SOLVED How to make my Mac visible on a windows peer to peer network.

[Wayne O.]

Hi, I run a small home based business with peer to peer network of windows 10 pro based pc's, printer etc., running thru my modem/router. I recently brought a second hand 2011 Mac with Hi Sierra to try out and see if I like Mac's enough to change over from my windows based PC. In connecting my Mac to the peer to peer network I have:

- turned on file sharing on my Mac and added documents folder to shared folders and included Administrators and Everyone as users;
- enabled smbshare on my router (nothing was connecting until I did this except my printers);
- my Mac is visible on my router;
- under sharing options ticked "Share files and folders using SMB (AFP and AFP&SMB on together did not work);
- put in my peer to peer workgroup name under Network>Advanced>WINS and directed IP address to my router (wouldn't let me add workgroup name without IP address);
- my wifi Network name is different to my workgroup name, not that this should make any difference.

RESULTS:

On my Mac under "Shared" my printers, smbshare and pc's appear. I can print, scan and access all shared folders and files on my pc's from my Mac.
My Mac does NOT appear under Shared
My pc's can't see or find my Mac.

I have spent a day trying all sorts of different settings on both me pc and Mac to make my Mac visible and accessible across the network. Clearly I am not getting the settings correct. Can someone please advise what settings I need to amend to make my Mac visible and accessible on the windows peer to peer network.

Thanks.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

This article may help: How to connect Mac and Windows 10 PC and share files over a network

Note the section about what to do on the PCs.

Hope that helps,

C

 

[Wayne O.]

Thanks Cory, I have done that and my PC's are listed on the MAC under "shared" and I can access my PC folders and files from my Mac.

The problem I have is my PC can't see the MAC or access my shared folders and files on my MAC.

 

[Wayne O.]

Another simple way to describe my problem is that my MAC is not discoverable from my PC's.

My Mac does appear under the Shared tab on my MAC along with the pc's.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks and understood.

Your Mac sounds like it is setup correctly, as you can see/use all the network resources. Windows 10 can be a pain to do the reverse. Unfortunately, I am not very experienced at all with Windows, so anything outside of the steps in that article are outside my ability.

Did you setup the network yourself, of have a third-party do it? If third-party, they may have some experience with this.

I will look around to see if I can find any other solutions, and will let you know.

C