Networking woes

[Luis Ortega]

I have a Mac Pro running OSX 1.5.2 and Win XP on bootcamp plus a Win XP PC upstairs.
The Mac connects to my wireless router with an ethernet cable and the upstairs PC uses a usb wireless adapter.
When I am running Windows on my Mac, I have been able to set up file sharing and printer sharing without any problems, but I can't get anything to share when I am running in OSX.
Can anyone please shed some light on how to do this or point me in the right direction to find the information that I need to get this to work?
I thought that things were supposed to be easier on a Mac.
Thanks for any help.

 

[TEG]

Which way are are you wanting to share? Is the printer on the PC or the Mac?

Use the Sharing Preference Pane to turn on Windows Sharing, File Sharing, and Printer Sharing. If the PC has the printer, use the Printers & Faxes Preference Pane and just browse the network for them.

TEG

 

[Wayne s]

Try doing a search of the forums, that what I did when In was having the same problems as you. I got my OS X and XP machines to work OK, also try the guides section of Mac Rumors, there is a guide for networking, its for Tiger but still helpful.

 

[mmcxiiad]

if the printer is connected to the mac, you can also try downloading bonjour for windows. it makes sharing a printer from a mac to windows much easier.

 

[Luis Ortega]

Which way are are you wanting to share? Is the printer on the PC or the Mac?

Use the Sharing Preference Pane to turn on Windows Sharing, File Sharing, and Printer Sharing. If the PC has the printer, use the Printers & Faxes Preference Pane and just browse the network for them.

TEG

Thanks. I'd like to share in both directions, as I can when both machines are running in Windows. Each computer has a printer connected to it.

We can each access either of the printers and we can access either of the sharing folders on the two machines when in Windows. But nothing connects when the Mac is running OSX.

I also have a MBP laptop and I have had no luck getting that to print to the Mac or the PC or even see the shared folders.

 

[Luis Ortega]

if the printer is connected to the mac, you can also try downloading bonjour for windows. it makes sharing a printer from a mac to windows much easier.

Thanks. Which computer or OS would I install this bonjour for Windows on? The PC or the Mac while in OSX?

 

[mmcxiiad]

Thanks. Which computer or OS would I install this bonjour for Windows on? The PC or the Mac while in OSX?

bonjour is installed on the windows computer. although, this assumes that you have the mac(that the printer is connected to) on at the same time

 

[Luis Ortega]

bonjour is installed on the windows computer. although, this assumes that you have the mac(that the printer is connected to) on at the same time

Thanks. I'm going to give that a try.
Will this also allow the Mac to find and access the PC's printer and files?

 

[mmcxiiad]

no it is only so your pc can print to a printer attached to a mac. if you want a mac to access a printer or files on a windows machine you have to share it out from windows and then connect to that computers resources. are you using tiger or leopard?

 

[Luis Ortega]

no it is only so your pc can print to a printer attached to a mac. if you want a mac to access a printer or files on a windows machine you have to share it out from windows and then connect to that computers resources. are you using tiger or leopard?

I'm using 1.5.2, but I don't really understand what you mean by "share it out from windows". If I've already set up the Windows PC to share files and printers, is that already done?
And then how do I "then connect to that computers resources"? Do you mean to set the Mac to find and connect to the PC? Where does that get set on the Mac?
I also read on the bonjour site that it is for connecting PCs to Macs which are using an airport station. Does that mean that it won't be able to find the Mac if it is connected via ethernet to my wireless router?
Thanks for your help.

 

[mmcxiiad]

i am assuming that when you say 1.5.2 you really mean 10.5.2?

which computer is the printer attached to?

if it is on the one that you are dual booting you have to create 2 printers on the other windows one. the first printer is (printer)onPC the second is (printer)onMac. you then need to go into the mac's system preference, click on sharing, then make sure printer sharing is checked and the printer that you want shared is checked. then you need to make sure file shareing is checked, then click on options and click on "share files and folders using smb". This should let your mac share things nicely with your windows box.

Bonjour is a tool that you can install on the windows that makes it easier to print to a mac attached printer.

hopefully that makes more sense.

 

[Luis Ortega]

i am assuming that when you say 1.5.2 you really mean 10.5.2?

which computer is the printer attached to?

if it is on the one that you are dual booting you have to create 2 printers on the other windows one. the first printer is (printer)onPC the second is (printer)onMac. you then need to go into the mac's system preference, click on sharing, then make sure printer sharing is checked and the printer that you want shared is checked. then you need to make sure file shareing is checked, then click on options and click on "share files and folders using smb". This should let your mac share things nicely with your windows box.

Bonjour is a tool that you can install on the windows that makes it easier to print to a mac attached printer.

hopefully that makes more sense.

Yes, sorry, I mean Leopard 10.5.2.
I have one printer attached to the PC and one printer atached to the Mac that runs both OSX and Win XP.
By 'create two printers on the PC', I guess that you mean create a network connection from the PC to the printer on the Mac while running Win XP and then try to do it again while running OSX on the Mac?
So far, I have been able to create a printer connection between the PC and the Mac while running Win XP.
As I said, when the PC is on and the Mac is running Windows, I have complete file and printer sharing back and forth between the two machines.
What's missing is my ability to share files and printers between the two machines when the Mac is running OSX.
I will try what you suggest and see how it works out. Thanks again.

Should I assume that the bonjour for windows will allow the PC to see the printer connected to the Mac even if it is not using an airport station?

 

[mmcxiiad]

Should I assume that the bonjour for windows will allow the PC to see the printer connected to the Mac even if it is not using an airport station?

Yes. Bonjour is a means to let windows access printers attached to mac printer and will work with most routers with out any configurations.

From Apple's page about bonjour:
Bonjour, also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. Bonjour uses industry standard IP protocols to allow devices to automatically discover each other without the need to enter IP addresses or configure DNS servers.

 

[Luis Ortega]

Well, I installed bonjour for windows on the PC but I still can't share anything between the PC and the Mac.
I tried running the bonjour printer wizard and it seems to see the printer connected to the Mac but at the end of the wizard it stops and says that I don't have sufficient access to connect to the selected printer, and there is nothing that shows in Windows Explorer under network connections that is a shared folder from the Mac.
This is very frustrating. I had hoped to spend most of my time in OSX but it seems that I have to be running Windows on my Mac to get any file or printer sharing.