FIGURE 2-15: Hardware settings.
Joining a Mac Computer to a Domain
If you’re using a Mac in a Windows domain environment, you can join the Mac to the domain by following these steps:
1 Choose ⇒ System Preferences and then click Users & Groups.This brings up the Users & Groups page, as shown in Figure 2-16.FIGURE 2-16: Users & Groups.
2 Select the user account you want to join to the domain and then click Login Options.The Login Options page appears, as shown in Figure 2-17.
3 If the lock icon at the lower left of the page is locked, click it and enter your password when prompted.By default, the user login options are locked to prevent unauthorized changes. This step unlocks the settings so that you can join the domain.
4 Click the Join button.You’re prompted to enter the name of the domain you want to join, as shown in Figure 2-18.FIGURE 2-17: Login Options.FIGURE 2-18: Joining a domain.
5 Enter the name of the domain you want to join.When you enter the domain name, the dialog box expands to allow you to enter domain credentials to allow you to join the domain, as shown in Figure 2-19.FIGURE 2-19: Authenticating with the domain.
6 Enter the name and password of a domain administrator account, and then click OK.You return to the Login Options page, which shows that you’ve successfully joined the domain (see Figure 2-20).
7 Close the Users & Groups window.
FIGURE 2-20: Congratulations! You have now joined the domain.
Chapter 3
Life on the Network
IN THIS CHAPTER
After you hook up your PC to a network, it’s not an island anymore, separated from the rest of the world like some kind of isolationist fanatic waving a “Don’t tread on me” flag. The network connection changes your PC forever. Now your computer is part of a system, connected to other computers on the network. You have to worry about annoying network details, such as using local and shared resources, logging on and accessing network drives, using network printers, logging off, and who knows what else.
Oh, bother.
This chapter brings you up to speed on what living with a computer network is like. Unfortunately, this chapter gets a little technical at times, so you may need your pocket protector.
Distinguishing between Local Resources and Network Resources
In case you don’t catch this statement in Chapter 1, one of the most important differences between using an isolated computer and using a network computer lies in the distinction between local resources and network resources. Local resources are items — such as hard drives, printers, CD or DVD drives, and flash drives — that are connected directly to your computer. You can use local resources whether you’re connected to the network or not. Network resources, on the other hand, are the hard drives, printers, optical drives, and other devices that are connected to the network’s server computers. You can use network resources only after your computer is connected to the network.
Whenever you use a computer network, you need to know which resources are local resources (belong to you) and which are network resources (belong to the network). In most networks, your C: drive is a local drive, as is your Documents folder. If a printer is sitting next to your PC, it's probably a local printer. You can do anything you want with these resources without affecting the network or other users on the network (as long as the local resources aren’t shared on the network). Keep these points in mind:
You can’t tell just by looking at a resource whether it’s a local resource or a network resource. The printer that sits right next to your computer is probably your local printer, but then again, it may be a network printer. The same statement is true for hard drives: The hard drive in your PC is probably your own, but it (or part of it) may be shared on the network, thus enabling other users to access it.
Because dedicated network servers are full of resources, you may say that they’re not only dedicated (and sincere), but also resourceful. (Groan. Sorry. This is yet another in a tireless series of bad computer-nerd puns.)
What’s in a Name?
Just about everything on a computer network has a name: The computers themselves have names, the people who use the computers have names, the hard drives and printers that can be shared on the network have names, and the network itself has a name. Knowing all the names used on your network isn’t essential, but you do need to know some of them.
Here are some additional details about network names:
Every person who can use the network has a username (sometimes called a user ID). You need to know your username to log on to the network. You also need to know the usernames of your buddies, especially if you want to steal their files or send them nasty notes.You can find more information about usernames and logging on in the section “Logging on to the Network,” later in
