Imac G4 accessing other devices on network (2025)

hi all

i have got my old Imac G4 running and its plugged into our home network. From my modern imac27 i can see the G4 in network list and access this and its shared folders. I can add to and move files from the G4 over the network from my Imac27
However on the G4 in finder, i can see my Imac27 and my Mycloud drive under shared but i cant access them from the G4
when i click on one of the devices from the G4 i get a Connection Failed, check the server name or IP error message.
Does anyone have any idea how i can connect from the G4 to others devices as i know its on the network as mentioned above, i can connect to the G4 from my imac27

thanks all

MacMac1964 said:

hi all

i have got my old Imac G4 running and its plugged into our home network. From my modern imac27 i can see the G4 in network list and access this and its shared folders. I can add to and move files from the G4 over the network from my Imac27
However on the G4 in finder, i can see my Imac27 and my Mycloud drive under shared but i cant access them from the G4
when i click on one of the devices from the G4 i get a Connection Failed, check the server name or IP error message.
Does anyone have any idea how i can connect from the G4 to others devices as i know its on the network as mentioned above, i can connect to the G4 from my imac27

thanks all

Click to expand...

Apple stopped supporting AFP (Apple File Protocol) several OS versions ago. That was their standard protocol when Tiger and Leopard were current. As you have a G4 iMac, you can't be running anything higher than Leopard.

SMB (Server Message Block) is the protocol Apple is using now. It has three versions, SMB1, 2 and 3. Most newer Macs by default support SMB2 and 3, but you have to actively enable SMB1 to use that. SMB is a standard PC protocol that's been used since the mid-1980s. Only Apple didn't use the standard for it until much later (around macOS 13).

The version of SMB used by your iMac is not standard and both Tiger and Leopard had issues connecting to SMB shares because of it. Your modern iMac is going to be using SMB 2 and 3 by default. You can connect to the G4 iMac from your modern iMac because even though Apple deprecated AFP, they have not removed it entirely yet. So this is why you can connect to the G4 from the modern Mac, but not the other way around.

You have two choices. Install DAVE, which is an app that installs a proper version of SMB or use a bridge Mac as a go between. In your case, a bridge Mac would be an Intel Mac on a version of macOS that can use both AFP and a version of SMB that your modern Mac can connect to. I'd suggest a Mac running High Sierra.

If you want to try installing DAVE, there is a copy on the Macintosh Garden. Thursby Software no longer makes, sells or supports DAVE.

eyoungren - thanks for the very detailed response, I will look on Macintosh Garden for DAVE and download to try this out, will report back when done​