MacBook for dummies - part 9 pps

The previous user’s stuff is still running, so you definitely shouldn’t reboot or shut down the laptop! To switch back to the previous user: a. Click the user name again in the Finder menu. b. Click the previous user’s name. For security, Tiger prompts you for that account’s login password. ߜ Auto login: This is the most convenient method of logging in but offers no security whatsoever. Tiger automatically logs in to the specified account when you start or reboot your Mac. I strongly recommend that you use auto login only if • Your laptop is in a secure location (complete with a cable lock, as covered in Chapter 1). • You are the only one using your Mac. • You’re setting up a public-access laptop, in which case you want your Mac to immediately log in with the public account. Never set an admin-level account as the auto login account. This is the very definition of ASDI, or A Supremely Dumb Idea. Nothing quite like a stolen laptop with no security, I always say! Figure 16-8: The Fast User Switching menu, unfurled for all to see. 261 Chapter 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 261 To set up a username/password or list login, open System Preferences, click the Accounts icon, and then display the Login Options settings (see Figure 16-9). Select the List of Users radio button for a list login screen, or select the Name and Password radio button to require your users to type their full user- name and password. To enable Fast User Switching, select the Enable Fast User Switching check box. To set Auto Login, select the Automatically Log in As check box. Click the account name pop-up menu and choose the account that Tiger should use (as shown by the now-legendary Figure 16-9). Logging out of Tiger all the way (without Fast User Switching) is a cinch. Just click the Apple menu (Ú) and then choose Log Out. (Or from the keyboard, press Ô+Shift+Q.) A confirmation dialog box appears that will automatically log you off in two minutes, but don’t forget that if someone walks up and clicks Cancel, he or she will be using your laptop with your account! Your Mac returns to the login screen, ready for its next victim. Heed this Mark’s Maxim: Figure 16-9: Configure your login settings from the Login Options pane. 262 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 262 Always click the Log Out button on the Logout Confirmation dialog box before you leave your Mac. A word about what you can (and can’t) share You might wonder where shared documents and files reside on your Mac. That’s a good question. Like just about everything in Tiger, there’s a simple answer. The Users folder on your laptop contains a Shared folder. To share a file or folder, it must be placed in the Shared folder for standard- and managed- level users to be able to open it. You don’t have to turn on Personal File Sharing in the Sharing pane of System Preferences to use Shared folders on your Mac. Personal File Sharing affects only network access to your machine by users of other computers. Admin-level accounts have the advantage because they can access virtually any location on the Mac’s hard drive. Therefore, if one admin-level user wants to save a document for another admin-level user, that document can reside in other folders on your system besides just the Shared folder. (Personally, I don’t mind using the Shared folder because it guarantees that other users can access it, but privacy between admin users is a closely guarded perk.) Each user account on your laptop also has a Public folder in that user’s Home folder. This is a read-only folder that other users of your Mac can access: They can only open and copy the files it contains. (Sorry, no changes to exist- ing documents from other users, or new documents from other users.) Every user’s Public folder contains a Drop Box folder, where other users can copy or save files (but can’t view the contents). Think of the Drop Box as a mailbox where you drop off stuff for the other user. Protecting your stuff with encryption Allowing others to use your laptop always incurs a risk — especially if you store sensitive information and documents on your computer. Although your login password should ensure that your Home folder is off-limits to everyone else, consider an extra level of security to prevent even a dedicated hacker from accessing your stuff. 263 Chapter 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 263 To this end, Tiger includes FileVault, which automatically encrypts the con- tents of your Home folder. Without the proper key (in this case, either your login password or your admin’s master password), the data contained in your Home folder is impossible for just about anyone to read. (I guess the FBI or NSA would be able to decrypt it, but they’re not likely a worry at your place!) The nice thing about FileVault is that it’s transparent to you and your users. In other words, when you log in, Tiger automatically takes care of decrypting and encrypting the stuff in your Home folder for you. You literally won’t know that FileVault is working for you — which is how computers are supposed to work. To turn on FileVault protection for a specific account, follow these steps: 1. Click the System Preferences icon on the dock, and then click the Security icon. 2. If necessary, click Set Master Password to create a master password. Note that you need to be logged in with an admin-level account to set a master password. However, you need to do this only once, no matter how many accounts you’re hosting on your Mac. Using this master pass- word, any Admin-level user can unlock any Home folder for any user. Before you move to Step 3, note that you must be logged in using the account that requires the FileVault protection. Therefore, if you had to log in using your admin-level account to set a master password, you have to log out and log in again using the account you want to protect. Arrgh. 3. Click the Turn on FileVault button. 4. Enter your account’s login password when prompted (see Figure 16-10), and click OK. 5. Click the Turn on FileVault button on the confirmation screen. 6. After Tiger encrypts your Home folder and logs you out, log in again normally. You’re done! Remember those passwords. Again, do not forget your account login pass- word, and make doggone sure that your admin user never forgets the master password! If you forget these passwords, you can’t read anything in your Home folder, and even the smartest Apple support technician can do nothing to help. 264 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 264 Figure 16-10: Your account password becomes your FileVault password. 