File Sharing Between Macintoshes and PCs on NETGEAR Wireless Networks

File sharing requires a transfer protocol is available over a network, and that applications on the shared computers understand one another's file format. Also, file sharing must be turned on. If the same application exists on a Macintosh and a PC -- for example MS Word -- the conversion between file formats may be practically automatic. In other cases special import utilities may be needed. There are 3rd party applications that convert many types of Macintosh and PC file formats.

File sharing between Macintoshes is not supported by NETGEAR. Apple recommends direct computer-to-computer communication for this, as described in at www.info.apple.com. It can be difficult to share files between Windows and MacOS 9.x or 8.x. NETGEAR does not support this.

Any of several protocols can be used to transfer between Macintoshes and PCs. If you're familiar with one, you'll probably want to start with it.

• FTP
• HTTP
• Web Sharing (Make one computer a Web Server, browse from the other)
• Open File Sharing (Allow other computers to view a networked disk)
• SMB (Windows File Sharing)
• AppleTalk

Whichever is used, your Macintosh and PC must be configured so both can use the same method.

Windows uses a file sharing method called SMB or Windows Samba. MacOS 10.2 has SMB support. MacOS X “mounts” Windows SAMBA shared directories and shares directories with Windows. (This is also true for Linux Red Hat and Solaris 9.)

To turn on file sharing on a Macintosh, use the Chooser (OS 9.x) or the Connect to Server command in OS X.

To turn on file sharing in Windows 2000, right-click a folder in a Windows directory, select Sharing and click Share this folder.

ID: N101172.asp