A major selling point for Apple's Macintosh since the switch in 2006 to Intel CPUs is the computer's ability to work well in a world ruled by Microsoft Windows. In addition to improvements in Mac OS X (now at version 10.6, Snow Leopard) that allow simple file and printer sharing with Windows PCs, the Mac can also boot directly into Windows using Boot Camp, which is included in the OS release. There's even a third option, which is running Windows under "virtualization," with VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop.
In many small office environments, homes included, there may be one or more Macs, hopefully running Leopard or Snow Leopard (10.5 and 10.6, respectively), that want to share files and/or resources with Windows computers. To join a Windows network, you need to understand about NetBIOS names, workgroups, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) and other key components of the networking environment.
What's what
A NetBIOS name establishes a particular computer's identity on a network, while a workgroup is a group of computers that communicate via Server Message Block (SMB), Windows' built-in file and printer sharing service. The My Network Places view displays the individual computers in their particular workgroups because SMB can discover devices on a local network and determine which ones are available. Typically, one PC per workgroup -- by default, the first one turned on and booted up -- takes the role of the master browser for its local network and maintains the list of devices (and regularly checks their status).
Since they offer good organizational capabilities without requiring a central (and often separate) server, workgroups are popular in home and small business environments. A similar feature to SMB in larger networks is WINS. This technology enables device self-discovery in networks with large numbers of PCs and/or other SMB-capable devices, or environments with a number of different network segments connected by a router.
Join the party
For a Mac to "play nice" on a Windows network, it must get its own NetBIOS name and be a member of the same workgroup as the PCs whose files and resources it wants to use. If there is a WINS server on the network, a Mac will need the server address just the same way a Windows PC does.
These settings are made in Windows by going to Control Panel and selecting System, or right clicking on My Computer in Windows XP or Computer in Vista and selecting Properties. Under System Properties, the Computer Name tab or section lets you to see a PC's NetBIOS name and workgroup membership. You will use the Change button or the Change Settings link in Vista to make your adjustments.
The Mac side
In Leopard and Snow Leopard, you will use the Network pane, in the Internet - Wireless section of System Preferences. Select an active network interface such as Ethernet or AirPort in the list of available ones at the left, and click the Advanced button. The Advanced Network Options dialog will allow you to select the WINS tab and enter the proper settings and information, but make sure you use the naming conventions that Windows PCs recognize. Like most versions of Windows, Leopard and Snow Leopard will assign the name "Workgroup" if no other name is entered.
The Mac has a number of available methods for sharing files, the primary (or native) one being Apple File Protocol (AFP). Developed and refined over many years by Apple engineers, it shares with SMB, HTTP and other common protocols the same core TCP/IP functionality that drives the World Wide Web. There is some third-party software that makes AFP intelligible to Windows machines, but it is typically considered a Mac-only creature. However, Macs can also access shared files on Windows PCs via SMB, since Apple's Samba is an open-source version of SMB for Unix/Linux OS installs. The Mac OS, of course, is based on UNIX.
A few reminders
Outside of paying attention to naming conventions, specifying a unique NetBIOS name and creating a workgroup, there is not much special to be done to get Macs and Windows to share with each other. The fact is, Macs can usually see Windows PCs, other-OS-powered machines and servers right out of the box. However, if you want to use SMB there are those certain steps you have to take as outlined above. There are also a couple of global settings you should check.
Make sure to enable file sharing with the Sharing pane in System Preferences, which is as simple as checking a "File Sharing" checkbox in a list of available options. Then you need to deliberately choose to share those files using SMB by selecting the Options button. You can share files using AFP, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SMB. Remember, too, that both the Mac and Windows PCs have excellent wizards and assistants to help you troubleshoot the situation if you don't succeed at first. When all else fails, of course, RTFM -- Read The Freakin' Manual.Panergy is a leading developer of software for the Mac since 1992. Panergy creates a multilingual docx converter software that allows users to gain access to documents created by applications they have not installed in order to improve their development and workflow for Print and Web Publishing.
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