OSX and Windows(NT) networking problems and questions...

[IAmFromMars]

I am having strange results when trying to connect to Samba shared folders on various servers. I have verified that all the Samba shared folders are working because I can mount them on my Windows 2000 PC using "Map Network Drive" feature. Here is the an overview of the problems:

Share #1:

(client = Mac OS X: ip=192.168.1.199, server = Mac OS X: ip= 192.168.5.155)

When trying to mount a Samba directory using Finder Go menu:

smb://WORKGROUP;192.168.5.155/username

I get the error message

"No file services are available at the URL smb://192.168.5.155/username
Try again later or try a different URL (server returned error 1)"

The server is a Mac OS X (10.1.5) computer with Samba setup to share in standard [homes] mode which shares the home directory of all users.

Interestingly, I am able to mount this directory on my Windows 2000 PC using the "Map Network Drive" command with Folder = \\192.168.5.155\username


Share #2:

(client = Mac OS X: ip=192.168.1.199, server is RedhatLinux 7.2: ip=192.168.1.9)

I am able to mount a folder from the linux server running Samba also sharing using the standard [homes] mode using the Finder Go menu:

smb://WORKGROUP;192.168.1.9/username

This folder is also mounted on my Windows 2000 PC using the "Map Network Drive" command with Folder = \\192.168.1.9\username

So why can my mac mount the folder shared by the linux server, but no the folder shared by Mac OS X, when in both cases my Windows 2000 works fine?


Also, using the Finder Go menu, how do you specify the NT domain username and password. In a Windows PC, when you do "Map Network Drive", you have the option of loging in as the current user, or changing the user before you "Map Network Drive". Is this possible with Mac OS X? Does Mac OS X use the username and password if its current user when authenticating on an NT Domain?

Any help would be appreciated...

[gibbs]

As far as I know, there are some bugs connecting with Samba volumes on win2k/XP right now. At least, I never got it to work properly, despite doing a lot of research.

The easy way I fixed it was to install "dave" for the mac. I found , despite the fruity picture of two little boys hugging on the install screen, that the program was simple, lightweight, and fully functional as far as getting my mac and my XP/2k boxes to talk to eachother. I recommend, if you want to give up on samba for now, to have an open mind and try dave.

And no, I don't work for thursby software.

[RHITMacMan]

I'm not sure if this helps or not, but I can share a directory on my Win2K machine and connect to it via my MacOS X machine. I simply share the folder on my Win2K machine, then on the MacOS X machine I type one of two things.

smb://computername/SharedFolder
smb://192.168.0.100/SharedFolder

The 'computername' is the Windows networking computer workgroup name given to my Win2K machine. Or, I can also use the explicit IP address of my Win2K machine. Then I type the shared directory name. I haven't found a way to just connect to a Win2K machine and see all the shares available. I have to know the specfic shared directory name and it can't have spaces. I've tried all kinds of ways to connect to shares with spaces including the quoting and backslashing methods, neither works. So currently, it looks like no spaces are allowed. Once I actually get this far and it finds the shared directory, I am prompted with a dialog asking for the workgroup, username, and password for a user account on the Win2K machine. I enter this name and the share is mounted on my desktop. I have also found that administrative shares work as well. So I can type smb://computername/c$ while logging in with an admin username and pass to have access to the whole boot drive. Hope this helps in someway, even if only to give you an idea of what's possible.

[tk4two1]

Check out versiontracker for SMB Browser. It makes samba very easy.

[Javintosh]

Another nod to SMB Browser. I am using it with Win98/NT/2K without problems.

Javier

[egilDOTnet]

I had lots of problems with SMB shares going dog-slow on me all the time, until I installed Sharity. Sharity is freeware and uses another SMB client than the one accompanying OS X. It also gives you the possibility to browse a windows network (using the Network symbol in your finder and below) just like you would on a windows box (well, very similar at least).

I recommend it highly, and you will find it at versiontracker.com.

-e

[homer]

I, on the other hand, despise SMB Browse and Sharity. Sharity seems unstable and unreliable, and I can't make SMB Browse work unless the PC is booted *after* the Mac. Built-in SMB client works for me! Jaguar will fix all these problems.

[kilowatt]

This guy isn't using Windows XP to share his drives, and when he uses 2000 to connect, it works

Originally posted by IAmFromMars


Share #1:

(client = Mac OS X: ip=192.168.1.199, server = Mac OS X: ip= 192.168.5.155)

When trying to mount a Samba directory using Finder Go menu:

smb://WORKGROUP;192.168.5.155/username

I get the error message

"No file services are available at the URL smb://192.168.5.155/username
Try again later or try a different URL (server returned error 1)"

Try this in the terminal, as root:
smbutil
(note the various options)
smbutil login //username@host/share
replace username and host with the correct vaules (try hostname as well as IP for the host part). The share is optional.

Also, using the Finder Go menu, how do you specify the NT domain username and password. In a Windows PC, when you do "Map Network Drive", you have the option of loging in as the current user, or changing the user before you "Map Network Drive". Is this possible with Mac OS X? Does Mac OS X use the username and password if its current user when authenticating on an NT Domain?

Any help would be appreciated...

When you successfully connect to a windows computer with Mac OS X, it will ask for the Domain, Username, and Password. With windows 9x computers in a workgroup, you can ignore the Domain and Username. With NT computers in an NT domain, these values will make a difference.

Hope that clears things up, and hood luck sharing SMB!

PS: alternatively, you could use NFS or AppleFileSharing