Setting Up a Local Network for File Transfer

[Ari]

Thanks, Shark. I tried everything in that article, and the net result was a failure to connect.
I suspect these two Minis are not able to talk to each other this way.
And yes, I'm not an expert or even that knowledgeable about setting this up, so I appreciate the bare-bones explanation. No, you did not insult my intelligence by explaining something clearly.
I do get all that, but the M1 fails to connect each time. I hope that using a cable will remedy the problem.
Thanks for your help.

[sharktooth]

Monterey only seems to run SMB, I don't see any other option.
So far, nothing I've done has worked. I got close, then I got a message that I could not connect to the other Mac.
I managed to connect them through Bluetooth, but transfer speeds were abysmal.
I'll keep trying and will order an ethernet cable as well.A
Thanks for everyone's help, greatly appreciated!

If you connected through Bluetooth, then it should also be possible through ethernet or wifi. The file sharing protocol is exactly the same, it's only the hardware that's different. Are you sure you can get an internet connection through wifi on your old Mac Mini? In other words, can you browse this largeformatphotography forum on your old Mac Mini? I ask this since you're router is handling the wifi connections between the old Mac Mini and your new M1 Mac. If either one of them isn't able to communicate properly with the router the system won't work. Your internet connection is managed through the router, so if you can browse this site on your old Mac Mini, then you know the old Mini is working well with the router.

[David Schaller]

I know this is sub-optimal, but I get my scans from the scanner plus old iMac in my basement darkroom to my new Mac mini on the second floor using Google Drive. A large scan of an 8x10 raw file takes a while to transfer, but it works.

[Ari]

If you connected through Bluetooth, then it should also be possible through ethernet or wifi. The file sharing protocol is exactly the same, it's only the hardware that's different. Are you sure you can get an internet connection through wifi on your old Mac Mini? In other words, can you browse this largeformatphotography forum on your old Mac Mini? I ask this since you're router is handling the wifi connections between the old Mac Mini and your new M1 Mac. If either one of them isn't able to communicate properly with the router the system won't work. Your internet connection is managed through the router, so if you can browse this site on your old Mac Mini, then you know the old Mini is working well with the router.

Damn, you're right. I can't get internet on the old Mini. I had no reason at all to think there wasn't an active, working internet connection.
I have all the bars showing, it's connected and the Mini says the internet is working, but I can't open this website. I can get Google search.
It was working fine when I installed Leopard.
This is the likely problem, you're right.

[sharktooth]

At this point the easiest and fastest solution is to use an ethernet cable between the two Macs. In the old days you used to need a crossover cable to directly connect two computers, but I think anything made in the 2000's will have an autosensing ethernet port, so any ethernet cable should work.

[Ari]

Thanks, David, for your Google suggestion. An option I hadn't considered.
Shark, the cable arrives tomorrow, but in the meantime I checked to see if any updates were available, lo and behold, Safari, AirPort and File Sharing all had an update waiting.
I never intended to use this computer for anything but scanning, so while I need to stay with Leopard OSX 10.5.8, hopefully these software updates will get the internet going.
Thanks

[sharktooth]

Actually, the internet problem may be related to https. The really old internet browsers don't have the capability to provide the security protocols required to access https sites. Since most sites are https now, the old browsers are basically useless. The Safari update might get you to a version that supports https, but it will still be very old and outdated. Most modern browsers won't work on anything older than El Capitan. Apple have become the scum sucking ewaste producers of the new millenium, with their insane program of forced obsolescence. ... but that's a rant for another place.

[Ari]

Yup, you're right, nothing I do will get the internet working on Leopard.
Fingers crossed that the cable works.
Otherwise, I'll try David's Google idea, or, worst-case, keep switching my portable SSD between computers.
Thanks for all your help.

[sharktooth]

Google Drive won't work since it needs at least High Sierra to run. Leopard is about 10 years older than High Sierra. See Google Drive system requirements https://support.google.com/drive/ans...form%3DDesktop

Does your router have a USB port? If so, hook up your portable SSD to that to see if you can transfer files to it from both Macs. If you can, then you can hook up any old USB drive to your router and leave it there. It can be used for system backups, file backups, and transferring files. That's what I used to do before I got a Time Capsule, which is a router with a built in hard drive. Note: You'll have to follow the instructions for the router on how to enable the USB drive.

[Graham Patterson]

I'm beginning to think a smallish USB key drive formatted for FAT32 (older Windows format) might be the simplest method. Not ExFAT, NTFS, or AFS formats. Then just sneaker-net it between machines. Finding a small USB drive might be the hardest bit these days. Leopard ought to be able to handle FAT32, and that format has no user authentication to trip things up.