Networking - Can't see PC's but PC's can see Mac? Tech Support very unhelpful...

[entatlrg]

Do you have the same workgroup/domain defined on each of the systems? Also, can you access them via IP (Finder -> Connect to -> smb://<windows IP>/<share>)?

Hi, Thanks again for the help.

- Yes, all have the same workgroup name.

- Windows Firewalls are off.

- Yes, I can connect manually via the smb window and entering the IP address of each PC on the network, it does find the other mac on the network no problem.

- Even with all anti-virus software disabled it doesn't make a difference.

- About the 'subnet mask' I don't know the answer to that.

I just wish I didn't have to do it manually. One of the tech support rep's yesterday mentioned a way I could enter the ip addresses of each pc on the network and save them so that each time I started up my air it would look to connect with those pc's automatically, that would be a band-aid approach I guess for the pc's on this network .... but I forget how he told me to do it anyway.

Am right in thinking the mac should automatically see the pc's on the network? The pc's can see the mac. Tech support wouldn't give me a clear answer on that, instead they said "sometimes it can be a problem for a mac to see pc's on a network and the only solution is to enter the IP's manually..." and they suggested it could be a problem with the router and I should call Linksys. But the router is the new dual band model they just came out with... It's hard to imagine when I plug in any pc on the network all pc's see each other no problem, but when I add a mac to the mix I have to manually enter all the info and get the IP's off the other pc's in order to see them on the network ... like I told Apple, this can't be... there has to be a better way, I'm doing something wrong maybe, but what?

When you guys join a network, can you all see pc's on the network automatically?

I'm thinking of everything I can here, even considering buying the Time Capsule router with 500 gb storage in hopes that would solve the problem. I'm spending more money and time, but like I said even though I have my beefs about how this has gone so far, I really want to keep the MBA and ACD monitor, whether it's wise money spent or not, or maybe not the value of buying another LG and a HP 2408 display, there's something I really like about the Air and the ACD too ...

For now I'm off to Best Buy to buy a copy of Windows to install on the MBA, against a lot of advice I'm going to buy Vista instead of XP ... I'm one of the few who like Vista, it's never given me problems, other microsoft software has given me problems, but never Vista...

I'm wondering how much of my 128 gb hard drive to use up for Windows ... if I used up 80-90% of the drive with Vista and just used OS X for itunes and keep it open enough to learn and play with it ... I may have less problems ... Are they any heavy windows users out there? If so how much space did you give Windows on your HD.

(I'll keep an eye this thread, Thanks again. The next concern is to get Windows working properly via Bootcamp.

 

[ElectricSheep]

Thought I had posted this to this thread, but...

If the computers are supposed to be in the same workgroup and on the same local network or subnetwork, make sure the workgroup name is exactly the same on all computers.

 

[entatlrg]

Thought I had posted this to this thread, but...

yes, workgroup name is the same on all computers.

 

[stomer]

- Yes, I can connect manually via the smb window and entering the IP address of each PC on the network, it does find the other mac on the network no problem.

So your problem is uniquely the fact that you don't see your Windows machines in the "Shared" area in Finder?

Here's what I see in my Finder:

You can tell which ones are the Windows machines.

Open Terminal and type: nmblookup -S <windowsmachinename>

Post back the results.

Also make sure Client for Microsoft Networks is turned on, like this:

 

[toolbox]

I completely disagree. If Apple says it should work, and it doesn't work, it's defective, and should be returned. Either way, good luck getting it to work.

So you would return a perfectly good laptop to the store based on a software problem?

To the op, can you use a cross over cable, set static ips and see if you can connect to the computers?

 

[jzuena]

yes, workgroup name is the same on all computers.

I just fired up a Windows laptop to see what would happen. My Mac could see several Linux machines in Finder under Shared, but not the Windows box. So from the Windows box (running Windows XP SP3) I double-clicked "My Network Places" and click "View workgroup computers". It could see itself but not the Mac or the Linux boxes (a NAS box and a MythTV box). Since both of the Linux boxes are UPnP devices, I click "Show icons for UPnP devices". Windows warns that it has to modify the firewall rules. Mind you, I turned off the firewall just as the OP did. After the firewall change to a supposedly disabled firewall, the windows box shows up in the Mac's finder. Since I am not sharing any drives on the Windows machine I can't connect, but at least the Windows box shows up. The firewall rule change to allow UPnP connections seems to be enough for my Windows machine to be seen by my Mac. YMMV

 

[stomer]

If you just can't get you Windows machines to automatically appear in Finder.

Connect with the IP address and create an alias of the share that you're connected to. Whilst holding down CMD+ALT, drag drop the share onto your desktop. Then next time you want to connect to your wife's machine, just double click on the icon on your desktop. You could also drag it to the dock if you prefer.

 

[entatlrg]

Right, the main problem is PC's don't show up in the Shared category in the Finder, if there's a mac on the network it shows up.

Firewalls are all off, Sharing is on.

Client for Microsoft Network is check marked.

"So your problem is uniquely the fact that you don't see your Windows machines in the "Shared" area in Finder?"

Yes, and I typed in nmblookup - S LG-PC, this is the results:

-macbook-air:~ Steve$ nmblookup - S LG-PC
querying S on 192.168.1.255
name_query failed to find name S
querying LG-PC on 192.168.1.255
192.168.1.102 LG-PC<00>
169.254.30.104 LG-PC<00>

Yes, I have do this manually every time I leave the network and power the mac back up > Finder -> Connect To -> smb://<ip of windows machine>

Stomer, I'm going to try your instructions shortly, I bought a Time Capsule this afternoon, I'm going to try hooking that up first and see how it goes ...

 

[stomer]

Yes, and I typed in nmblookup - S LG-PC, this is the results:

-macbook-air:~ Steve$ nmblookup - S LG-PC
querying S on 192.168.1.255
name_query failed to find name S
querying LG-PC on 192.168.1.255
192.168.1.102 LG-PC<00>
169.254.30.104 LG-PC<00>

You've added a space between the dash and S. It should have been:

nmblookup -S LG-PC

The '-S' will tell use the workgroup.

Anyway, at least it looks like NetBios is doing its job on your wife's machine. Can you run this command in terminal on your MBA and tell us the results:

cat /var/db/smb.conf | grep workgroup