Finder, press 'Command (Apple/Clover)' and 'K' at the same time.

Where it says 'Server Address', put 'afp://' followed by the IP address you wrote down earlier.

Before clicking 'Connect' you may want to click on the Plus symbol, thereby adding it to your favorite servers so next time you can just select it there. Now you may click 'Connect'.

If you see a username and password prompt, just use any login you wish, though make sure it is an Administrator one.

Now you should see a server mounted on your desktop. Open it up, and you should see the Home folder of the host computer. You will be able to view and edit any files this way.

Mac to Windows File Transferring

In order to enable a Macintosh computer running 10.x to be able to share files with a Windows computer, click on the blue apple in the left hand corner of the screen.

Then, from the drop down menu, choose System Preferences.

Then, under Internet and Network, chose Sharing. Check the box that says "Personal File Sharing".

Farther down, in a grayed out section, you should see something like this, 'Other Macintosh users can access your computer at afp://xxx.xxx.x.xxx/ or browse for "Computer Name" by choosing Network from the Go menu in the Finder.'

Write down the xxx.xxx.x.xxx on a scrap of paper, or on the computer.

Now, check 'Windows Sharing'.

To the right, click on the 'Accounts . . .' button. Check the main account you use.

You will be prompted for the password.

For the next step, their are two possible ways to do this.

1. Connect and Ethernet cable between the two computers.

OR

2. If you're on an (Mac/i/Power)Book or other Apple computer with an Airport card installed, click on the Airport status icon in the task bar at the top of the screen. You should see a meter if you're connected to anything.

Next, click on 'Create Network. . .'.

Where it says 'Name', chose something simple, like 'Apple' or 'Connect' or similar.

Where it says 'Channel' keep it on 'Automatic (11)'

Click on 'Show Options'

If you live in a populated area, it is a very good idea to add a WEP password.

Now click 'OK'.

--

Now get onto your Windows computer.

If you chose step one, skip these next few instructions.

In the task menu in the bottom right hand corner, right click the 'Wireless Networks' icon, and choose 'View Available Networks'.

Click on the network you created.

In the bottom right hand corner, click the 'Connect' button.

Step two users should have skipped down to this step.

Click on the 'Start' menu in the bottom right hand corner. Then choose 'My Computer'.

Go up to the menu 'Tools' and then select 'Map Network Drive'.

Where it says 'Drive', choose any letter drive you aren't using, e.g. 'Z'.

Where it says 'Folder' type '\\' followed by the IP address you wrote down earlier, and again followed by '\Home'. If you do not include the '\Home', it will not work.

Click on 'Finish', and then you should see the server. For example, you may see Home on 'Computer Name (IP address)' (Z: ).

You can edit and view files here.

---
I hope you enjoy this guide, and that it helps you many times.

Please feel free to leave feedback, bug reports, misspellings, or trouble you may be having.

I will, as I'm sure other users will as well, help answer your questions.

Chris K.
*This guide was made specifically for MacNN, and I would appreciate it if it is not used without permission from Chris K.*

[mduell]

Originally Posted by cbk1994

*This guide was made specifically for MacNN, and is not to be used anywhere else without permission from Chris K.*

I don't think you can do that.

Originally Posted by the bottom of this page

All contents of these forums are © 1995–2006 MacNN. All rights reserved.

[cbk1994]

Well, in that case I'll just ask people not to use it . . .

[cassiopeia1482]

If using the procedure you describe to create network with airport card, how do you go about removing the computer-to-computer network or changing the WEP password?

[cbk1994]

Helo kelly,

Thtat's a good point that I forgot to mention. When using the airport theory, you can either go back to your original network, and recreate it when you need to, or you can turn off airport and then turn it back on.

Tell me if you need more assistance.

[cassiopeia1482]

Chris,

You may have answered my question, but I still don't understand. Once a computer-to-computer network is created, it appears to exist forever. Another PC in my house, for instance, can "see" the network I created on my mac and if the other user knows the password, he can connect to the network. What I would like to know is how to go into my computer-to-computer network settings and either delete it entirely so no one else will be able to browse it as a wireless network, or change the password so if someone else can still browse it, they won't be able to connect to it. It seems odd that I'd be able to create a network that I can never delete or change. What if I hadn't set it up with a password? That means that anyone near me would always be able to see my network and connect to it (if I have airport on.) Can't I just remove it entirely? Thanks.

-kelly

[cybergoober]

I believe you can select "Disconnect from current network" from the AirPort menu item to terminate a computer-to-computer network connection.

Is this what you were looking for, Kelly?

[cassiopeia1482]

Thanks cybergoober, but no. Even disconnecting from the network does not delete the network. Even if I'm not connected to the network I created, other users nearby can still see the computer-to-computer network I created in the past (as long as I have airport on), and if they know the password, they can still connect to it.

[cybergoober]

Well, you also have to do the same "Disconnect from current network" step on the machine that acted as the network host.

[desertmac]

THANK you for this guide. Very helpful. One question: I can get this to work if I don't set a WEP password for the network. If I do, I don't get an option to input the password. I just get a failure to connect message. Any help much appreciated.

[stevesnj]

if you can get tiger to connect to server 2003 i would be astounded!!!

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by desertmac

THANK you for this guide. Very helpful. One question: I can get this to work if I don't set a WEP password for the network. If I do, I don't get an option to input the password. I just get a failure to connect message. Any help much appreciated.

