Macintosh WLANs

Most Macintosh WLANs are built to be compatible with one another;
however this is not the case for every product. Some products, even
those built by the same vendor, may not interface with each other correctly.
This is why, before the release of Mac OS X 10.2.x, third-party
software was necessary in order to effectively and efficiently connect the
Macintosh WLAN to the PC WLAN.

For example, in a typical corporate environment, you have Macintosh
and IBM PC wireless workstation users. In most cases, you need the
Macintosh users to be compatible with the wireless PC network. Note
that as far as the Macintosh is concerned, an Airport card is just an
802.11b network card. The nomenclature might be different, but the
fundamental concepts are exactly the same.
When working on an Airport-enabled Macintosh using OS 9.x, you
need to install a program called DAVE, manufactured by Thursby Software.
This program adds the ability for your Macintosh to connect or log
on to a PC-based network simply and easily. Network file shares (or
another computer) will simply pop up on your Mac desktop as a network
drive. You can then read or write to the specified device through your
wireless Airport connection (as your access privileges dictate).
If you are upgraded to Macintosh OS X 10.0.x or 10.1.x, you have two
choices. One choice is to use the Samba interface command, through the
Connect to Server option menu, manually enter the IP address of the
file server you want to connect to (just as for Mac OS 9), and bring the
file share of the PC network onto your computer.
Your second choice is to buy the DAVE product for Mac OS X and
install the ease of having a hierarchical menu displayed from your Connect
to Server option so that you can choose the file share you need
without manually finding and inputting the specific IP address of the
PC computer you need to connect to.
Both of these options are useful and allow your wireless Airport card
to connect seamlessly to the PC. However, if you just upgraded or are
planning to upgrade to Jaguar, the new Mac OS X 10.2.x, then you are
in for a surprise because DAVE 3.x no longer works. In fact, you won’t
even be able to connect to your PC file server if DAVE 3.x was on your
computer before you upgraded to Mac OS X 10.2.x. Thursby software
does provide a fix that removes the program that must be input into the
command line interface of the Mac. Mac users will have to use DAVE 4.x
in order to regain the functionality of this nice program in Jaguar.
It should be noted, however, that Mac OS X 10.2.x includes its own
version of PC compatibility software in its Connect to Server menu
option that allows you to select a file share dynamically from a dropdown
list for a PC. Mac OS X 10.2.x is a better operating system because
its ability to connect to either a Macintosh, PC, or Linux network is all
built in by default. In fact, I run a wireless PC network, and my Macintosh
running Mac OS X 10.2.x connects better, faster, and more seamlessly
to any wireless network fileshare I come into contact with—better
even than my PC!