Mac / Windows Networking Problems

[KenD4]

I am getting so frustrated by trying to use my MacMini as a server to my kids' laptops running Windows (XP, Vista, and 7). I have been surfing for weeks now trying everything I can find and I keep having troubles. I don't know if the troubles I am have are all linked or several problems, so I bullet out the problems:

• Mac not keeping IP address I tried to assign from my router (Netgear) using the mac address to identify my Mac. The Mac will end up with different IP addresses, but rarely the assigned one.
• I have tried to setup a domain name on the Mac, but it isn't always recognized on the PC's. Many times I have to use the IP address but, as described in the first bullet, this is a moving target!
• Epson printer being found shared from my Mac but not being able to print to it. Nothing prints or shows up on the printer monitor.
• Trying to map a network drive on the Mac from a PC by using the username and password set up on the Mac. Since I want to be able to keep security and not share the entire harddisk, I am trying to attach the remote PCs using the Mac username and password. The PC just doesn't recognize it.

I have set the Workgroup to be the same on all PC's and the Mac.
I have turned on Windows sharing (SMB) for both Printer and File.
I have set a dynamic Global Host name (which is set the same as the WINS NetBios name).
I have set my Netgear router to assign an IP address to a particular mac address (which happens to be the same as my network controller in my MacMini since I am hardwired to my router).

I am using a MacMini with Snow Leopard Max OS X 10.6.2 (not the server version - is this my problem?).

I hope someone can help me! I have been a PC guru for 20 years. This is my first taste of Mac now that I am sick and tired of Microsoft and Windows! So far, I love how fast the Mac is, but I am not impressed with the networking! Yet!

Thank you.

 

[ae3265]

I am getting so frustrated by trying to use my MacMini as a server to my kids' laptops running Windows (XP, Vista, and 7). I have been surfing for weeks now trying everything I can find and I keep having troubles. I don't know if the troubles I am have are all linked or several problems, so I bullet out the problems:

• Mac not keeping IP address I tried to assign from my router (Netgear) using the mac address to identify my Mac. The Mac will end up with different IP addresses, but rarely the assigned one.
• I have tried to setup a domain name on the Mac, but it isn't always recognized on the PC's. Many times I have to use the IP address but, as described in the first bullet, this is a moving target!
• Epson printer being found shared from my Mac but not being able to print to it. Nothing prints or shows up on the printer monitor.
• Trying to map a network drive on the Mac from a PC by using the username and password set up on the Mac. Since I want to be able to keep security and not share the entire harddisk, I am trying to attach the remote PCs using the Mac username and password. The PC just doesn't recognize it.

I have set the Workgroup to be the same on all PC's and the Mac.
I have turned on Windows sharing (SMB) for both Printer and File.
I have set a dynamic Global Host name (which is set the same as the WINS NetBios name).
I have set my Netgear router to assign an IP address to a particular mac address (which happens to be the same as my network controller in my MacMini since I am hardwired to my router).

I am using a MacMini with Snow Leopard Max OS X 10.6.2 (not the server version - is this my problem?).

I hope someone can help me! I have been a PC guru for 20 years. This is my first taste of Mac now that I am sick and tired of Microsoft and Windows! So far, I love how fast the Mac is, but I am not impressed with the networking! Yet!

Thank you.

I use DCHP for my MBP all the time without any issues. In my VM's it works fine with bridged networking to assign IP's. I've had intermittent issues with Samba, but I compile my own and actually, moving to Win7 has cleared up a lot of things on that front.

If you don't need dynamic IP's, just go ahead and assign them statically on the mini and the vm's. DHCP seems to work better with DNS, so you might think about standing up a DNS server as well, but at least with static IP's, you have fewer issues to deal with.

Sounds like the netgear dhcp sucks, I use the ISC dhcpd and it works just fine.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

If you're trying to use a mac on a Windows network, you should expect to experience the following, unless you are unreasonably lucky:

• I have tried to setup a domain name on the Mac, but it isn't always recognized on the PC's. Many times I have to use the IP address but, as described in the first bullet, this is a moving target!
• Epson printer being found shared from my Mac but not being able to print to it. Nothing prints or shows up on the printer monitor.
• Trying to map a network drive on the Mac from a PC by using the username and password set up on the Mac. Since I want to be able to keep security and not share the entire harddisk, I am trying to attach the remote PCs using the Mac username and password. The PC just doesn't recognize it.

After talking on the phone with an Apple level 2 tech support agent, we concluded that a Mac Mini is not compatible with a Windows PC network, and the best solution was to have all of the PC's have a static IP address and use the "Connect to Server" method to use file sharing. Needless to say, we're not running OS X anymore.

As far as your issues go, make sure that the assigned IP address in OS X isn't in use by one of the PC's. Also, make sure that the PC's and mac all have the latest printer drivers installed. You also might want to look into using Gutenprint drivers.

Or if all else fails, get rid of OS X... that's what we had to do.