Networks are interesting systems. Not too many years ago, a network was defined as two or more computers, connected together by physical cables or telephone lines. They were slow, and they went down (crashed) as much as they were up. The word, network, could bring fear to the hearts of even the stoutest computer system managers. Today, networks are rock solid and reliable. The Web can be defined as one huge network of interconnected computers around the world.
Networks connect more than computers; they work with PDA’s, cell phones, televisions, and even wristwatches. And no longer do networks require physical cables. If your computer is equipped with a wireless port, you can connect to the Internet and surf the Web or even check your e-mail, from most major airports and hotel lobbies, without plugging your computer into anything.
In addition, the speed of today’s networks allows us to move massive amounts of information, and even conduct real-time video-conferences. Macintosh computers were born to network, even when networking was a difficult proposition, the minds at Apple were working hard to make it fast, easy, and secure; and with the release of Leopard, the ability to set up a local network, or one that stretches around the world, is becoming easier and easier.
Using Leopard’s built-in systems, you can even configure a wireless network—using an AirPort or Bluetooth (wireless technologies). You can share files and information with other computers with ease and even set up protection (firewalls) to guard against unauthorized access or potential viruses. It’s all made possible with a Macintosh, and the Leopard operating system.
Sharing Services are a collection of options that allow you to define what your computer shares with other computers over a network. For example, if you want to use your computer as a Web server, you would select the Web Sharing service, or by selecting the Printer Sharing service, you can share the printers on your computer with anyone else on the network. When you share files on a network, you need to tell other users your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address or name. If you’re on a local network, you can use the .local hostname as an alternative to a network address. You can find and change your computer name in Sharing Preferences. To prevent accidental changes to your settings, click the Lock button, located in the bottom-left corner of the Sharing window. The next time you try to make changes, you’ll be prompted for your Administrator’s password.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Your computer’s name appears at the top of the Sharing pane. The network location for this computer appears below the name.
To change your computer’s name, modify the text in the Computer Name field.
Select or clear the check box next to any of the following network services to activate or disable it:
Screen Sharing. Select to allow other users to access and control your computer.
File Sharing. Select to allow other users access to the computer’s Public folders.
Printer Sharing. Select to allow other users to share this computer’s printers.
Web Sharing. Select to allow users access to the Web pages, located in the Sites folders.
Remote Login. Select to allow others to login to this computer.
Remote Management. Select to allow users access to this computer through the Apple Remote Desktop application.
Remote Apple Events. Select to allow users to send Apple Events to this computer (optional password protection).
Xgrid Sharing. Select to allow Windows users access to the computer’s Public folders.
Internet Sharing. Select to allow users access to the Internet through your connection.
Bluetooth Sharing. Select to allow users access to connected Bluetooth wireless devices.
Select or specify the options you want for the selected network service; options vary depending on the service.
Click the Close button.
Whenever you set up a network, regardless of the type, you’ll have to configure your computer to communicate with the network. Macintosh computers are big on security, and they won’t let your computer talk to any other computer unless you give the other computers permission. Permission involves setting up file sharing options, and then creating accounts with specific user names, passwords, and permissions.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Select the Personal File Sharing check box.
Select the shared folder you want to set permissions.
To add a shared folder to the list, click the Add (+) button, select the folder, and then click Add.
Select the user you want to change permissions.
To add a user to the list, click the Add (+) button, select a user from your Address Book, and then click Add.
Use the pop-ups to the right of the user name to set any of the following permissions:
Read & Write.
Read Only.
Write Only (Drop Box).
No Access.
Click the Close button.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Select the Personal File Sharing service; the option doesn’t have to be turned on (checked).
Click Options.
Select from the following options:
Share files and folders using AFP. Select to share files with Mac computers using AFP (Apple Filing Protocol).
Share files and folders using FTP. Select to share files with an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site.
Share files and folders using SMB. Select to share files with Microsoft Windows computers. Select the user accounts you want to use, and type a password upon request.