265 Chapter 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 265 266 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10:39 PM Page 266 Chapter 17 Working Well with Networks In This Chapter ᮣ Choosing between wired and wireless networks ᮣ Sharing an Internet connection ᮣ Collecting the bits and pieces for a wireless connection ᮣ Gathering the stuff you need for a wired connection ᮣ Making the network connection ᮣ Protecting your Mac with a firewall I n my book (get it — my book), network access ranks right up there with air conditioning and the microwave oven. Like other “taken for granted, but I can’t imagine life without them” kinds of technologies, it’s hard to imag- ine sharing data from your laptop with others around you without a network. Sure, I’ve used a sneakernet (the old-fashioned term for running back and forth between computers with a floppy disk to copy files), but these days, Apple computers don’t even have floppy drives. (And no self-respecting com- puter should still have one.) Nope, networking is here to stay. Whether you use it to share an Internet con- nection, challenge your friends to a relaxing game of WWII battlefield action, or stream your MP3 collection to other computers using iTunes, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one. In this chapter, I fill you in on all the details you need to know to get your new MacBook or MacBook Pro hooked up to a new (or an existing) network. If you have just your Mac and an Internet connection (either through a dialup modem or a high-speed DSL/cable modem) and you have no plans to add another computer or a network printer, a network isn’t necessary. 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 267 Should You Go Wired or Wireless? If you decide that you indeed need a network for your home or office, you have another decision to make: Should you install a wired network (which involves running cables between your computers) or a wireless network (which doesn’t require any computer-connecting cables)? Your first instinct is probably to choose a wireless network for convenience. After all, this option allows you to eliminate running cables behind furniture (or in the ceiling of your office building). Ah, but I must show you the advan- 268 Part V: Sharing Access and Information What exactly is the network advantage? If you have other family members with comput- ers or if your laptop is in an office with other computers, here’s just a sample of what you can do with a network connection: ߜ Share an Internet connection: This is the major reason why many families and most small businesses install a network. Everyone can simultaneously use the same DSL or cable Internet connection on every computer on the network. ߜ Copy and move files of all sizes: Need to get a 4GB iDVD project from one Mac to another? With a network connection, you can accomplish this task in just minutes. Otherwise, you’d have to burn that file to a DVD-R or use an external hard drive. A net- work connection makes copying as simple as dragging the project folder from one Finder window to another. ߜ Share documents across your network: Talk about a wonderful collaboration tool. For example, you can drop a Word docu- ment or Keynote presentation file in your Public folder and ask for comments and edits from others in your office. ߜ Stream music: With iTunes, you can share your MP3 collection on your laptop with other Macs and PCs on your network. Your ears can’t tell the difference! ߜ Play multiplayer games: Invite your friends over and tell ’em that you’re hosting a LAN party, the techno-nerd term for a large gath- ering of game players, connected through the same network, all playing the same multi- player game. (Suddenly you’ll see firsthand just how devious a human opponent can be.) Each participant needs to buy a copy of the same game, naturally, but the fun you’ll have is worth every cent you spend. Don’t forget the chips! If your laptop isn’t within shouting distance of an existing network and you don’t plan on buying any more computers, a network isn’t for you. Because the whole idea of a network is to share documents and applications with others, a lone Mac hanging out in your home with no other computers around won’t need a network. 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 268 tages to a wired network as well. Table 17-1 gives the lowdown to help you make up your mind. Table 17-1 Network Decision-Making Function Wireless Networks Wired Networks Speed Moderate Much Faster Security Moderate Better Convenience Better Worse Compatibility Confusing standards Easier to understand Cables Few (or none) Required Now for the biggest decision of all: Should you choose a wired network, a wireless network, or a combination of both? Here are the advantages of each type of network: ߜ Wired: A wired network offers two significant perks over a wireless network: • Faster speeds: Wired networks that are compatible with your Mac are up to twice as fast as the fastest 802.11g wireless connections. The performance of a wireless connection is reduced by both inter- ference (from structures such as concrete walls and household appliances such as some wireless phones and microwave ovens) and distance. • Better security: A wired network doesn’t broadcast a signal that can be picked up outside your home or office, so it’s more secure. Hackers can attack through your Internet connection. Hence the “Use Your Firewall!” section, later in this chapter. ߜ Wireless: A wireless connection has only one advantage, but it’s a big one: convenience. Accessing your network anywhere in your home or office — without cables — is so easy. Plus, you can easily connect to all sorts of wireless devices, such as a wireless printer. (By using an AirPort Express mobile Base Station, even your home stereo can get connected to your MP3 col- lection on your laptop.) 