Topic: Mac & PC Network help....

I've tried every Mac forum that I participate in and even shot emails to Apple with no luck on this one. (thanks applecare....)

I've got 3 pcs, a brand new linksys router and a mac pro. I've connected everything to my router and discovered that I needed to configure the router to copy the mac address of the pc that was connected first. (Something about specific mac addresses)
anyways, I've got internet on 3 of my pc's but on my new Mac Pro... nothing. I've tried just about everything I could think of and nothing works.

I've read numerous articles about using just the mac and when I plug the modem directly into the mac it works fine.
I'm super new to the mac world and I'm starting to get slightly irritated and frustrated with it. I'm hoping one of you inmates will be able to throw me a bone for xmas and help out.

thanks!!!!!!

What exactly is the problem? Getting the Mac on the network for internet access, or getting the Mac to see the PC drives for file sharing?

We've got four Macs (three wireless, one hard wired to the router) and two PCs on our home network w/ a Netgear router, all pretty easily. (The Macs were easier than the PCs for internet, and the wireless printer server was easier for the PCs than the Macs, but it works... most days...).

But we don't do much cross platform file sharing/networking. So that's why I asked what you need the network to do.

what linksys are you using? I've used pretty much nothing but Linksys and once I get the first one going the rest are just plug and go. Is the Mac on the same workgroup as the PC's? I don't think it's anything wrong with the Mac, even though it sounds that way from your post. Is the Mac getting an IP from the router? You can check using the Terminal doing an ifconfig, the same as a Linux box. If it's not then, it could either be the network card in the Mac or the router is blocking it for some strange reason.

As for file sharing, you have to share the folders on the windows computer and then using Samba, access them. Just mount them through the Network.

I think Steve is your man on this one though. We have 3 Mac's at work as well as other OS's.

Later,

C:\

Thanks guys, sorry I should be more specific. I'm not concerned with file sharing at all, I figure I'll cross that hurdle when I get there. I'm more concerned with internet access for my kids. The Mac is in the living room (to monitor what they do).

For some reason the Mac isn't seeing the router (i think) My 3 PC's see it fine. I went through this whole shpiel with linksys to update the firmware, oh its a WRT54G Linksys btw.

I thought all I had to do was ... well actually I'm clueless. Mac and networks may as well be spanish to me. Thanks again, I knew I could count on the asylum.

This is going to sound really stupid, but you've gotta ask, just to make sure: you do have Airport activated on the Mac, right?


Justice 4 Pat Richard

Why do you need to forward a MAC address? What happens if the Mac is the first connected, and you attempt to forward the Mac's MAC?

You say that the Apple sees the internet fine when connected directly to the modem. How about when connected alone (no PCs) via the router?

Is your router acting as DHCP server? Have you tried using fixed IP addresses? With the router acting as DHCP server, you might try entering its address as the primary DNS server, and give the Mac a fixed IP in the same range as that received by the PCs (increment the last byte).

You might also try fixing the Mac's network config. according to the auto-config on the PCs. Determine the PCs configurations using the following command in a console:

IPCONFIG /ALL

...then use that data to configure the Mac for internet access using the same DNS address(es) but, again, incrementing the last byte of the IP address.

When you have the Mac physically connected and set for auto-config (assuming the router is acting as DHCP server) does it receive an IP address and DNS server info. from the router, or remain unconfigured? If it is receiving a configuration, is it in the same range as the PCs?

If the Mac is receiving configuration data, or is configured in the same range as the router, regardless of whether you can see the internet or router via a browser, are you able to ping the router's address from the Mac?

(Edited by White Hawk on 12-14-2006 13:47)

Well it just seems to me like either you don't have AirPort activated on the Mac, or you have some router security encryption deployed that you haven't informed the Mac about. I've NEVER had to do any configuration with my Mac to utilize an open wireless network. Convention centers, coffee shops, friends homes, neighbors... if there's an open wifi access point my Mac will detect it and we're off and running. (It does usually ask if it's okay to join the if it's a network I haven't used before.)

Launch System Preferences. Click "network" From the "Show" drop down menu (below the "location" ddm), select "Airport". Verify that the "Show AirPort status in menu bar" check box is checked. Now you have a little icon at the top of your monitor. You can turn AipPort on and off from this menu as well as select from any wifi access points the Mac detects. Really - it *should* be as simple as that!

quote:

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White Hawk said:

You might also try fixing the Mac's network config. according to the auto-config on the PCs. Determine the PCs configurations using the following command in a console:
code:

IPCONFIG /ALL

---

on a mac it's ifconfig

Later,

C:\

sweet guys. and no i dont have airport on, i order the wireless with the mac. i was losing my mind with this because the macs that I use at my office just plug right in to the router and bam. all connected. we even have pcs on our network. I think I'll try the reverse and see if I cant get the mac to clone its mac address.

wish me luck and thanks again!

I don't know what you mean by "no i dont have airport on, i order the wireless with the mac"

You ordered your Mac with a wifi card? Okay. I get that. But what does "no i dont have airport on" mean? Are you confusing "airport" the Apple wireless router with "airport" the software that connects to wifi access points? 'Cause you *DO* have to have "airport the software" on, and it may not be by default.

ok let me type really slow... :-)

I don't have the wireless airport device for my mac so it's not turned on.

Tried everything everyone suggested last night to no avail. I connected the Mac to the router and copied the Mac mac address to the router and that didn't work either. I've just about given up.

If someone could point me to a tutorial or something that would be great. Meanwhile I'm off to "on hold hell" with applecare.

:-D

Is the Mac running Wireless? I think that's where I'm confused

Later,

C:\

Seriously... just listen for a moment. There are two things (confusingly) called AirPort by Apple. One is a piece of hardware that allows wireless connectivity. The other is software that runs as part of Mac OS X and controls wireless networking. It maintains network profiles, with WEP or WPA keys, allows the use of Interference Robustness, and assorted features like that. It might be there, but it might not be turned on be default, and without it you cannot do wireless networking with your Mac. So, what we're talking about here is the second thing, the software. We couldn't care less if your Mac's wireless card is AirPort or not.


Justice 4 Pat Richard

Hey I just wanted to thank you guyes for hte assist. I finally got it working correctly.
Apparently Linksys had a problem with this model router working properly with Macs.
They've since developed a new firmware upgrade that fixed the problem and all is fine.

I spend a good 30 minutes on with Apple Care and another 45 minutes on with Linksys to
get this situated.

You guys are still awesome!!
thanks again.

Yea!!!

Wow - I thought LinkSys was flawless. Thanks for the tip.