Are you in need of a real speed bump from wireless? You can use Ethernet cable, but that is only one option. I’m actually a big fan of the underutilized IP over Firewire. If you have a Mac, you probably have Firewire ports, so let’s start taking advantage of it. It might not be as fast as Gigabit ethernet, but Firewire 800 is really freaking fast when compared to 802.11G or even 802.11N. So, here is how to network two Macs over Firewire:
First, launch System Preferences on the Mac connected directly to the internet, and then go to the Sharing preference pane. Check the box labeled “Internet Sharing,” and then check the Firewire box.
Now, on the receiving computer, disable all other forms of network access, and then launch the Network pane in System Preferences. Now make sure that the Firewire display reads out with a green icon, and says “Connected.”
That’s it. You now has a very fast network connection between your Macs. This will make a huge difference if you’re moving gigabytes of data.
