Sharing between Macs and Windows-based PCs

Sharing between Macs and
Windows-based PCs
We could tell you about all sorts of ways that you can get files from Macs to
PCs — as well as kludgey ways to send them via FTP from computer to computer
— but the simple fact of the matter is this: If you have a Mac and want
to get it on a PC network, you buy a software program for the Macintosh
called DAVE. If you have a non-Apple computer that you want on your Mac
network, you go to Chapter 8 where we show you how to do that. If you have
a Mac network on which you want to share files, printers, and other peripherals,
check out the nearby sidebar, “Care for a Rendezvous?”
Care for a Rendezvous?
One cool feature that Apple has added to its
newest version of Mac OS — Mac OS v. 10.2
(often called Jaguar) — is a networking system
called Rendezvous. Rendezvous is based on an
open Internet standard (IETF [Internet Engineering
Task Force] Zeroconf) and is being
adopted by a number of manufacturers outside
of Apple.
Basically, Rendezvous (and Zeroconf) is a lot
like Bluetooth (which we discuss in Chapter 15)
in that it allows devices on a network to discover
each other without any user intervention
or special configuration. Rendezvous is being
incorporated into many products, such as printers,
storage devices (basically, networkable
hard drives), and even household electronics
like TiVos (hard drive-based television personal
video recorders [PVRs]).
Here’s one great feature about Rendezvous: On
Macs that are equipped with Apple AirPort network
adapter cards, it lets two (or more) Macs
in range of each other (in other words, within
Wi-Fi range) automatically connect to each
other for file sharing, Instant Messaging, and
such without going through any extra steps of
setting up a peer-to-peer network.
Rendezvous is enabled automatically in Mac OS
v. 10.2 computers if you turn enable Personal
Fire Sharing (found in the System Preferences;
look for the Sharing Icon) or use Apple’s iChat
Instant Messaging Program, Apple’s Safari Web
browsers, or any Rendezvous-capable printer
connected to your Airport network.
If you have a Mac, you’ve probably heard about DAVE from someone. Using
DAVE enables you to share CDs, printers, hard drives, folders, and so on.
DAVE (www.thursby.com; $149 for a single-user license) uses the fast, industry
standard Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol
instead of AppleTalk and is designed specifically for the Apple Macintosh.
It’s installed on the Macintosh, and no additional hardware or software is
required on the PC. There are versions for all current versions of Mac OS,
including OS X.
When you install DAVE on your Mac and launch it for the first time, the DAVE
setup assistant will launch. Follow the onscreen steps — you’ll need to tell
DAVE what type of Windows network you’ll be connecting to. (You need to
mark a check box to specify if your Windows network uses Windows NT or
Windows 2000.) You’ll also need to enter a name for your Mac as well as identify
the name of the Windows network workgroup, as we discuss earlier in
this chapter. DAVE will then automatically connect your Mac to the PC network,
asking you whether you want to share files from your Mac with PCs in
the network.
If you’re using the latest version of Mac OS X — Jaguar, or OS X v. 10.2 — your
Mac can basically work right out of the box with any Windows network for
things like file sharing. That is, if you have Mac OS X v. 10.2 (or later), you
don’t need DAVE.
Thursby also sells the program MacSOHO that enables file and printer sharing
between PCs and Macs. We don’t suggest you get this because it won’t
work with Windows XP. Microsoft has decided to eliminate support for
NetBEUI from its new release, Windows XP, and MacSOHO uses the NetBEUI
protocol. Get DAVE instead.