[cmchan]

All I want to do is share files between my G4Cube and my new iBook. I have installed an AirPort card in each, and apparently I did that right, because an AirPort icon showed up in my menu bar. According to my Missing Manual book, all I should have to do is name each computer and turn on file sharing. Then (they claim) I can Go to Connect to Server, which should now have a list of my two computers. It doesn't. It's empty. Well, sometimes the Cube does list itself. I have tried looking at various things, but the more I look, the more I become convinced that I have no idea what I'm doing. The Apple site keeps referring to a separate AirPort base station, which I don't have. I understood that for file sharing I could use the Cube itself for a base station. Was that wrong? Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong or haven't done at all?
Thanks for any help. Sorry to be such a doofus.
cmc

[d00d]

What version of the OS do you have on each computer?

[Nobody]

first you have to set up an ethernet network--->Creating a small ethernet Network
I think an inexpensive router is the best way to go.
Next, Mac OS X About file sharing
I am not sure, but I think Internet sharing by way of software base station is only for sharing the Internet connection and not file sharing. I could be wrong on this though. Before I got a router I used my iMac as a software base station. I don't remember if I tried sharing files though with my ibook.

[d00d]

Lori, it's perfectly possible to form an ad-hoc network between two Airport card equipped computers. Once I know what OS, I can give concrete instructions.

[Nobody]

thanks for clarifying derik, I couldn't remember.

[cmchan]

I'm running Jaguar 10.2.5 on the Cube, Panther on the iBook. I was going to get around to looking up whether or not I could upgrade the Cube to Panther using the disk that came with the iBook, but I hadn't gotten that far. Is that a problem? I do have AirPort software on both, but I've looked at what comes up when I run the AirPort Admin Utility, and that was one thing that showed me I was clueless. The Airport Set Up Assistant is no use, since it can't find the other computer either.
Thanks a lot for helping.
cmc

[d00d]

In reply to:

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I was going to get around to looking up whether or not I could upgrade the Cube to Panther using the disk that came with the iBook, but I hadn't gotten that far. Is that a problem?

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Well, it probably won't work and it's a violation of your software license, so I wouldn't even try it.
If I remember correctly, all you need to do is make a computer-to-computer network using the Airport menu on the cube. Make sure that Airport is active in your network preferences. That network should show up on your iBook. If not, manually type in the name. You should then be able to see shares and do file transfer.
I'd also recommend you update the Cube using software update to the latest software if that's possible.

[cmchan]

Thanks for letting me know not to try and update the Cube with the iBook softwarenow I don't have to look it up.
I am not sure I understood your instructions. At any rate, I am still having trouble. From the AirPort icon in the menu bar, I can choose either Other... or Create Network. If I choose Other, I am asked to enter the name of the network to join and an optional password (this is on the Cube). If I choose Other from the iBook, I am asked to choose a security type and enter the name of the network to join with an optional password. If, on the iBook, I type in "G4 Cube" and a password, I get an error. Same thing from the Cube, whether I type "iBook" or "G4 Cube."
If I choose Create Network, then I am asked to type in the name of the network. I did that, using "G4Cube." I did then get a little disk icon within the AirPort menu icon. I did the same thing on the iBook, still using "G4Cube" as the name, and now in the AirPort menu, under "Computer to Computer Networks, it has "G4Cube" with a check mark next to it. But if I scroll down to that and click on it, nothing happens.
Connect to Server, from the Cube, lists the Cube, but not the iBook. From the iBook, I get a different screen with a place for me to type in the Server Address. I have tried typing in the numbers and letters for the Cube which are shown in Network Preferences under AirPort ID, but when I try to connect that way, I just get another error message. I have also tried the reverse, typing in the iBook's ID from the Cube, but get the same thing.
Does any of this make sense to you? I am completely at sea. I will try to update the Airport software on the Cube.
Thanks again,
cmc

[d00d]

Sure, it makes sense. You've described things very well. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
You did the correct thing with the Cube when you used the "Create" command. You then wanted to join that network with the iBook (successful connection should be indicated by a checkmark and black bars in the menu bar to indicate signal strength (I believe, or it might be the little icon that you see on the Cube).
Make sure File Sharing is on for both machines. Now, for the iBook, things are a little different. You want to go to the Finder and choose "Network" from the "Go" menu. You should then see a listing, hopefully one including the Cube file shares.

[cmchan]

Well, I think we're getting somewhere, just not far enough. When I choose "Network" from the "Go" menu on the iBook, I get an icon labelled "Servers" with a little curved arrow to one side. If I click that, then I get another icon labelled "iBook.local." If I click on that, it sends me to the iBook's Macintosh HD. The Cube is not listed.
The Cube is still listed in the drop down menu from the AirPort icon, still with a check next to it. File sharing is turned for both machines (I checked to make sure). In the Cube drop-down menu from the Airport icon, it also lists the Cube, but not the iBook. I think I must still be missing a step, although God (and hopefully you) knows what it is.
Thanks very much!
cmc

[d00d]

Well, I'm getting stumped. In the iBook, under Sharing in System Preferences, is the name of the computer "iBook"? Does it say the computer can be reached at iBook.local?
If so, open a Terminal on the Cube and type "ping iBook.local" (without the quotes) and press return. Wait a while and press control-c. What does it say? Print the output in a post.

[cmchan]

In reply to:

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Well, I'm getting stumped. In the iBook, under Sharing in System Preferences, is the name of the computer "iBook"? Does it say the computer can be reached at iBook.local?

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Yes and yes.
In the terminal, I first got a bunch of lines, all saying:
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=0 tti=64 time=0.232 ms
The seq=# and the time=# changed with each line.
Then I presseed control-c, and got:
ibook.local ping statistics
44 packets transmitted, 44 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.178/0.213/0.245 ms
That sounds like it's working to me. How about you?
Thank you for spending so much time on this.
cmc

[d00d]

That sounds correct. You have an established link. Try entering afp://iBook.local as a manual address on the Cube. That might force a connection (I'm not at my Macs right now, so I can't check if that address is entirely correct or not).

[cmchan]

In reply to:

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Try entering afp://iBook.local as a manual address on the Cube.

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I tried. I went to "Go" and "Connect to server." It once again listed the Cube. I typed in the above, but got an error message. (error=-5000).
I tried doing it from the iBook, typing in "afp://G4Cube.local" but got another error:
Connection Failed. No response from the server. Please Try again.
Do you think this is some difficulty with the AirPort cards and/or the software? The iBook has an AirPort extreme card, but of course I had to put a regular old AirPort card in the Cube. I had understood that they would still talk to each other. I did, by the way, look for an update for the Cube's AirPort software, but nothing came up. I just can't think of anything else.
Thanks,
cmc