269 Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 269 Be a Pal — Share Your Broadband! Time to see what’s necessary to share an Internet connection — in this sec- tion, I cover two methods of connecting your network to the Internet. And before you open your wallet, keep in mind that you may be able to use your Mac to share your broadband connection across your home network . . . that is, when you’re not doing the road warrior thing! Using your laptop as a sharing device You can use your Mac laptop to provide a shared wireless Internet connec- tion across your network, using either ߜ A broadband DSL or cable connection ߜ A dialup modem You should try sharing a dialup modem Internet connection only if you have no other option. A dialup modem connection can’t handle the data transfer speeds for more than one computer to access the Internet com- fortably at one time. And today’s Mac laptops no longer come with inter- nal modems. Sharing a dialup connection just isn’t practical. Your laptop uses OS X Tiger’s built-in Internet connection sharing feature to do the job, but naturally your Mac must remain turned on to allow Inter- net sharing. I show you how to do this in the upcoming section “Internet connection.” 270 Part V: Sharing Access and Information It’s easy to graft wireless access to a wired network Are you caught in the middle between wired and wireless networking? Or perhaps you’re already using a wired network but would be absolutely thrilled by the idea of sitting on your deck in the sunshine whilst checking your e-mail on your laptop. By using both technologies, you can get the faster transfers of a wired network between all the computers in your office. That is the configuration I use in my home office. My family gets all the convenience a wireless network offers, and everyone can connect to the Internet from anywhere in our house. On the other hand, my office computers have the faster performance and tighter security of a wired net- work. Sassy indeed! 25_04859X ch17.qxp 7/20/06 10:40 PM Page 270 [...]... usually USB-based as well, 293 294 Part V: Sharing Access and Information so things can get confusing Therefore, read the box or technical specifications carefully to make sure you’re buying Bluetooth ߜ Bluetooth stuff isn’t self-cleaning Sure, your new wireless keyboard and mouse can hang out with you on the sofa, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy sharing your nacho puffs and grape soda Look for an... network ports for the other computers in your network They typically come in 4- and 8-port configurations As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, most Internet routers (sometimes called Internet sharing devices) include a built-in hub or switch, so if you’ve already invested in an Internet router, make doggone sure that it doesn’t come equipped with the ports you need before you go shopping for a hub or... cover the wireless Bluetooth connections that you can make with other devices besides computers 288 Part V: Sharing Access and Information Bluetooth: Silly Name for Cool Technology Originally, wireless computer connections were limited to IR (short for infrared) and 802.11b (the original Wi-Fi specification for wireless Ethernet networks) This was fine — after all, what were you gonna connect to your Mac... support Yes Yes Yes LAN Ethernet jack (high-speed Internet connection) Yes Yes Yes WAN Ethernet jack (wired computer network) Yes No No Stereo mini-jack No Yes No USB printer port Yes Yes No Maximum signal range 150 feet (standard) (approximate) 250 (with add-on antenna) 150 feet 100 feet AC adapter Built-in Separate Separate 273 274 Part V: Sharing Access and Information The names of Apple’s base stations... from the other machine! For example, if you decide you no longer need your personal contacts on your Mac at work and you delete ’em, they’ll be deleted from your PDA when you synchronize When I say that iSync creates a mirror image on both sides of the connection, I’m not lying — additions appear and deletions disappear 295 296 Part V: Sharing Access and Information Figure 1 8-5 : Specify the stuff to... that machine, click Start, right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties From the Network Connections window, right-click your Local Area Network connection icon and choose Status Click the Support tab, and the IP address of that PC is proudly displayed 5 Select the Send Only x Pings radio button and enter 5 in the text field 2 79 280 Part V: Sharing Access and Information The little abbreviation... technologies are just sassy (So much for my uber-tech image.) Anyway, these well-designed technologies work instantly, you don’t have to fling settings around like wrapping paper on Christmas day, and every computer on the planet can use them: Mac, Windows, Linux, and even the laptops used by funny-looking folks from Roswell, New Mexico Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP for short, is about as sassy... pages leading you through the twisting alleyways of manual network settings (If you’re really into such things, I spend those 30 pages and explain every single techno-wizard detail in my book Mac OS X Tiger All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, [Wiley] It’s about 800 pages long — hence the comprehensive angle.) If you’re connecting to an existing network, tell the network administrator that you’re... tight Therefore, before adding hardware with a DHCP server to an existing network, ask that network administrator to make sure that you aren’t making a mistake 6 Click the Ping button • Yay!: If everything is working, you should see results similar to those shown in Figure 1 7-3 , in which I’m pinging my Windows server at IP address 192 .168.1.106, across my wired Ethernet network The address 192 .168.1.xxx... network Non-Apple base stations If you’re using an AirPort card to connect to a non-Apple base station, you need to follow a specific procedure that takes care of the slightly different password functionality used by standard 802.11b/g hardware 275 276 Part V: Sharing Access and Information To read or print the latest version of this procedure, fire up Safari and visit www.apple.com/support/ — search for . this Mark’s Maxim: Figure 1 6 -9 : Configure your login settings from the Login Options pane. 262 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10: 39 PM Page 262 Always click. 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10: 39 PM Page 265 266 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10: 39 PM Page 266 Chapter 17 Working Well with. Apple support technician can do nothing to help. 264 Part V: Sharing Access and Information 24_04859X ch16.qxp 7/20/06 10: 39 PM Page 264 Figure 1 6-1 0: Your account password becomes your FileVault password. 265 Chapter