osx networking problems (in triplicate)

September 6, 2006 6:49 PM

osx networking problems (in triplicate) Several parts: I have a grey g4 in the 400mhz range that I'm trying to set up as a music server, and I'm having some network problems. Inside you will find a dead ethernet port, a banal remote desktop query, and a question about network printer sharing.

So: I just installed tiger onto the g4 (which doesn't have a DVD drive) by using firewire from my laptop with the g4 in target disc mode. When I run the g4 now, it doesn't recognize it's own ethernet port; It doesn't show up in network settings when plugged into the router, and the router doesn't light up indicating that it recognizes the connection is in any way live. The ethernet is built into the motherboard, so I know that it's not simply a card that isn't plugged in.

As far as I know the ethernet port has never been used (it's previous owner had dial-up).Since I installed on the g4's HD from another computer, I'm not sure if the installation was configured for the laptop hardware or the hardware on the desktop. None of the built in diagnostics software does anything useful.


And: I was wondering what would be involved in remotely controlling the desktop over the (eventually/hopefully functional) network from the laptop. I know that osx has a remote login functionality, but i'm not sure if this is just access to the file system; do I need 3rd party software to login/run programs over the network connection?


But Also: I have an old LaserWriter 16/600 PS with an ethernet adaptor (from an RJ[something] port?) that I would like to be shareable over my (relatively small) network, via the g4 desktop mentioned above. I am currently considering two options: putting a PCI wireless card in the desktop/connecting the printer to it's ethernet port/setting up printer sharing, or else putting a switch in my office and connecting the g4 server, my PC desktop and the printer to that. I've played around in the past with connecting the printer straight to the router, but I was never able to get that to work; although I neither put forth particular effort nor am possessing of any particular apptitude for this sort of work.

Which may or may not be evident.


Please save me.

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

So: I just installed tiger onto the g4 (which doesn't have a DVD drive) by using firewire from my laptop with the g4 in target disc mode.

Did you install Tiger, or did you just copy the version of Tiger installed onto your laptop directly onto the target disc? If the latter: you can't expect that to work. It will cause problems.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:24 PM on September 6, 2006

Mac OS X installations are universal. You can use the same boot drive for multiple computers and it won't cause problems.

(although cloning an install from one drive to another and having it still work is tricky)

I'd suggest deleting the network preferences, which are in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration. Delete NetworkInterfaces.plist and preferences.plist, and restart.
posted by cillit bang at 7:39 PM on September 6, 2006

I installed tiger from the CDs; I did not clone the laptop's drive.

cillit: and then what? network status no longer shows anything... previously it listed the unconfigured modem and the working shared-firewire connection.
posted by cmyr at 8:36 PM on September 6, 2006

Depending on the brand of router, you may be experiencing a handshake issue when the ethernet port does its' speed arbitration.

Within the Network Preferences of System Preferences, I'm assuming you are not seeing the "Built-In Ethernet" under the "Network Status" section?

Does it appear in the list when you pull down the Show: menu? If so, select it. Click the Ethernet tab. Pull down the Configure: menu to "Manually (Advanced)" and pick the fastest setting you know your router supports under the Speed: pulldown.

If it doesn't appear in the Show: pulldown, that port may be disabled for some reason. Pick "Network Port Configuration" from the Show: pulldown. If MacOS X senses an unconfigured port, it should pop up a window that asks you if you want to configure it. Answer in the affirmative if it asks.

If the card doesn't appear in either of those places, you may have bum hardware. Ethernet cards are cheap. NewEgg has many to choose from. If you get something with an Intel chipset it will most likely work. You want something with either the DEC 21x4 or Intel 8255x chipset. They both have native built-in drivers.

For display driving and management, VNC will be the way to go. Screen sharing is only available in Mac OS X Server, in the form of Remote Desktop (and VNC support). You can get VNC server from here and a VNC client for the laptop here.

As far as the sharing of the Laserwriter 16/600 - the RJ-45 ethernet module in these is incredibly slow. I mean it. Slower by a factor of 10 than if you had an outboard Localtalk to Ethernet converter connected to the built-in Localtalk. These can be found on eBay for around $50.
posted by tomierna at 8:46 PM on September 6, 2006

Normally it would say "New Network port detected" the next time you open the Network section of Preferences, and automatically create new configurations for them.

You can do this manually. Go to Network, select "Network Port Configurations" from the Show popup, and hit New. All available ports should show up there.
posted by cillit bang at 4:18 AM on September 7, 2006