Click Done.
Click the Close button.
If you have an always-on Internet connection, such as a cable modem or DSL, you can share that connection with all the other people in your network in two ways: purchase a router and gate everyone into the connection, or use the built-in Internet Sharing (it’s free). The one requirement is that Internet Sharing must be activated on the Macintosh that’s connected to the Internet.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Select Internet Sharing.
Click the Share Your Connection From pop-up, and then select the method used for sharing.
Check Ports that other computers are using.
Select the Internet Sharing check box.
Click Start.
Click the Close button.
If you’re using a broadband Internet connection (always on), it’s possible that a hacker could gain entrance to your system without your knowledge, and do some extensive damage or make off with your secret recipe for beef paprikash. Fortunately, Leopard comes equipped with Firewall protection. A Firewall is a gatekeeper that in essence, stands guard over your computer; keeping it safe from all attackers. If vandals try to gain entrance to your computer, the Firewall attempts to shut them out. While no Firewall provides perfect protection from all Internet attacks, you can probably sleep soundly, knowing you probably have one of the most sophisticated protection systems on the market today.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Security icon.
Click the Firewall tab.
Select one of the following options:
Allow all incoming connections.
Block all incoming connections.
Limit incoming connections to specific services and applications. Click the Add (+) and Remove (-) button to modify the applications list of incoming connections.
To enable or open a firewall log of activities, or enable Stealth Mode to provide no response from uninvited traffic, click Advanced.
Click the Close button.
Almost any Macintosh computer comes out of the box network ready. Setting up a Local Area Network or LAN, is fairly straightforward. Local Area Networks are a group of local computers hooked together. For example, you could create a LAN for the computers in your office or create a LAN for your home computers. Macintosh even allows you to connect with Windows computers without having to purchase additional software. In fact, all of the software you’ll need to create and maintain a LAN is built into Macintosh OS X. All you have to do is buy a couple of cables, connect two or more computers together, and you’re ready to network. Let’s complicate the situation and say that you’re going to hook up more than two computers. In that case, you’ll need an Ethernet cable for each computer and an Ethernet hub. A hub is a device that lets you connect multiple computers together. Every Macintosh sold comes with an Ethernet port. To set up a LAN, draw out the layout for the network to determine where the computers are and the distance between each unit. Purchase the cables (make sure they’re long enough), and the Ethernet hub (you can purchase Ethernet supplies at almost any electronic store). Plug one end of the Ethernet cables into each of the computers, and the other end into the hub (make sure you plug the hub into an electrical outlet). Once the network is established, you’ll need to set up the individual computers for file sharing and to recognize the LAN.
With Mac OS X, you can connect to other computers, local and wide area networks and to the Internet. You can can connect to other computers or networks using an Ethernet, FireWire, or AirPort connection. If you are connecting to the Internet, you can connect with a DSL or cable modem, an AirPort wireless connection, or a telephone modem. After you set up the physical network hardware, you can use the Network pane in System Preferences to setup a network connection. To make the process easy, you can use the Network Setup Assistant to walk you through the steps. If you’re having problems with a network, you can also use the Network Setup Assistant to help you fix the problem.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Network icon.
Click Assist Me.
Click Assistant.
Diagnostics. If you’re having problems with a network connection, click Diagnostics, and the follow the on-screen instructions.
Click the option with the network connection you want to make.
Click Continue.
Enter network specific information for the selected network, and then click Continue; the requested information varies depending on the selected network.
Click Done.
If you connect to networks and the Internet in different ways, you can save network connects to suit your needs. For example, you connect to your network at home with a wireless AirPort connection and your network at the office with an Ethernet connection. You can save different network configurations for different purposes, so you can optimize your network connections. When you have multiple network connections, Mac OS X tries to connect in the order provided in Network Preferences. You can change the network connection order and save the network connection as a new location, so you only need to do this once. The default location, Automatic, provides setting for each of your computer’s network services, including Ethernet, AirPort, or a dial-up modem.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Network icon.
