OSX 10.2.6 and Windows 2000/XP shares

R

rubicon

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Hello. I've browsed through some topics and found a lot of information re. OSX and SMB but it dealt with 10.1, not 10.2.

Here's my issue, maybe someone can help.

I have a PowerBook G4 (15") with 10.2.6. Trying to connect to shares on an XP and 2000 box. Finder won't show me the computer names or the IP addresses that I want to connect to.

Here's what I have at home:

COSMOS, XP, using static IP (192.168.1.00)
ECLIPSE, 2000 Server, using static IP (192.168.1.98)
LAURA, 2000 Workstation, using DHCP
NOVA, PowerBook, using DHCP

When I browse the workgroup, only LAURA shows up - the other machines don't. No hostname, no IP.

If I type in smb://cosmos/public it times out and won't connect. If I ping cosmos from Terminal, it's OK.

If I type in smb:// using the IP address instead, it connects to all machines just fine.

I have VMWare installed on the XP box, but not the server or LAURA.

Questions:

1) Why does OSX display the LAURA computer but not the others? Does it have something to do with DHCP?

2) Why do I have to use the IP address instead of the hostname for the smb://? I can ping by hostname fine.

Any ideas? Thanks.
 
Check out /Applications/Utilities/Directory Access

There are some services that are responsible for network informations such as NetInfo, Rendevous, SMB. Make sure they're checked and running.
 
Thanks for the tip. I have everything enabled except Netinfo. It didn't make any improvements when I turned it on.

I have my workgroup name configured as well as a WINS server specified.
 
Here's a crazy idea that might work. Hope you're not afraid of using Terminal.

Open Terminal then

# cd /etc
# sudo pico -w hosts

The /etc/hosts file lists IP addresses and their associated machine name. I'm taking this info from Getnoo Linux installtion instructions but the hosts file is common with most *nix OSes.

If the hosts file doesn't exist, you'll be looking at a blank document in pico text editor. Here's an example of what it might look like:

Code: 
127.0.0.1      localhost
# the next line contains your IP for your local LAN, and your associated machine name
192.168.1.1    mymachine.mydomain.com	mymachine

Add a new line:

192.168.1.98 ECLIPSE

Do that for each machine with a static IP. To save the file, press CTRL+O then CTRL+X to get out. Reboot. Now see if the machines you added show up when you Go->Connect To Server.

You mention that the LAURA computer connects using DHCP, while all other Windows machines use static IP. Who is the DHCP server? What's the IP range that the DHCP server is serving out IP addresses? It might be that the other windows machines aren't on the same network which is why you Mac can't see them. Either put them all on DHCP or all static and see if that helps.

Lastly, COSMOS, XP, using static IP (192.168.1.00) . That doesn't look right to me. The last octet in the IP address should not be 0. That would denote a network address. I'm pulling this info from the back of my mind from 1 year of Cisco CNA.
 
Originally posted by Lycander
The /etc/hosts file lists IP addresses and their associated machine name. I'm taking this info from Getnoo Linux installtion instructions but the hosts file is common with most *nix OSes.
Click to expand...
I'll try adding the IPs to the hosts file although my DNS server already has them.
You mention that the LAURA computer connects using DHCP, while all other Windows machines use static IP. Who is the DHCP server? What's the IP range that the DHCP server is serving out IP addresses? It might be that the other windows machines aren't on the same network which is why you Mac can't see them. Either put them all on DHCP or all static and see if that helps.
Click to expand...
The IP addressing is consistent: 192.168.1.x. I can try changing the statics to dynamic just to see what happens. It's interesting why LAURA shows up via DHCP but the statics (in DNS) don't.
Lastly, COSMOS, XP, using static IP (192.168.1.00) . That doesn't look right to me. The last octet in the IP address should not be 0. That would denote a network address. I'm pulling this info from the back of my mind from 1 year of Cisco CNA.
Click to expand...
It was a typo on my part. The correct IP is 192.168.1.100.

I'll try out the hosts file and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
You comment that you can browse DHCP hosts, and not static. Do you static hosts talk to WINS. To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), MACOSX.2 does not truly browse windows hosts. If you are using a WINS server, then you may see a difference. Otherwise, hosts in finder/ connect to server are only there if

1. They are MACS
2. They are windows machines that they ahve connected to by name before

In windows 2000, this is done differently. In native clients such as W2K or XP, and where there is a Active directory, they will look up AD. On single segments such as home networks, they will still use the old browser service, and they will still use WINS

The fact that you can ping the hosts suggests that you dns is working properly, but much like WIN9x and ME, that will not allow for network connections to shares necessarily. That is why WINS was developed.

If the two static hosts are not using WINS, configure them to. It will not harm

Alternatively go into NETINFO (applications/ utilities) and add you windows hosts to the machines section. This will allow you to connect by name
 
Thanks for the tips re. WINS.

I just went to my Mac and used Connect to Server... and now all of the machines show up by name. I didn't change anything!

However, I did add a Redhat 9 box but none of the clients are configured to use it.

I'll investigate further and see if I can get a better answer than "it just started working."
 
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