File Sharing in MAC OS X

Prepare to Share

Connect computers to each other or to Internet

To share between computers that are at the same location, connect them to an Ethernet network or an AirPort network. For more information, see technical document 106658: "Creating a Small Ethernet Network"

You may also share over the Internet. A single computer using any kind of modem to connect to the Internet can share files, but the "Connecting between remote networks" section below applies.

Computers need IP addresses

If you can connect to the Internet, then your computer already has an IP address that is valid for your network. But if your computer does not have a valid IP address, which you can check in the Network pane of System Preferences, see technical document 106659: "Mac OS: How to Get an IP Address for Connecting to the Internet"

Connecting to the Internet and a local network (or LAN) at the same time

In most cases, users of institutional networks and home broadband will be advised to have their networks set up in a way that makes this goal effortless. Home users who don't have some type of routing device should see How to Connect to the Internet and Share Files Locally at the Same Time.

File Sharing with other Apple operating systems

This article concentrates only on File Sharing for Mac OS X. When properly set up, various Apple operating systems (such as Mac OS X, Mac OS 9, and AppleShare IP) can connect with each other. Be aware that the sharing service has other names, such as AppleShare and Apple File Protocol (AFP). When you connect to any of them, their behavior is superficially the same. If you use AppleTalk, review the AppleTalk issues section below.

Sharing with non-Apple operating systems

This article describes the most simple form of sharing available to Macintosh users (AppleShare). Other methods are available for communicating with other operating systems. See technical documents:

106660: "Mac OS X: Sharing With Non-Apple Operating Systems"
19652: "Macintosh: Networking With a Windows PC"

Connecting between remote networks

Mac OS X can share over the Internet (TCP/IP), as can Mac OS 9 and AppleShare IP. This allows Macintosh computers in remote locations to share files with any type of Internet connection. For more information, see technical document 106661: "Mac OS: Sharing Between Remote Networks, Sharing Over the Internet"

All Public folders are shared. Only Public folders are shared.

See technical document 106662: "Mac OS X: Only Public Folders Are Shared"

File Sharing is for up to 10 users

Up to 10 users may connect to File Sharing simultaneously. If you need to connect more users at once, you should upgrade to Unlimited-Client version of Mac OS X Server (http://www.apple.com/server/).


II. Start Sharing

1. Place files to share in your Public folder.
2. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu. See Note 1.
3. Click the Network icon.
4. Choose the port you are going to share on (Built-in Ethernet or AirPort) from the Show pop-up menu. See Note 2.
5. Click the AppleTalk tab.
6. Click the checkbox to select Make AppleTalk Active.
7. Click Apply Now.
8. Click the Show All button in the upper left corner of the window.
9. Click the Sharing icon.
10. In the Computer Name field, type the name you wish to appear on the network for your computer. See Note 3.
11. Click Start in the File Sharing section. For Mac OS X 10.2 and later, select Personal File Sharing.

Repeat this process on any other Mac OS X computer that you wish to receive File Sharing connections.

Notes:

1. Users sharing between remote locations skip steps 3 to 8. Users of dial-up must connect before step 11.
2. Prior to Mac OS X 10.1, the Show menu was named "Configure."
3. If you change your Computer Name in the future, you must stop and restart File Sharing for the name change to take effect.

Managing privileges for shared data

Optionally, you can change the access privileges for items in your Public folder.

To change privileges for your entire Public folder:

1. Select your Public folder in a Finder window.
2. Choose Get Info (or Show Info) from the File menu.
3. Set the Show pop-up menu to Privileges.
4. You may now adjust user access privileges for the folder.

You can use the same steps for items in the Public folder.

III. Connect to a Sharing computer

How you connect to a Mac OS X computer that is sharing depends on two major factors:

• the version of Mac OS on the connecting, or "client," computer
• whether the client is local (on the same network) or remote

The steps you need to follow are found in technical document 107369, "Mac OS: How to Connect to File Sharing or Apple File Services (AFP)".

IV. Troubleshooting

AppleTalk issues

Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, and Mac OS X 10.1 to 10.3.9 support file sharing (AFP) connections over AppleTalk. However, Mac OS X versions 10.0 to 10.0.4 (more) and 10.4 and later (more) can only connect to AppleShare over TCP/IP.

If you want to connect from versions 10.1 to 10.3.9 to Mac OS 8 sharing (which is AppleTalk only), be sure to enable AppleTalk as described in steps 5 and 6 in Section II, above. Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X can both connect over TCP/IP without AppleTalk, so this step is optional in the absence of Mac OS 8.

Mac OS X 10.4 and later don't support Personal File Sharing (or other AFP) over Appletalk, though by initiating the connection from the opposite direction you could still achieve an IP connection from a Mac OS 8 computer to a sharing Mac OS X computer. The Network preference pane in Mac OS X 10.4 and later still offers the AppleTalk checkbox, but it is for browsing AppleTalk-advertised resources and zones. The subsequent connection must be over TCP/IP.

General troubleshooting steps:

1. First, be sure you have followed the steps in this article correctly and reviewed the topics in Section I.
2. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
3. Click Network.
4. Choose the network interface you are using from the Configure pop-up menu.
5. Click the TCP/IP tab.
6. Check to be sure that your computer has an IP address that is valid for your network. If your Configure menu is set to Manually, you also need to ensure that the Router and Subnet Mask entries are correct for your network. If you are not sure, check with the network administrator or Internet service provider.
7. Double check your physical connection: a phone line, Ethernet cable, or AirPort card and antenna. Be sure that what you are using is properly connected. Try swapping cables, or check to see that your AirPort card is properly seated. You can search the Knowledge Base for "AirPort and install." Select the document that matches your computer.
8. For the most reliable AppleTalk connections, Spanning Tree protocol should not be used on the network. See technical document 30922: "Spanning Tree Protocol: AppleTalk Issues".