Use the following methods to work with your connections:
Edit a Location. Click the Location pop-up, and then select the location you want to modify.
Create a Location. Click the Location pop-up, click Edit Location, click the Add (+) button, type a name, and then click Done.
Remove, Rename or Duplicate. Use the Edit Location dialog to delete, rename or duplicate a network location.
To change the connection priority, click the Actions button, click Set Service Order, drag the network service icons to the positions you want, and then click OK.
To remove a network connection, click the Remove (-) button.
To revert your changes, click the Revert.
Click the Close button.
Macintosh computers have several methods for creating networks. There are standard networks using Ethernet cables, and hubs; there are wireless networks; and then there are Bluetooth networks. Bluetooth technology is not so much a network, as it is a simple wireless technology that lets you transmit files and data to any other Bluetooth equipped device. For example, you could use Bluetooth to sync to your Bluetooth PDA, or even use your Address Book, and Bluetooth to automatically dial your Bluetooth cell phone. If you really want to throw away the cables, Apple makes a Bluetooth enabled keyboard and mouse. Bluetooth uses radio signals to communicate with any other Bluetooth device, up to a maximum range of thirty feet. Think of it this way, any Bluetooth device can communicate with any other Bluetooth device, if they are both turned on and within thirty feet of each other. And setup is a breeze with the Bluetooth Setup Assistant.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Network icon.
Select Bluetooth in the list.
If Bluetooth is not available, click the Add (+) button, select Bluetooth as the network, and then click Create.
Turn on the Bluetooth device and place it within 30 feet of your computer.
Click Set Up Bluetooth Device.
The Bluetooth Setup Assistant appears.
Click Continue, and the step through the assistant specifying the device type and passkey to pair the device and the computer.
The Bluetooth Preferences dialog appears.
To delete a pairing, select it, and then click the Delete (-) button.
Click the Close button.
Once you’ve set up your Bluetooth devices, it’s a simple matter to transfer files to the Bluetooth device. For example, you have a PDA device and you want to move a text file from your computer to the device. The process of moving a file from your computer to your Bluetooth device is the same; however, since each Bluetooth device is different, the process of moving a file from the device to your computer is different for each device. Consult your owner’s manual for information on how to move information to your computer, from the Bluetooth device.
Turn on the device and place it within 30 feet of your computer.
Open the Applications folder, double-click the Utilities folder, and then double-click the Bluetooth File Exchange icon.
Select the file you want to send.
Click Send.
Select the Bluetooth device from the available list.
Click Send.
Click the Close button.
After you set up a Bluetooth wireless network on your computer, you can use System Preferences to control how to send and receive files between your computer and other Bluetooth devices. You can use the Settings tab to make your Mac discoverable by other Bluetooth devices and specify whether you want to require a password. The File Exchange tab allows you to indicate what happens when someone sends you a document: accept it, refuse it, or ask what to do. Finally, the Devices tab lets you set up the use of other Bluetooth devices; use pairing to set passwords for security purposes.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Bluetooth icon.
Select or clear the check boxes you want:
Bluetooth Power.
Discoverable.
To set the following advanced options, click Advanced, and the click OK.
Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup when no input device is present.
Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer.
Prompt for all incoming audio requests.
Share my internet connection with other Bluetooth devices.
To use the Bluetooth Status menu, select the Show Bluetooth Status in the menu bar check box.
Click the Close button.
The Finder serves as a focused network browser application. From the Go menu, you can access the Network window, which displays all the computers available on your network. If you’re not sure what is available, this is the place to browse the network. You can also access a network from the Sidebar (New!), which displays all shared computers. After you display a networked computer, you can use all the find tools available on your Mac to locate files. For example, you’re looking for a file with a specific name. You’ve used the Finder application, and checked on your machine, but can’t seem to find it. The other option is that it’s on your co-workers computer. The good news is that with the Finder application, not only can you search your computer; you can search any other computer on the network.
