Aug172012

How do I create a peer-peer network with my Mac?

Kofi Agyeman asks:

I am part of a network connected to the same router which gives us access to the internet via an ADSL broadband modem. I manage the router and would like to know how to create a peer-peer network with the other laptops on our wireless network.


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4 Answers -

0 votes

Mike

August 17, 2012

You said the other laptops are on your wireless so if I understand correctly they are already on the same network and should be able to communicate with each other.

Could you please elaborate what you are trying to do and what you mean by “peer-peer network”?

Bruce Epper

It would appear that the OP wants to set up a peer-to-peer network (or workgroup) on his LAN without the need for dedicated servers. I am assuming (yeah, I know assuming is not proper form) that he needs help in setting up sharing on the various Mac nodes since they should all be able to talk to each other already since they can all hit the internet as currently configured.

August 17, 2012
Kofi Agyeman

u r right, we are all already On the same netwOrk, sO i guess my questiOn then shOuld have been: hOw dO i cOmmunicate with the Other laptOps?

August 18, 2012
Mike

Once again, you have to be more specific what you want to do. On a network everything is part of a communication.
Do you want to share files, chat with each other, screen-sharing?

You could open up Terminal (Mac) or the command line (Windows) and ping the IP of another device on the network by entering “ping “. If everything is working you will receive answers packets and the time in ms will be shown in the window.
That is one example of communication ~ obviously, nothing productive but mostly used for troubleshooting networks.

If you want to share files and folders you will have to setup a network share and then access it from the other devices.

How to share files and folders & access network shares on Windows 7
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Share-files-with-someone
Mac 101: File Sharing
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1568
Mac OS X: How to connect to Windows File Sharing (SMB)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1549

August 18, 2012
Kofi Agyeman

tanx 4 ur ’elp Mike, wat i want is tO be able tO chat with the Other laptOps On the netwOrk. sO is that pOssible? ps: please fOrgive te weird shOrt hand, sOmething spilled On my keybOard and using an Onscreen keybOard is tOO slOw…

August 18, 2012
Mike

If the computers usually have internet connection I suggest using some existing chat protocol and client e.g. Skype or Live/Windows Messenger.
http://www.skype.com
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/messenger/home
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/messenger

If you want a LAN based solution the easiest thing probably is to run iChat on the Macs and setup a Bonjour account and on Windows use some opensource messenger that supports iChat/Bonjour plugin e.g. Pidgin

Setting up iChat should be straight forward, it will go through the settings with you.

On Windows you will need Bonjour
http://www.apple.com/support/bonjour/
and a iChat/Bonjour client e.g.
http://www.pidgin.im/

August 19, 2012
Mike

Sorry, I put in the wrong link to Bonjour.

The following link to Bonjour is from the Pidgin Wiki
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999

August 19, 2012
Kofi Agyeman

tanx mike

August 19, 2012
0 votes

Saurav Azad

September 12, 2012

to share files and folders & access network shares on Windows 7
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Share-files-with-someone
File Sharing
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1568

0 votes

Saurav Azad

September 12, 2012
0 votes

Kavita

October 6, 2012

use shakespeer….best p2p agent for macs…