File sharing wont work between Macbook with snow leopard and macbook pro with mountain lion

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Level 1

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File sharing wont work between Macbook with snow leopard and macbook pro with mountain lion

I would like to share files wirelessl between the two macs we have at home, not via internet or remotely or anything. Just two macs several metres apart at home.

I got nothing. I have checked file sharing, nominated sharing folders, wifi/airport is switched on, firewalls are off, everyone says thats it, easy. Nothing is visible on the finder window and I cant find the other mac by trying to 'connect to server'. I have tried typing the afp address. Could someone please advise how it is supposed to work and what hardware is needed and used, please also define what acronyms and terms mean such as subnet, IP, server etc if you have to use them.I have read all the 'how to' in support and looked through the discussions.

I am missing something really fundamental here so some one needs to talk to me like I am a five year old, I am ready to be told I have made a really silly omission.

I have questions such as:

Do the two macs communicate directly (not via other hardware) using wireless? (ie problem is with settings on one or both macs)

Do they network via the wifi router modem which is also connecting them both to broadband internet (it is a Dynalink with 4 ethernet channels, wifi)? In which case I may really need to be pointed to settings on that.

Many thanks in advance.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8), other computer is macbk pro mt lion

Posted on Mar 9, 2013 6:13 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

DLMiller

Level 2

395 points

Mar 10, 2013 11:01 AM in response to BandT

Welcome, BandT.

Just a few things to remember about file sharing:

Yes, both macs have to be connected via wifi or ethernet on the same network
Both macs need to be logged in as administartors
Both macs have to show sharing enabled for the same type of files (see example). If you're going to share physical files then you would select "File Sharing"

Make sure that when you select File Sharing that you also click the plus ( + ) sign at the bottom to add the specific files you want to share.
If you click the "Options" button you will be given options to share with a Windows based machine. Here you will have to type in the credentials for that machine to give it access. This option is not needed for sharing mac to mac.
In the "Users" section of this window you need to add the people who you want to grant access to and at what level of access you'd like them to have.

Hopefully this will help you to start sharing.

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Answer 2

BandT Author

Level 1

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Mar 11, 2013 2:42 AM in response to DLMiller

Thanks DL, I have been through your checklist and I have opened up and ticked 'guest user' on both just to be sure.

So far as I can tell, still nothing.

Hoping you might have ideas to go from here? Could we go back to my questions earlier, I would like to know if the router is the problem or nothing to do with it. I dont expect anyone to talk me through my particular piece of hardware for the router, but maybe some tech terms to hunt down in its settings would be great.

Regards

B and T

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Answer 3

DLMiller

Level 2

395 points

Mar 12, 2013 4:25 PM in response to BandT

Hey BandT,

Sorry for the delayed response but I was traveling.

If you're both able to connect to the internet on the respective computers then the router would have nothing to do with it. They are both able to connect to the same wifi, correct?

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Answer 4

BandT Author

Level 1

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Apr 4, 2013 4:49 AM in response to DLMiller

Thankyou for the help with this, we eventually figured the problem was with the router. It had a security block switch to stop computers networking through it (only allows them onto the net). When I switched off the block it didnt actually register on the router, mainly due to the poor software failing to do as it indicated unless I switch it off and on again and danced in a clockwise direction. Everything on the Macs and my own work had been fine!

Issue closed.

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Answer 5

DLMiller

Level 2

395 points

Apr 4, 2013 8:22 PM in response to BandT

I'm glad to hear that you got the issue resolved.

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