Internet connection

[leco]

Confession - I know very little about Macs, so I need some help please

 

Set up: Windows domain, mostly windows devices except the one Mac.

Integrated with Active Directory, users have Home folders on my Win2K8 server.

Ethernet cable plugged in but also has wireless connection.

 

But I don't know how to connect the Mac to the internet, how to setup the access etc. I have found a place to input an HTTP proxy address, which the Windows domain uses, but all I get is a dunk and no input text. (Obviously not allowed to type into the box)

 

Please could someone give me a very simple, step-by-step set of instructions. Please bear in mind that I'm still having trouble with the MAC mouse, that's how new I am.

 

Thanks.

[HodgeHi]

Is the padlock at the bottom-left of the window closed? If so click on it, type in the local admin user name and password and then see if you can type in the box.

[leco]

Is the padlock at the bottom-left of the window closed? If so click on it, type in the local admin user name and password and then see if you can type in the box.

 

What if I don't have the local admin un + pw?

[pooley]

What if I don't have the local admin un + pw?

 

Then your stuck, you will nedd and Admin un+pw to do anything.

 

Unless you have the Mac Install dvd, boot from that and using the utilities you can reset the admin or root password.

[leco]

Machine came with only a book, no CD as far as I can recall. Is there nothing I can do?

[pooley]

A quick google finds Recovering a lost root password - Mac OS X Hints

 

or

 

To reset your OS X password without an OS X CD you need to enter terminal and create a new admin account:

 

1. Reboot

2. Hold apple + s down after you hear the chime.

3. When you get text prompt enter in these terminal commands to create a brand new admin account (hitting return after each line):

* mount -uw /

* rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone

* shutdown -h now

4. After rebooting you should have a brand new admin account. When you login as the new admin you can simply delete the old one and you’re good to go again!

 

Found somewhere else on the www

[leco]

Willing to give that a go - when you say hold down Apple + S are you refering to keys on the keyboard because if you are I can't find an Apple key. There isn't a key on my keyboard that has an apple on it.

 

(Oh dear I feel so thick)

[jamesmay]

a cmd key is the same

[mac_shinobi]

Did you get the mac to see how you would get on with ref to locking it down etc or what exactly ?

 

If you are planning on getting more and wanting to lock it down then you would be better getting OS X Server on another mac ( mac mini or something else ) takes a fair amount of configuring, tweaking etc to get it all working with aduc.

[mac_shinobi]

A quick google finds Recovering a lost root password - Mac OS X Hints

 

or

 

To reset your OS X password without an OS X CD you need to enter terminal and create a new admin account:

 

1. Reboot

2. Hold apple + s down after you hear the chime.

3. When you get text prompt enter in these terminal commands to create a brand new admin account (hitting return after each line):

* mount -uw /

* rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone

* shutdown -h now

4. After rebooting you should have a brand new admin account. When you login as the new admin you can simply delete the old one and you’re good to go again!

 

Found somewhere else on the www

 

If there was any data on the other account may be better to reset the other admin account password etc and then login and check otherwise yeah delete the old account but data recovery may be slightly more difficult if the home directory was encrypted ( possibly ) never tried setting up an account and resetting the pass through single user mode and then trying to recover data so not sure if that has any implications or not.

[leco]

OK managed to set up a new admin account. Went into where I thought I should put the proxy address, put that in, makes no difference Internet still doesn't work.

 

mac_shinobi - I got the machine because it was free and I know that MACs are good at graphics and such. The boss wanted/still wants to set up a TV studio and apparently the sofware is good on a MAC. That's all I know, I'm just the technician. I was congratualting myself on managing to get the thing onto our domain. Like I said earlier - I know nothing and, though it might seem strange to you, I don't want to know anything.

 

Thanks for the help anyway, guess it must be something else. At least I can get into the machine now:)

[pooley]

Open system preferences, click on Network, highlight the network connection your using, i.e. Wireless or wired, press the advanced button, then go to the Proxy tab, enter the proxy info there.

[leco]

Open system preferences, click on Network, highlight the network connection your using, i.e. Wireless or wired, press the advanced button, then go to the Proxy tab, enter the proxy info there.

 

Yep that's what I did but nothing happens. Maybe it needs to reboot? Anyway leave it now until another day. Thanks for trying to help no doubt I'll be back with other equally thick questions.

[mac_shinobi]

Yep that's what I did but nothing happens. Maybe it needs to reboot? Anyway leave it now until another day. Thanks for trying to help no doubt I'll be back with other equally thick questions.

 

the only daft / stupid question is the one you don't ask all about learning

 

Maybe you could put a bullet point list or list of what you want to achieve or do or whatever and between the lot of us can try and help out

Edited February 3, 2010 by mac_shinobi

[leco]

the only daft / stupid question is the one you don't ask all about learning

Agreed on that one, thanks.

