MacMost Now 320: Simple Mac File Sharing

If you have more than one Mac on your home network, you can share files between them by simply turning on file sharing and browsing to another Mac in the Finder. You can also add additional users and set up shared folders.

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Video Transcript: Hi! This is Gary from MacMost Now. In today's episode, let's look at simple file sharing between Macs. So, I've gotten a few questions recently about very simple file sharing between Macs.  So let's go and take a look at part of chapter XIII of my book MacMost.com guide to switch into the Mac and see how to do simple file sharing.  Let's assume that you have two Macs both connected to the same network router such as DSL and cable modem or airport extreme base station. The first thing that you need to do is to enable file sharing on both Macs.  Launch system preferences and go to the sharing preferences category.  Turn on file sharing.  When you do so, you see number of controls appear on the right.  You have a public folder set to be shared by default.  When that folder is selected, you can see you how other users can access that folder.  In this case, someone logged into file-sharing as MacMost can read and write files to that folder.  Anyone else can only read files that mean they can view them and copy them.  Permission per staff applies to any other account on that same Mac; permission to everyone applies to anybody connecting to your Mac from the network or from the internet.  You can view public folder from another Mac using the finder.  Open a new finder window and choose "Go" --"Network."  You should see a list of other Macs on your local network that have file-sharing enabled.  Double-click on the Mac on which you want to go.  If you want to log on as a guest, you can just double-click on the folders to go inside to see the public folder and view the drop box.  However, if you want to log on as the user for that machine to have full access, click the "connect as" button.  If you log in with a name and a password, it must be the same name and password as the user on that Mac because your Mac used the same name password you used to log on when you start the Mac up.  After you have signed in, you'll have access to the files on that computer and you view the folders in finder window just like you can view the folders on the local Mac, and then you can view, copy, move those files just as you would but expect a delay after all you are connected to a network.  So there may be a second or two as command go from your Mac to the remote Mac and back and you see the changes.  Alternatively, you can allow any username and password combination to work.  You will notice back in the system preferences a plus button under the users list.  You can use this to add usernames to each of the shared folders and set whether they can read or write or both to any folder.  So, if you are working on a file, you may find it better to copy that file to your local Mac; work with it there and then copy it back to the remote Mac when you are done.  That is very simple look and setting the file-sharing.  The book then goes on to things like public folder and drop-box; setting up more folders to share; connecting two machines directly not through a network and of course sharing files through Windows machine on your network.  Till next time, this is Gary Rosenzweig with MacMost Now.

Comments: 2 Responses to “MacMost Now 320: Simple Mac File Sharing”

Geri

15 years ago

Hi Gary
Help! I have one daughter who IChat (video ) with my daughter in Boston who has also a mac also but the other daughter has windows and she bought a external camera for her pc but she can't communicate video with us can you help me I would like to see all 3 of us visually on my computer
if you can help I would really appreciate the help.
Geri

Gary Rosenzweig

I can't do much to help just in a reply to a comment on a post. But I'll point you in the right direction: Have the Windows user get an AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) account and the AIM Windows application. Then she should be able to use that to come in on the chat -- but I'm not sure how it will work with multiple people using AIM.
Another option is for all of you to use Skype which is a free cross-platform way to chat. But I'm not sure how well that would work with 3 people.

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