Can I mix Macs and PCs on the same home network?

I've heard that they use different length wireless network passwords. Is there a secure wireless network that works for both Macs and PCs?

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11 Answers from the Community

  • Best Answer

    My husband uses a PC and has a wireless network set up on it. My daughter uses a Mac whenever she comes over, and has had NO trouble at all, using our wireless.

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  • Of course. Any standard wireless network b/g/n will work fine. In fact, if your network is already set up, the Macs should be easier to connect

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  • YES -- and it is so cool. first we had two windows laptops on our wireless then we added another desktop and our son has a 3.5 year old macbook pro that he uses on our network when he comes home from college and I just got a MacBook Pro... and it took less than 5 minutes to have it on the network and i was out on the web... This is great

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  • Short Answer:

    YES

    Long Answer:

    Compatibility
    Interoperable with Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n enabled Mac computers, iPhone, iPod touch, and Windows-based PCs
    NAT, DHCP, PPPoE, VPN Passthrough (IPSec, PPTP, and L2TP), DNS Proxy, SNMP, IPv6 (6to4 and manual tunnels)

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  • Yes you can. Every Mac has a built Wi-Fi. The wi-fi cards support (A, B, G, N, classes of Wi-Fi, N being the fastest) they also support password protected networks and encrypted networks, ( WEP, WPA, WPA2, /WPA2 being the most secure). Every wireless network that I have tried to connect to simple works without any fancy work on my part.

    Simply put: it will work without any extra work on your part.

    -kkdart

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  • The length of a wireless password does not depend on the machine or operating system, it depends on the security that has been used on the router (Internet box). for example my iMac and Windows laptop both connect to the same router using the same password. You can usually find the password under the Router/Internet Box.

    I hope this helps but the long and short is...Nothing is different in this respect.

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  • Yes, I have a network setup on my downstairs computer which is a PC and my Macbook will pick up the signal with no problems.

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  • yes you can

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  • YES, I use a Home PC running Vista, with all my data stored on 2 1TB Western Digital HDDs and the Mac connects very easily and quickly to the network and I can map it to any drive I want. Just about all file types open fine on the Macbook Pro running Lion OS X and Mac version of the various software (.jpgs, MP4 and other video files, Microsoft files {I have installed Mac version of Office} and just about all others I want). I have not as yet worked out how to read the files the other way though (Off of Mac from the PC), however I am sure it is possible.

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  • Yes. I to recently made the change from PC to Mac. Wish I would have done it years ago. You are probably going to have to get a different printer but then again you may not. I hooked the iMac to my wireless home network in a matter of minutes and a few keystrokes.

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  • I have two laptops an HP 17" purch Jan 2008 and a MacBook Pro 15" Dec 2007. I run both on my wireless network at home no problem, they live happily together in the same den or anywhere in the house, together!

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