Once you’ve connected several computers together into a network, and configured your computer for file sharing, the next step is to begin communicating. In order to communicate with another computer, you’ll need access to a user account. Typically a user account defines you with a specific name, password, and permissions. Once you log into the other computer, you’ll be able to access the areas (permissions) granted to you by the Systems Administrator.
Turn on all the computers.
Click the Go menu, and then click Connect To Server.
Connect using one of the following methods:
Click Browse, and then double-click on one of the available server icons.
Type the computer’s Server Address, and then click Connect.
Windows (SMB/CIFS). Example: smb://DNSname/sharename; smb://IPaddress/sharename
Macintosh (AFP). Example: afp://ComputerName.CompanyName.com
FTP. Example: ftp://user@DNSname; ftp://DNSname; ftp://user:password@DNSname
NFS. Example: nfs://DNSname/pathname
Click the Recent Servers button, and then select a server address from the list of available options.
Type your Name and Password.
Click Connect.
Click OK.
Click the network computer icon in the Sidebar to display its contents.
Work with your computer; drag files from your computer to the networked computer or vice versa.
If you have a .Mac account, you can use Back to My Mac (New!) to access your computer and other services, such as file sharing and screen sharing, from another computer on the Internet. Before you can use Back to My Mac, you need to start it on the computer you want to access and all the other computers you want to use to access it. You can start Back to My Mac in the .Mac pane in System Preferences. If you want to use file and screen sharing, you need to enable those services using the Sharing pane in System Preferences. With Sidebar, you can view and access a shared Mac on your network and control it with permission of the owner (New!).
With Leopard, you can now share your computer with other users. In fact, you can let other users display your computer screen on their monitor and control your computer as if they were sitting in front of it (New!). This is very useful when you need to access your computer at the office when you’re at home. If a friend needs assistance, you can use screen sharing to take control and provide online help. While you control another computer, you have full access to everything on the machine, so be aware of the changes you want to make. Before you can use screen sharing, you need to enable the option in Sharing Preferences. Screen sharing uses Virtual Network Computing (VNC) to make the network connection using TCP/IP, an industry standard for networking.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Select the Screen Sharing check box.
Select from the following screen sharing options:
All users. Select to allow all users to access and control your computer.
Only these users. Select to allow specific users access to access and control your computer. Click the Add (+) button and then select the users you want from your Address Book.
To set access options, click Computer Settings, select the check box settings you want for access permission, and then click OK.
Click the Close button.
Enable screen sharing on the computer you want to share in Sharing Preferences.
Click your Mac computer in the Sidebar under Shared For.
The files on your Mac computer appears in the Finder window.
Click Share Screen.
Select the sharing option you want:
As a registered user. Connects to another computer using a login name and password; if the remote computer is set to the Only these users option, the login name needs to be in the list.
By asking for permission. Asks permission from the current user to share their screen.
Specify the options you want based on your setup.
The screen for the other computer appears with the Leopard’s built-in screen sharing viewer.
Use your Mac computer as if you were in front of it.
When you’re done, close your session.
Before you can share files between Macintosh and Windows computers, you need to set up file sharing options. When you enable file sharing on a Mac computer to share files with Windows users, Mac OS X uses the Samba server software to provide SMB/CIFS file services. Now Windows users can connect to a Mac computer using normal network services. After you share a folder on a Windows computer, you can share files with Mac users. You may need to disable the Internet Connection Firewall or make sure the TCP port 445 is open. To connect to the Windows computer, users need the network address, workgroup name, and the user name and password for the shared folder.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sharing icon.
Select the File Sharing check box.
Click Options.
Select the Share files and folders using SMB check box.
Select the check boxes to enable a user account for sharing.
Type a password, and then click OK.
Click Done.
Provide the address of your computer displayed in the Sharing pane to Windows users you want to share your computer.
Click the Close button.