Hello desertmac.

Are you trying to access the files from another Mac or a Windows PC? Or a Linux?




Thanks

[desertmac]

Mac to Mac (specifically, Powerbook to Powerbook)

[cbk1994]

Hello again. Sorry it took me so lng to respond. Try turning airport off on the host computer, and go to the client computer and see if the network is still there. If it is, then try refreshing the list. If it's still there, then you may have a problem with either the Airport card, or the PowerBook. If it's not in the list, go back to to the host computer and turn airport back on. Now go back to the client computer and see if it's in the list. If it is, then go back to the host computer and into the airport list, and see if you are connected to the computer server you made earlier. If you are, then go to System Preferences, and then Sharing, and turn File Sharing off.

Hope this helps.

[mindwaves]

Hi. Thanks for writing this up, but I had a question on connecting the 2 Macs together. I have an iMac connected via ethernet to the internet with Airport on (but connected to no network). I want my iMac to be the server side. I also have a MacBook (client side) with Airport on (but not connected to any wireless network) and it sees the iMac via browsing the network drive in the Finder, but it says "The server may not exist or is not operational at this time. Check the server name or IP address and try again."

Any help would be nice. I'm assuming that you can do this without the MacBook being connnected to any network hopefully....just with Airport.

[cbk1994]

Hello. Did you turn 'Personal File Sharing' on in the System Preferences?

Make sure it's on. I think I know the problem. You've connected the iMac to a router, correct? And the MacBook is connected to the router. If you turn on FTP sharing, this will work, but otherwise, they need to be directly connected via Airport or Ethernet. I'm sure there's more ways, but those're the only two I know.
Tell me if it still doesn't work.

Chris

[MOTHERWELL]

I have a strange issue with my Personal File Sharing.

Things use to work just fine....I would turn on Personal File Sharing on my G5, and my laptop would see the computer in the 'Network' section of the finder. All I had to do was double click and put in my name and password.

Recently I have not seen the G5's icon in the Network section. There is nothing there! Well after reading this thread, I selected Connect to Server (CMD-K) and manually put in the G5's ip address.

I was able to connect and share files once again, but I am confused as to why I cannot see the icon like in the past.

[cbk1994]

Hello. I'm glad you got some help out of this. When entering the IP Address manually, did you add it to the favorites list?

Chris

[jmiddel]

Thank you Chris for the tutorial, it helped me by showing me what I was not doing wrong, since I have a very vexing problem with my three mac setup. 2 desktops and an ibook are connected in a LAN via a Lynksis wireless router. They all run 10.3.9, all have the same configs, file sharing is on etc, yet the iBook has the hardest time seeing and being seen by the desktops. Internet access if fine, so the router is working fine. The desktops also work fine whith each other. The connection is intermittent, directly inputting the IP address often does not work. Any ideas of what could be going on?

[krx]

Thanks, Chris.

Is there a way to set this up so that the host, using Airport, does not lose WAN internet access when the local network (computer-to-computer) is active? Or are they mutually exclusive (or am I doing something wrong)? Cause once I hit "OK" and activate the home network the host loses its outside connection to the internet.

[cbk1994]

krx, I think you have to connect and ethernet cable into the host computer. Then you'll be sending internet into all of the guest computers as well. I'm no expert, so anyone please correct me if I'm wrong, but Airport only connects to one network at a time, so you have to have ethernet. I'm sure theres some way around this, maybe a mod or something, but I don't know. I'll search for it though.
Chris

[jt3_jon]

Hello. Thank you for creating such an easy to follow outline! I'm trying to setup a computer-to-computer ethernet connection between two Dual 2.5Ghz G5's, both running OS 10.4.6, however I am running into problems. I've never done this before, so I may be missing something very simple, so please bare with me.

First off, I followed the mac help file for setting up ethernet connections, but whenever I pushed "browse" neither computer would show up. Thus my search for answers turned online, and I found your post! However, I'm having problems following your directions as well.

Originally Posted by cbk1994

The Ultimate Guide to Transferring Files,
by Chris K.
Farther down, in a grayed out section, you should see something like this, 'Other Macintosh users can access your computer at afp://xxx.xxx.x.xxx/ or browse for "Computer Name" by choosing Network from the Go menu in the Finder.'

Write down the xxx.xxx.x.xxx on a scrap of paper, or on the computer.

I see this number for one G5 (right under the "service box") but there is no such number on the other G5. What caused this to happen?

And once again, when I choose "browse for computer name" it never connects to a different computer, regardless of which computer I start from.

I know my ethernet cables are good (I used them at school to connect to the internet), and according to many posts I've found, I do not need a special "crossover" cable as these macs are fairly new.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for your help and reply.

[cbk1994]

Hello. The IP addess (number) you're looking for is found not on the outside of your Mac, but rather in System Preferences.
Macs are very compatible, so an ethernet cable will work fine.
Are you sure you enabled File Sharing in System Preferences/Sharing?
I hope this helps. If it doesn't there are a few more things you can do, but this should work.

[jt3_jon]

Thanks! Ok, so I now have both afp:// addresses, but I do not see where this "create network" is located. Is this in the sharing preferences?

[jt3_jon]

Originally Posted by jt3_jon

Thanks! Ok, so I now have both afp:// addresses, but I do not see where this "create network" is located. Is this in the sharing preferences?

nevermind, it works now. Thanks