 

Maybe you could put a bullet point list or list of what you want to achieve or do or whatever and between the lot of us can try and help out

 

Ah now there's a thing knowing what needs to be achieved. Think I'll have to consult on that as I'm far from sure the user knows the answer. If I knew a bit more about the technicalities of the device/OS I'd know where I was supposed to be researching. Will give it some thought.

[soveryapt]

I take it that you've actually pressed Apply after you've OK'd back to the list of network adapters when inputting the Proxy settings?

 

(just as the settings apply once you set them in Leopard at least, and as far as I remember Tiger and from what I've seen Snow Leopard without the need to reboot generally, and you've also go the right suer info (if needed) for your proxies?)

 

[mac_shinobi]

if its just for the one mac then I would just create a normal user account as well as obviously the admin one and use the admin account to lock down the normal user account all through the accounts system preference pane / option.

 

You should be able to have a list of apps that you want to allow or dis allow - not tried it on snow leopard but have access here to snow leopard so i can play around myself if you get stuck on anything - but there are a few on here who are more experienced in the art of macs then I am.

[leco]

@aptproductions - yes I pressed apply and yes I have the right user for the proxy. The proxy is set on my windows machines from the default policy but I kind of guessed that this wouldn't be the case with the Mac. Maybe it needs some more authorisation?

 

User accounts are already set up in Active Directory and they can log on to the Mac. They have a path to their shared drive on the server and can create and save to there if they wish. Also they save to the Mac. The need for the new Admin account was that I couldn't get into the Network settings/options without it.

 

I haven't had a lot of time to explore what things need to be done on the Mac to lock it down as I was being pushed to get the internet working. I think I've installed ClamXAV as an antivirus because the Windows one doesn't extend to Macs. But I don't know if I've done that right either:( Will take another look tomorrow and investigate the settings. Thanks.

[pooley]

leco are you sure your mac has picked up a valid IP address? try pinging your server/default gateway or your proxy server on the mac.

 

open a terminal window (applications>utilities) and use the ping command as you would in windows. or

[leco]

Yes it has an IP in the right range, subnet mask, DHCP address, Gateway etc all correct. The Mac is showing in Windows AD. I can open files from the server share and everything within the domain.local just can't connect outside it. The proxy is an "outside" connection as in YHGfL.

[pooley]

Just had a thought, and it was painful.

 

Mac's can be over clever, when your authenticating to your proxy, your using

 

domain\username & password

 

Just use username and password Leave off the domain\ bit.

[leco]

Ooh ouch at this time of night as well - lol

 

Sorry but I don't understand what you mean - when authenticating. If I'm logging in with a domain user name I just put the user name in the top box and password in the bottom one. But, unlike a Windows box, there isn't another box underneath to tell me where I'm logging in to. So I'm not sure if I'm actually on the domain or not if you can understand that. On a Windows machine I can tell if I'm on the domain or on (This computer) local log in. I'm assuming that when I put in the admin user name and password I'm logging in to the local machine, since that's how I set it (I think).

 

I do know that if I log in as a domain user (user in Windows AD) the network settings are not available. Which is why I had to reset the local admin account to get to the controls. Also if the ethernet cable is not plugged in the Mac still gets a correct IP through the wireless thingy (is it called an Airport?) Unless of course I've set a static IP - can't remember. Will have to look tomorrow.

[pooley]

Sorry I mean where it says "Proxy server needs password" here we enter un&pass to authenticate against ISA server to gain inet access. Dont put full domain\username just put username Edited February 3, 2010 by pooley

[mac_shinobi]

Ooh ouch at this time of night as well - lol

 

Sorry but I don't understand what you mean - when authenticating. If I'm logging in with a domain user name I just put the user name in the top box and password in the bottom one. But, unlike a Windows box, there isn't another box underneath to tell me where I'm logging in to. So I'm not sure if I'm actually on the domain or not if you can understand that. On a Windows machine I can tell if I'm on the domain or on (This computer) local log in. I'm assuming that when I put in the admin user name and password I'm logging in to the local machine, since that's how I set it (I think).

 

I do know that if I log in as a domain user (user in Windows AD) the network settings are not available. Which is why I had to reset the local admin account to get to the controls. Also if the ethernet cable is not plugged in the Mac still gets a correct IP through the wireless thingy (is it called an Airport?) Unless of course I've set a static IP - can't remember. Will have to look tomorrow.

 

Yes it is the airport ( basically the wireless network card / connection )

 

With regards to if you do require a username and password in order to authenticate against the proxy server then where the proxy setting was ( network -> select correct network connection type ie airport -> go to the proxies tab

 

there should be a check box to enable a login username and password which you can enter them in there if needed.

 

When I made the local admin account and the domain admin account the local one was just admin with a different password to the domain admin account so that way I knew which one I was logging into.

 

Also at the login prompt before you login is there a green circle or some text that you can click on ie the serial number or w/e.