After you enable File Sharing in the Sharing Services area of the System Preferences, Windows computers can connect to your computer. Most networks consist of multiple types of computers and operating systems. For Windows Vista, the Network window lets you view the entire network, including servers, domains, and workgroups. For a Windows Vista computer on your immediate network, you can browse the network to access the Macintosh computer.
After you enable File Sharing in the Sharing Services area of the System Preferences, Windows computers can connect to your computer. Most networks consist of multiple types of computers and operating systems. For Windows XP, My Network Places lets you view the entire network or just your part of the network to give you access to the servers, domains, and workgroups on the network. For a Windows XP computer on your immediate network, you can browse the network to access the Macintosh computer. If the Windows XP computer is outside your immediate network, you need to add a network place using the Macintosh computer address displayed in the Sharing pane when you enabled Windows Sharing.
Click the Start button, and then click My Network Places.
In the Network Tasks area, click View Workgroup Computers.
If the computers are not in the same workgroup, click Microsoft Windows Network, and then double-click Workgroup.
Double-click the Mac Computer icon to display the shared files, folders, and devices on the computer. If necessary, type a user name and password for the Mac account.
When you’re done, click the Close button.
Click the Start button, and then click My Network Places.
In the Network Tasks area, click Add A Network Place, and then click Next.
Click Choose Another Network Location, and then click Next.
Type the network address of your Macintosh computer. You can find the address in the Sharing pane under Services. Be sure to type it exactly as shown.
Click Next to continue.
Type a name for the network place or use the suggested one, and then click Next.
To open the network, select the Open This Network Place When I Click Finish check box.
Click Finish.
You can create a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection to securely connect your computer to a network over the Internet. The computer you want to connect to must support a VPN and Internet connection. Before you create a connection, you need to have the server or IP address of the VPN computer. The first time you setup a VPN, you need to select a VPN protocol, either L2TP Over IPSec or PPTP. Use L2TP (Layer Two Tunneling Protocol) over IPSec (Internet Protocol Security), where security is a concern between your computer and Windows XP, or use PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) where security issues are not as much a problem, but where backward compatibility with older systems is a concern. You can use the Show VPN Status menu to easily connect and disconnect from the VPN, and show connection information. If you want a create a private connection within your physical network, you can create a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network).
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Network icon.
Click the Add (+) button.
Click the Interface pop-up, and then click VPN.
Click the VPN Type pop-up, and then click L2TP Over IPSec or PPTP.
Type a name for the connection.
Click Create.
Type the Server Address and Account Name.
Click Authentication Settings to specify a password or other credentials.
To display the modem menu for easy connection access, select the Show VPN Status In Menu Bar check box.
Click Connect to start a VPN connection.
When you’re done, click the Close button, and then save the configuration, if necessary.
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Network icon.
Click the Actions button, and then click Manage Virtual Interfaces.
Click the Add (+) button, and then click New VLAN.
Type a name for the VLAN connection.
Click the Interface pop-up, and then click a network connection.
Click Create.
Click Done.
Specify any settings provided for the network, such as IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Router, and DNS Servers.
If you want assistance, click Assist Me, and then follow the instructions.
When you’re done, click the Close button, and then save the configuration, if necessary.
The Utilities folder, located within the Applications folder, is host to several dozen applications and utilities that help you manage the daily activities with running your Macintosh computer system, internet and wireless connections, and troubleshooting. It’s possible that you might go your entire life and never access some of the more obscure utilities located in this folder; however you should explore the available options, because some of them are useful.
The Network Utility holds information on Web sites, and offers the ability to perform standard Internet services such as: Info, NetStat, Ping, Finger, and Whois. Info displays your IP (Internet Protocol) address and other network information. NetStat displays technical information about your network. Ping allows you to test an Internet connection. Finger allows you to find out about an e-mail address, while Whois allows you to find out about a domain. When you’re experiencing problems with your service, it’s possible that a service technician may ask you some of this information.
