Connect Mac OS X (10.4) to a Windows-based network?

October 18, 2005 6:06 AM

How do you authenticate and connect to a Windows-based network using Mac OS X (10.4)?

The office I'm working at is 100% windows, and I'd like to occasionally use my Powerbook (running 10.4.2) on the network sometimes. I used to know how to authenticate on the network and have network shares automount, but its been a long time and I've totally forgotten.

One other thing is that the network runs remote home directories. Is there any way to mount this on my mac when I log in?

So, two questions, really: How to authenticate, and how to mount my remote home directory on my machine.

P.S. I have zero support from the network admin, so I have no idea what kind of network they're running besides that my desk machine is running Windows XP, and the login looks like the typical Windows network login (username, password, and one word "domain" (?)). I can get an IP on my Mac if I plug into the network and can surf the web, so that part is working...

posted by theNonsuch to computers & internet (5 comments total)

I'm not terribly technical but I also work in an office with all Windows users. I've found it really easy to connect. In the finder press "apple K"

then in the wee server address: box, type in smb://serveraddress

That has always worked for me. Not sure if the guys set anything up on the Windows 2000 server though...

as for the other question, no idea, what is a remote home directory?
posted by twistedonion at 6:17 AM on October 18, 2005

I'd recomend just doing what twistedonion suggests. However, there is also an AD authentication module in Directory Access that you can play with (this will let you login via the OS X login box, and give you some other features).
posted by sbutler at 6:30 AM on October 18, 2005

You CAN set your OSX box to log in via AD, but you'll need your AD admin to walk you through it, since it requires a basic understanding of AD attributes. I wouldn't recommend tinkering there unless you know what you're doing. Don't even go near remote home directories. We tinkered with that at my former company, which has a large mixed environment, and support for it in OSX is poor.

As for automount, do as twistedonion suggests. Then, go to System Prefs -> Accounts -> [Your Account] -> Login Items. Select the mounted volume and click "ADD". If you've saved the auth to your keychain, it'll mount transparently on login.
posted by mkultra at 8:32 AM on October 18, 2005

mkultra, great tip thanks! gonna save me 10-20 seconds of work each morning :-)
posted by twistedonion at 8:50 AM on October 18, 2005

Buy yourself a copy of ADmitMac. It will make your life a lot easier.
posted by purephase at 1:11 PM on October 18, 2005