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I am having many problems sharing (printer, file, screen) from a Macbook Pro (10.6.8) to a PowerMac G5 tower (10.5.8). It was working just fine until we switched internet providers and got a new router. I have checked IP addresses, etc.

What are some general troubleshooting steps I can take to determine where the problem might lie?

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  • We need a lot more info to help you. What isn't working? How did it work before?
    – Nathan Greenstein
    Commented Jul 20, 2011 at 0:04
  • I've edited your question a little bit to make it into something that can possibly be answered. Good luck!
    – Joel Spolsky
    Commented Jul 20, 2011 at 1:43

3 Answers 3

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Please be more specific. If nothing changed except for the router, though, let me ask: is the one machine plugged in directly to the network via Ethernet, and is the other accessing the network through WiFi?

If so, it may be that the router has a feature enabled called "WAP Isolation" -- basically it creates a separate network segment (or collision domain, if you like) for the wireless clients. Try disabling wireless with the laptop and plug it in directly. If it works, that's probably where the problem is.

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  • Sorry, the Macbook Pro is connected via Wifi and the G5 tower is connected via Ethernet.I checked and there is no feature called "WAP Isolation" I think I may have figured it out; MAC Address filtering was on. Would that cause a problem? And, if so, is it possible to enable MAC address filtering and still share printers, files, etc.?
    – daviesgeek
    Commented Jul 20, 2011 at 22:32
  • @daviesgeek - MAC address filtering usually prevents the machines that are not authorized (and so are filtered) from getting an IP address. I would turn it off and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then yes, just create rules for every device that needs connectivity amongst your network. You will need rules for both machines, and all printers involved.
    – Harv
    Commented Jul 21, 2011 at 3:26
  • I did create rules for all the computers connected to the Local Area Network, but I think it's stopping all sharing between computers. Do printers have their own IP addresses on the network? If so, how do I find them?
    – daviesgeek
    Commented Jul 21, 2011 at 17:43
  • @daviesgeek - Most of the time, a router is set up to hand out IPs on the LAN. Depending on which router, it's usually under status, local area network -- or something to that effect. That page will show each MAC, IP address, and name, if applicable. If you can see the printers, their MACs and IP addresses, they are connected to the LAN.
    – Harv
    Commented Jul 21, 2011 at 22:55
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Absolutely. The best step would be to connect the two macs with an Ethernet cable.

You don't need a crossover cable - just any patch cable.

If the problem is software, it won't work when connected directly.

You will want to rule out the router as potential for causing the issue.

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I did figure out the problem; my router had MAC address filtering on. So, I turned off the MAC address filtering and it works now.

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