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New MacBook on a Windows wifi network - Help!
Reckless
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey everybody. 
I finally bit the bullet and picked up a brand new MacBook over the weekend for college. It's running great, I'm just getting used to the Mac OS and figuring out all the little things that make this system run so nicely.
However, I do have an issue getting my network to function properly.
Right out of the box, the laptop's AirPort picked up my wireless network and connected. The problem, though, is that it didn't ask me for any kind of password, making me assume that my network is most definitely not secured.
I'm running a Microsoft MN-700 as my wireless router. How do I get this thing protected? It's especially a problem because I live in an apartment complex, and I don't want leechers on my internets. The MacBook picks up about 6 other wireless signals from my room that don't have any kind of protection as well, I don't want to be one of those people.
Additionally, my PC can't see my MacBook, and the MacBook can't see the PC. I'd like to get a lot of file transfers done over the network, as well as set up my printer to let the MacBook print wirelessly.
If anyone has any experience setting up wireless networks across platforms, any and all advice is much appreciated.
I finally bit the bullet and picked up a brand new MacBook over the weekend for college. It's running great, I'm just getting used to the Mac OS and figuring out all the little things that make this system run so nicely.
However, I do have an issue getting my network to function properly.
Right out of the box, the laptop's AirPort picked up my wireless network and connected. The problem, though, is that it didn't ask me for any kind of password, making me assume that my network is most definitely not secured.
I'm running a Microsoft MN-700 as my wireless router. How do I get this thing protected? It's especially a problem because I live in an apartment complex, and I don't want leechers on my internets. The MacBook picks up about 6 other wireless signals from my room that don't have any kind of protection as well, I don't want to be one of those people.
Additionally, my PC can't see my MacBook, and the MacBook can't see the PC. I'd like to get a lot of file transfers done over the network, as well as set up my printer to let the MacBook print wirelessly.
If anyone has any experience setting up wireless networks across platforms, any and all advice is much appreciated.
Reckless on
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Do you have file sharing on your Mac turned on? Go to System Preferences -> Sharing. Enable Windows Sharing.
If you're running the firewall, click on the Firewall tab, and allow Windows Sharing.
To see if it works, go to your Windows box. Click Start -> Run. type \\[your mac's ip address]. click OK
Those options were all turned off, but even when turning them on, my PC isn't finding the Mac. I tried the Start - Run and nothing.
Any other ideas? Thanks again for the help.
After you enable Windows file sharing, be sure to click Enable accounts and give access to an account.
If it doesn't seem to be working, I would turn off any firewalls just to make sure they're not interfering.
Aside from this issue, I can't seem to access my base station's settings. I'd really like to be able to play with some stuff in there. The IP I used to use for it, unless I'm not remembering it correctly, isn't working.
(EDIT: Windows found the laptop! Now, to make sure everything works accordingly and get this base station issue figured out...)
If you can't figure out the password for the web interface, reset it, go to the manufacturers web site, and look up what the default is. From what I hear, WPA security is a lot better than WEP, and your Mac should support either. I use WEP since I really don't think I'm living near any l33t hackers and it's a little more simple (I've had WPA sometimes cause problems for my old iBook). If curious, look at your router's DHCP table to see if anyone is using it who shouldn't be. Also, if you use WEP make sure you don't specify an odd key. WEP keys are 5 or 13 characters, for 64-bit and 128-bit encryption, respectively. Sometimes a router will let you, and insert an extra space on the end of the key or something, and then lots of computers (typically windows machines) will just bitch and not work right even if you manually add the space.