How do I tell my Mac to connect to a network drive over ONLY Ethernet?

[mossme89]

I have my Mac connected to my PC via an ethernet cable for sharing of files in between the two. Data transfer over ethernet is super fast (like 50+MB/s), compared to wifi which is more like 3 MB/s. But in order to do this, I have to turn off the wifi on my Mac. For whatever reason, if I have both Wifi and Ethernet connected, the Mac will try to transfer files over Wifi, despite ethernet still being connected and being faster.

 

[Bruno09]

Hi,

see if this can help : https://www.tekrevue.com/tip/network-interface-service-order-os-x/

Long story short : System Preferences / Network, click the gear icon, "Set service order", drag Ethernet on top of the list, then "Apply".

 

[JohnDS]

But if you do that, you will lose internet connectivity. The proper way to do it is to connect both the Mac and the PC to your router by ethernet cables, not directly to each other.

If all devices are MegaBit ethernet, make sure you cables are marked either Cat5e or Cat6.

 

[mossme89]

But if you do that, you will lose internet connectivity. The proper way to do it is to connect both the Mac and the PC to your router by ethernet cables, not directly to each other.

If all devices are MegaBit ethernet, make sure you cables are marked either Cat5e or Cat6.

I wish I could. My router is directly 2 levels below me and I can't think of an easy way to run a cable up 2 stories.

Thanks I set the order and that's helped.

 

[boast]

What you want to do is modify your routing table so that connections to your PC are routed through the ethernet interface but everything else through the WiFi interface. But I have no experience in that

 

[JohnDS]

Another, but more expensive alternative is to buy a Airport Express and a gigabit ethernet switch:

http://www.apple.com/airport-express/

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Gigabit-Ethernet-Desktop-TL-SG1005D/dp/B000N99BBC

Set the Airport Express in Client Mode. Connect the LAN ethernet port of the Airport Express and the ethernet ports of the two computers to the ethernet bridge. Turn off wifi on the computers (or set the interface preferences so that ethernet takes preference) and you will be able to file share over ethernet and surf the web at the same time.

Basically, the Airport Express in Client Mode will connect wirelessly to your router and distribute the data through the switch to your computers.

A slightly cheaper solution would be a D-Link DAP1650 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2483164,00.asp which in effect combines the bridge and switch in one box. Again, it would connect wirelessly to your router and distribute the data thorough its four ethernet ports.