Easiest way to Network Windows and Apple

[Hard_Boiled]

OK, my boss has a cable modem, currently hooked up to his iMac(bleh). He also has an older Windows machine, I don't remember the exact steps. Basically I know very little about networking windows and apple systems.

What is the easiest way to do this? Can I just buy a cable/dsl router and that will take care of the internet access, and then for file sharing use appletalk? Please help me out, I know nothing about Macs.

 

[alpineranger]

You won't have a problem with the internet access with a router, but for file sharing, you'd probably have to go with Win 2000 or NT(I don't think any of the other windows handles appletalk without some 3rd party stuff).

 

[dkk]

what alpineranger said. or pcmaclan

 

[Hard_Boiled]

I saw a device that will allow file sharing thru a USB cable and their own software I guess. I thought a router would work, and with the USB file sharing thing I think I'll be set. Thanks.

 

[Workin']

As others have said, if you use TCP/IP for your networking protocol you'll have no problem sharing the internet connection using a router.

For file sharing, the easiest (once you have TCP/IP set up on both machines) is to use a program called DAVE on the iMac or a program called PCMacLan on the PC. Either one costs about $150. I used to run DAVE to connect my PowerBook to my PC network, but since I set up a Windows 2000 Server machine I just run Mac file services and AppleTalk over Ethernet on that machine which allows the Mac to access the network with no additional software.

 

[Eug]

Can you do it with Win 2000 Pro? I see the stuff listed in Pro, but people tell me it only works in Server.

 

[Workin']

Win2k Pro does not include file or printer services for Macintosh. Win2k Server and higher do include them. I have both Pro and Advanced Server and verified this through experience.

I have Advanced Server set up with Macintosh file services and AppleTalk over Ethernet, and it works so slick it amazes me. I have a single volume shared to both PC and Mac, and both can see each other's files as if they were native, and the Mac files data and resource forks don't get mangled. Of course the only computer the Mac sees on the network is the server - and the PC's can't see the Mac, but both can see the shared drive. In order to see the Mac in Network Neighborhood you would need DAVE (to provide NetBIOS services to the Mac) or PCMacLan (to provide AppleShare functions to the PC).

 

[Hobbzilla]

You can always just try the windows advanced server version. You can get a 120-day demo from Microsoft for $12 or so. But.. whatever you do.. don't copy the files to your harddrive and slipstream SP1 or SP2 network installer into the default 120 day version BEFORE you install.. as it will disable the 120 day timebomb and then the OS will work forever.