MacBook Pro to 2 PC Networks with Airport

[vsbooks]

Recently purchased a MacBook Pro with Parallels, and I am having problems setting up my networks.

VSBooks: have a PC Network at my bookstore with 2 desktop's- 1 XP, 1 W2000, wired ethernet hub plus Airport connected to router hub by ethernet. Epson Printer wired to server computer by USB. Added Airport- can access Ethernet, but not network & not printer- either with Mac side or PC Parallels. Added Epson driver to Win XP Parallels, plus set up network there. Downloaded Epson SW for Epson 5400 & added to Mac system. The 2 PC's can kind of access each other- Win 2000 XP conflict- but I use XP as server for bookstore point of sale system. Would like to be able to view POS with Parallels.

Home: 2 PC's with XP with wired router, Airport attached by ethernet. Attached Brother Laser printer to ethernet. Can use internet & use printer, but cannot access other computers- they can access each other. Tried setting up my PC with special IP- lost desktop & made a mess but finally recovered original setup.

Pat

 

[Ric]

Hi there and welcome,

probably best start at the beginning...

I would be a little cautious using a Wireless network...that in turn could allow access to your POS (Point of Sale or Cash till !) if it isn't secured properly !

Start with the Bookshop network...

Are you using DHCP to distribute IP addresses, if so I would change that on every machine to it's own IP.

Use something like 192.168.0.x (Where x is a different number for each device from 1 to 254)

The same needs to be done with the MacBook and the Airport.

Does the work network look like this...

regards

Ric

 

[vsbooks]

Hi Ric
Sorry for delay in getting back to you.

Yes that is the configuration- I am a bit concerned about messing with the IP's of the PC's, since I cannot risk their losing contact with each other. Maybe I can try it on Sunday- not as busy in the bookstore.

I do have a password required for the airport- no one has been able to get in- several wifi users mention that they can see that there is a connection, but it is a secure one.

The wifi connection in our cafe is open- we discovered it is accessible even if the PC it is connected to is off. One afternoon we discovered someone in their car outside the store using it! But our ISP provides the separate dsl connection for community access (we supplied the router & PC), so it is OK.

As a test, I plugged my Mac into another businesses router, both wirelessly & with an ethernet cable- I could connect to the internet, but couldn't see their PC's, even though I had access to their password. Appletalk is checked. Really weird because my Mac could see the network at my Mac store, both in Mac & Parallels PC.

I tried setting up IP's on my home PC, (smb). The PC got very confused & set up a new user and I temporarily lost my desktop & files, until I mulled it over & reset to the last settings. That's why I hesitate to mess with the store systems.

In my home network, I have now lost access to the ethernet-connected Brother laser printer - but I still have Internet access. I remember I was looking at the settings to try to figure out why the Epson printer at the store wasn't visibile, even though I loaded the updated drivers from Epson.

Pat