Mac/PC connecting to network

[Bulma]

I searched a long time for a thread written by someone having the same problems as me. However, I found none, making me think I'm the only one having this problem... The only ones I found were connecting OS X 10.4/.5 to windows XP. I tried to do it, but I end up losing track because of the differences...

I bought my macbook 13inch last september. I'm updated to OS X 10.6.7. I live in a "PC house" and have the only mac. To use internet, I get it via a rooter, plugged in on a PC that has Windows 7. I have no trouble at all using Internet.

However, I'm unable to share files. My computers cannot "see" each other at all! When I go in Finder -> Computer -> Network, I only see my own computer. The PCs can all see each other without any problems and are already sharing files (they all have windows 7). However, they can't see my mac either...

My question is: How can I connect my macbook to the PC network???

I'm not a computer geek and I'm pretty new to macs (which are awesome, btw, except for this little problem). Can someone post a guide on how to do it?

More details: I also can't access any printers. I can see them when I get to print a document, but the printing order doesn't seem to get through... I'm also sure it isn't a firewall problem since I shut down both of them and still can't find the network.

Thank you very much for your help! Sorry to bother you for such beginner's question...

P.S: Sorry for my english, if I'm not clear enough somewhere, just let me know.

 

[Hellhammer]

Are the PCs connected to the same network (i.e. the same wireless network)? If the PCs are connected through Ethernet, then they may have their own network.

This is the case at my home. My parents have a PC downstairs which is connected to the modem via Ethernet. All other devices connect to the Internet through a router which is connected to the modem. All other devices work fine but the PC downstairs. I know how to solve it but just been too lazy to do that, since it wouldn't add anything for me.

 

[Bulma]

Yeah, they're connected with ethernet cables. There's this... euh... "groupe résidentiel" that would be like "residential group" or "homegroup", in english.

Do I need to plug in the network using an ethernet cable too? Because I got a sister using a laptop, wirelessly and is able to share documents without any problem...

 

[RileyIL77]

No. I have a Macintosh PowerPC G3 with MacOS x 10.2.8 which has a wireless PCI card. I have two PC's connected directly into the router with Ethernet. One using Windows XP Professional and the main one I use using Windows 7 Professional. I also have my wife's PC which is using a LinkSys N Wireless USB adapter in the bedroom. Her PC uses Windows 7 Pro. I'm sure you can get them to talk and share network folders/files, but I could never get it working, so, since my Windows XP Pro. machine is a full time server, I use it to be the primary way I share files to my PowerPC G3 using my FTP server, and Fetch on the Macintosh as an FTP client. My Macintosh is basically there because I love older Macintosh computers. There is/was something called PC MacLAN. That use to allow file and printing sharing between Macs and PCs. But, I've read it's been discontinued. You can try to find that. I use to use it on an old Performa with MacOS 9 and my Windows XP Professional machines.

Yeah, they're connected with ethernet cables. There's this... euh... "groupe résidentiel" that would be like "residential group" or "homegroup", in english.

Do I need to plug in the network using an ethernet cable too? Because I got a sister using a laptop, wirelessly and is able to share documents without any problem...

Explaining this... My Mac will connect to my servers, HTTP, Telnet, FTP, VNC, and IRC on the Windows XP Professional box both locally and remotely.

 

[Bulma]

Oh, and I forgot to mention... I had some Airport issues where Airport was losing the connection every 5 minutes or so. I had to restart the rooter. It's after that I lost the possibility to share documents and print stuff.

Before those events, I had no problem at all...

 

[Rhyalus]

For some reason, my Mac does not see the PCs, but my PCs can see the Mac.

Take your documents folder on the Mac, select Get Info and then add ownership of a new acct (like "pcshare") or something with full read / write rights.

Make sure to apply to all items contained.

Then expand the network in Windows Explorer (you my need to wait a few mins), and when you try to access the share in Win 7 you will be prompted for the username and password that you created on the Mac - pcshare, password...

Why the MBP can't see the PCs has baffled me - it might be because things are only shared with the "home network" that is not supported by the Mac. I don't know.

Either way, I use a sync program on the PC to sync up a documents file tree and that is how I keep the systems up to date with each other. New folders created on the Mac will be off limits to the PC until you repeat the above procedure on changing all of the permissions under the directory structure in question. This is also annoying that permissions are not extended from the root under which they are created.

R

 

[Bulma]

For some reason, my Mac does not see the PCs, but my PCs can see the Mac.

Yeah, but my problem is that Mac can't see PC and PC can't see Mac...