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Connect a PC to a Mac through ethernet cable

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Scrub

Technical User
Apr 13, 2001
17
CA
Hello,

Can you provide a step-by-step procedure for connecting a PC (WinME) to a Mac Powerbook G3 for the purpose of transferring some files?

TCP/IP?
Regular Cat 5 cable or crossover cable?

Your help would be appreciatted.

Scrub.
 
I do not believe that you can make the two computers talk to each other without using some form of software to allow either the mac to reside within the windows environment or vis versa. Dave 2.5.1 comes to mind. A simpler solution is to burn CD's and "sneaker net" the files or to either stuff or zip the files and send them as emails.

I have used the "sneaker net" with some success, simply burning a CDRW and then reading it on the Macintosh. If you try the other way, you will have to remember to acoomodate the differences, both in file naming and file formats, with the PC's.

 
Scrub put this in another forum and both Maclan Connect and Dave were offered as suggestions.
 
Hi,

You'd use a crossover cable if you are physically connecting from one PC to another, i.e. without a hub. Otherwise, via a hub/switch, you'd use straight-through cables. TCP is the obvious protocol to use at both ends - make sure they are on the same subnet.

Then you need some TCP apps to do the communication - apart from those mentioned you could just use ftp - you'd need a ftp server installed at the 'origin' end (or both if you need two way transfers). There is a good freeware one for m$/windoze from here --> .

Hope this helps
 
Well I think that you may well be able to solve the said problem with just a crossover cable, as Microsoft has Mac compatible protocols (AppleTalk). - at least on Win2000 server anyway. To find out, on the Windows machine go to the network adapters properties, you should see a list of protocols (Windows file sharing, TCP-IP, Client for Microsoft...., etc), go to Add a protocol, and look for 'AppleTalk'. If it's there, its all good. (if its not you may be able to get it from Microsoft?)

alternatively, if the Mac has the tcp-ip protocol on it's ethernet adapter (tcp-ip is needed for the internet so I don't see why not) you could use internet protocols such as ftp or html to do the transfers. Obviously, you might need to download a mini ftp or html server for the Win. machine, then you could have the mac ftp anything straight from the Window's machine IP.... bingo!

Ultimately, if you can physically connect the two machines with ethernet (cat5) all you need to do is find a common protocol, that is, a language both machines speak.

HTH

Telz Win2000 Network Administrator
 
For any networking, you need three things : a physical connection , a common protocol and a common interface. I note that all the responses above address only one or two of those elements.

If the file exchange is over a network exchange, then ethernet is certainly the connection of choice. The usual choices apply: either a crossover cable between the two machines or patch cables/hubs or switches. The protocol choices need to be matched with the interface. Either you need a SMB client interface installed on the Mac using either NetBeui or TCP/IP as the protocol, or an AppleShare Client interface installed on the PC using AppleTalk for the protocol. MacOSX has a built-in SMB client as part of the basic package and directly connects to windows network neighborhoods.

Alternatively, you could use a go between server equipped to handle either protocol and interface. AppleShare IP or Apple Server OSX or any one of the Windows NT server versions.The setups become relevant to which method you choose.

If you go the "sneaker net" route, then you have the disk type and format to address. Macs have the built in ability to read windows formatted disks, but not the other way around. There are a couple of shareware utilities available to mount Mac disks on a windows machine.

Lastly, there is the issue of file format and translation. Once a file has been transferred, what file type is it and how to open it? Is it a universal format or a platform or application specific format? Does it need renaming for a windows extension, or does it need a complete format translation? MacLink Plus < for the Mac does an excellent job of converting most common formats to either platform. I'm not aware of an equivilent for the windows side.

Regards, Gary

<
 
Correction: Dataviz also offers a file translator for windows as well as a utility for reading Mac formatted disks, and the address is correct :
Regards, Gary
 
Try to install Services for Macintosh on your PC(coz were not using WinME on our network:)) if this possible? or try to download trial version of MacServerIP, MacserverIP uses appletalk protocol on your PC this inable your pc to appear in Macintosh(Chooser -> Appleshare -> click the name of your PC) Macserver has a powerfull transfer of files up to 5x! i been using this on our network consist of Mac and PC's.

MacServerIP link:
Hope this help regards!
 
The MacServerIP software is AFP over TCP/IP similar to AppleShare over TCP/IP running on a Mac server (IP or X) and installs only on NT versions (4/2000/XP) replacing the AppleTalk SFM ...and as you say ...far faster and more reliable. Its got great reviews since it was released. But they make no claim for installing on Win 95/98/ME.

Regards, Gary
 
can you help me setup my imac g3 to connect through network using tcp/ip settings on Windows XP software?
 
there's also an old FTPd available for the mac that makes this problem trivial, and it's one I use on my network. If you are using a mac capable of running the software, install FTPd 3.0 (here's the link ) and use an ftp client on the windows side. alternately, you could install an FTPd on the windows side, but it tends to be much more complex. The only things to remember when using this method:
file sharing must be on
it must be setup correctly
 


Hello,

Can you provide a step-by-step procedure for connecting 2 PC's (Win98 - WinME) with a cross-cable (no hub) for the purpose of transferring some files?


Thank You!
 
Yep.

1) Install Ethernet NIC's on both PC's.
2) Connect them up. If there are lights on the back of the NIC's check them. If they are lit, you have a link.
3) Go to the adapter configuration page and make sure the NIC (Network Interface Card) has TCP/IP and NETBIOS installed. (it may be called NETBEUI instead). Do this for each PC.
4) in the TCP/IP options for each card, set an address of 192.168.0.x (x=1-254) and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0
Do NOT use DHCP/DNS/WINS as they will not help you! Also you should join your computer to a workgroup. You can do this from 'My Network Places' or 'Network Neighbbourhood'
5) Restart both PC's with their new settings
6) On each machine, test that TCP/IP is properly installed by typing <PING 127.0.0.1>. You should get 4 replies.
7) If that works, type <PING 192.168.0.x> (this should be the address of the OTHER machine) Again you should get 4 replies.
8) If that works :) try <PING NAME> (where NAME is the NETBIOS name of the computer you are pinging) this time if you get a response you can consider yourself fully connected!!

If you would like a better explanation of any of the points here, or an explanation of how these things work let me know.

HTH

Tels Win2000 Network Administrator
 
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