About Bob Wood Expertise I can help in MAC networking and problems. No PC expierence, but can guide you to useful info on networking Macs and PCs, and software available for crossplatform networking.
Experience 10 years Mac expierence. 6 years tech support.
Question I am considering buying an eMac that is airport ready. I currently have a wireless network consisting of a desktop and laptop, which connect using a linksys wireless router. Would the eMac be able to connect to the router to share internet, files, and printers with the pc's? Also i was wondering if i could buy an emac that isn't airport ready and just use a usb wireless adaptor that i have got lying around the house?
Answer Hi David
Yes, the Mac will connect without a problem.
The eMacs are Airport Extreme ready, but don't come with the Airport card. USB adapters provide poor performace. You should use Apple's card rather than an adapter. That's a $79.00 option.
File Sharing is simple to setup using the Sharing PreferencePane on the Mac. Use the Help Menu to get all the info you need.
For printing from the Mac to the PC - PRINT the following and keep it handy;
On your Windows XP Machine:
1. Log in as Administrator
2. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel
3. Then Click add/remove programs
4. Then Click add/remove windows components
5. Open the Other Network File and Printer Services section.
6. Put a checkmark in Print Services for Unix.
7. Click Ok; Click Next ( It will probably ask for your Windows Cd at this point)
8. Click finish
9. Close the add/remove programs window
Next steps will have the service start automatically, which is the prefered way to do it:
1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel
2. Double click Administrative tools
3. Double click Services
4. Double click TCP/IP print server
5. Change the startup type to Automatic
6. Click ok and close all open windows.
Next steps setup the printer for tcp/ip printing
1. Click start>settings>printers
2. Right click the printer you want to share and select sharing
3. Click the radio button for Share as and fill in the share name you want to use. (Mine is hpphotos; for hp photosmart)
Now move to your Mac and finish things up.
1. Launch the Print Center for the Applications>Utilties folder
2. Click the Add Printer button
3. Change Appletalk to IP Printing (Ah making sense now eh?)
4. Enter the Windows XP Computer's IP address in the Address Box (Will probably look like 192.168.x.x, if you don't know go to your windows xp machine and from the Command Prompt type ipconfig, it will give you the network address for your windows machine
5. Uncheck the default queue radio button
6. Enter the name of the printer shared name (ex. mine is hpphotos) that you setup on your windows machine.
7. Select your printer model, if you installed gimp print it should be there, if not pic a close model number, my photosmart showed up.)
8. Close print center after the printer was added.
