guide to using your Mac in school
Because fellow Mac using teachers at the MUGS forums have requested for it, I thought I’d put up this simple guide on getting your OS X Mac working with your school network. Yes, internet access is automatic via an access point in the staff room (well at least in mine anyhow), so I shan’t cover that, but using the networked printers and folders requires a little sleuthing and configuration. So here goes!
- Go into Applications –>Utilities–>Directory Access. Highlight SMB and click on Configure. Select the correct Workgroup for your school network (probably a number like 3011 or East or West etc)
- Go to any Windows terminal in the staffroom, login and take note of the following:
(a) Open up My Computer and look under Network Drives. See something like “Teachers on Wxxxxxxxxxxx”? Take note of the Wxxxxxxxxx on paper (or somewhere) – this is the server where your Workspace and Shared Folder (among other things) are stored.
(b) From the Start menu, click on Printers and Faxes.Take note of the server name on the printer e.g. “Lexmark on Wxxxxxxxxxxx” .Select the printer and click on File–>Properties–> Sharing and take note of the printer’s “share name”.
- Now back to your Mac, click on Finder and search for the server name you noted in 2(a) earlier. Double-click on it and key in the username/password that you use to login to the school’s Windows computers.Now you get the option to “Select a share”. Select TEACHERS and now you will see in Finder that the “TEACHERS” volume has been mounted. Click on it and search for the folder bearing your own NRIC number. Now, while holding BOTH the Option and Command (Apple) buttons on the keyboard, drag-and-drop this folder on your desktop to create an alias.Rename this folder into “My Workspace”
- Now repeat the procedure above, in exactly the same way except:
(a) instead of selecting TEACHERS, you select SHARING
(b) instead of naming the alias “My Workspace”, you name it “Shared Folders”
- Finally, we are now going to set up printing to the staffroom printer.Click on System Preferences–>Print & Fax –> Set up printers. Click on Add and select the Windows Printing option.Scroll to the printer server name that you took note of above in 2(b) , select the appropriate printer driver and give it a suitable name.
- Voila! Now you have finished configuring your Mac to easily access your Workspace, Shared Folder and staffroom printer! Congratulations!
Note: If you were unable to browse for the networked printer in Step 5, you will have to add it manually as described here.
I intend to add screenshots, but I haven’t got the time to do it yet! Hope this mini guide has been useful! Any problems? Suggestions?
These steps work for my school network, but might not work for yours. So please feedback and post your comments below!
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Do you add anything into box which says WINS Server in Step 1?
In step 3, where in finder do i search for the server? is it me or are there some info missing?
Hi Sam,
to search for the server in Finder,
(1) click on Network
(2) click on the magnifying class icon and select Selection
(3) now type the server name in the space next to the magnifying class icon to effect the search
I didn’t add anything for WINS server.
I hope that clears things up!
If you’re using HP Laserjet printers in your staffroom, then you will find the following useful.
(This tip comes from Liangsong, but since he didn’t add the comment here, I thought I would
“I used IP Printing. To add the printer, select “IP Printing” in the Printer Setup Utility, then printer type is “LPD/LPR”, printer address is the IP address, and printer model is the specific model of the printer used in school.
To get the IP address, use any of the computers in the staff room and check under “Printers and Faxes” for the network laser printers. Their port is IP_abc.def.ghi.jkl, so just enter abc.def.ghi.jkl as the IP address, then add the printer.
I then rename the printers according to their IP addresses, so that I know which printer I’m sending the job to.”
Just to add on, I should say that because I’m a trainee teacher, I don’t have an account to the shared folders, and so I can only go by the IP address route to adding the printers. But it should work also for permanent teachers.
I tried just a while ago, and it worked!!!! I’m so happy. I could even access the e-workroom’s printer now. I just sent a document printing and it worked really good! I’m so so so glad that I don’t have to endure the slow computers in the e-workroom again! Only thing is if I’m ‘snooped’ by an NCS personnel if they come to my school, I’ll be doomed since my school’s really tight about security.
Okay, a few questions though. I realised that the network has all along been on my mac, just need a few tweakings, and well, you guided well
I assume that each time I want to send something for print using the network printer, I would have to go through the steps and log onto the network before I can print?
Also, if I were to trudge my mac home, which I’m going to do so tomorrow, I won’t have problems using my broadband connection at home right? And then, ha ha, can I log onto onto the network from home? Possible?
I’m glad to hear that it works!
To address your questions:
(1) You don’t need to set up the printer again unless you’re printing to a different network printer OR your network password has changed OR the network got upgraded (and the printer server’s changed)
(2) Nah, no problems with your broadband connection at home. I bring my iBook home every weekend.
Hi..
I tried but can’t find the server to the shared folder and I can’t add the printer too because the printer server name is not there too! There are lots of other printer server names for those printer in the HOD room but the one I want is simply not there! And it doesn’t help when I ask the TA…he’ll just say he don’t know….
Hi,
Thanks for the guide. I’ve actually been able to connect to the pre-cluster network which was school based using the same method which u have mentioned. But ever since the migration to the cluster network (SOUTH for me),I have not been able to connect. I’m always stuck at the prompt for username and password as it always prompt that it “Wxxxxxxx coule not open because the original items cannot be found.” And I’m sure my password is correct.
I’ve tried using different access point but it still does not work.
Any ideas??? thanks in advance!
Hi,
I’m Ban Heng, a relative new mac user. I encountered the same problems as wangj. I was able to access my sharing folders using your guide and then I accidentally ejected the drives. After that, I could not do so anymore. Any solution to that?
Hi all, I’d love to help troubleshoot, but my school has undergone the network segregation process that now requires staff to plug in a USB token for access to intranet resources (internet is not affected though). And so far, there hasn’t been a version for Mac users yet – which means I’m now only able to surf the web (and non-intranet ones at that!) on my trusty iBook!