Networking headaches

[NoSmokingBandit]

My home network looks like this:

Mac (snow leopard)-cat5-router
Mac (leopard)-cat5-router
PC (vista)-wifi-router

Im trying to get all my computers to see each other but nothing happens. All are on the same workgroup (HOME), all have file sharing enabled (and printer sharing on the Leopard mac, which hosts a HP Officejet i'd like to share), but none of them want to admit the other exists. I have OSX's firewall turned off on both macs.
I cant get any computer to recognize any other and i am completely stumped. What should i do?


edit:
i made a new location for the macs (instead of using Automatic) and now the SL one sees the Leo one but it wont connect. It keeps saying Connection Failed without giving any reason why.

 

[akadmon]

Do you haved Applecare? If so, give Apple a buzz. I had similar issues in the past and they were helpful.

 

[Tex-Twil]

Hi,
can the computers ping each other ?

Tex

 

[awbazar]

Networking an iMac 24 to a Power Mac G5...

I came across this thread regarding problems with one Mac seeing another and linking peripherals among more than one computer. I am interested in what to do for interconnecting an iMac 24 Core Duo with an older Power Mac G5.

Questions:
1) What hardware/cable connection would be used?
2) Where do you look for selecting how the two computers interact with one another's files, etc.
3) Can you share the printers and other peripherals?
4) Can you share an iOmega back up external drive through Time Machine with two computers on the same network?

This seems like it should be a pretty common problem but I probably am not equipped with the right jargon to search for answers properly. I have tried these words with limited results:

interconnect
networking
sharing

There must be some wizards out there with a bunch of different Macs which all see one another and share peripherals.

 

[awbazar]

Interconnecting an iMac and a G5 Power Mac

I tried a ping test on each computer and pinged yahoo.com with 10 responses for 10 pings on each computer. I do not know what is needed to get them to talk with one another but they apparently have no problem talking to some other common destination.

The reason for using yahoo.com was the fact that it was the advice in the instructions of the ping test which I found for the Mac ping test.

What next?

 

[Tex-Twil]

awbazar, you are kind of hijacking the OP's thread. Anyway ..

- Are the computer on the same network ?
- If yes, what are the ip addresses they have ? ( ifconfig in Terminal)
- Can you ping computer2 from computer1 and vice versa ?

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

Hi,
can the computers ping each other ?

Tex

I can ping every computer on the network just fine. Nothing want to show up in the network on any of them though....
All have the same workgroup, the macs have file sharing and printer sharing enabled, but nothing wants to happen.

 

[awbazar]

Hijacked thread...

My apologies on getting into this thread by mistake. Maybe what I have found out from your question "can you ping successfully" will be useful to the original thread owner.

I did successfully ping yahoo.com with each computer and thus assumed that the computers could ping one another if I knew how to address each one of them specifically.

I did not realize that since each computer was on the same ADSL modem through the ethernet connections that they were already networked to one another. I imagined that I had to make a cable connection such as USB or firewire to have communication between the two computers. I later discovered "sharing" in "system preferences" and set up "printer sharing" and "file sharing" between the two Macs. Your advice about pinging led me to the solution.

I am surprised that I have not seen clear instructions about this anywhere and I have been doing considerable looking.

Since I'm already hijacked into this process, I noted that the time lag to get the second computer to crank out a print copy since it went through the ethernet sharing connection was somewhat longer than the iMac which has USB connections to both printers. I am still wondering if I could connect both computers with USB or firewire cables and have faster results. I still have not seen anything on direct connections between an iMac and a G5 by USB or firewire. I would like to avoid fire and smoke/dead computers.

I also am now wondering how vulnerable I might be for my files being available to others since these two computers talk to one another even though passwords are needed to have them see one another. They are likely no more vulnerable now than when individually connected to the ADSL modem by the ethernet connection. Any comments?

On old Macs I used to connect them directly with a cable and go though some gyrations on a set up menu as I recall to get them to see one another. That was prior to USB and firewire and just after the buggy whip became obsolete.

 

[Tex-Twil]

I did successfully ping yahoo.com with each computer and thus assumed that the computers could ping one another if I knew how to address each one of them specifically.

This is a wrong assumption. I can ping yahoo as well and that doesn't mean that we can start sharing folder right now.

I did not realize that since each computer was on the same ADSL modem through the ethernet connections that they were already networked to one another.

Yes they probably are on the same Local Area Netwok and thus you should be able to use the sharing which is available only if the two computers are on the same LAN.

I imagined that I had to make a cable connection such as USB or firewire to have communication between the two computers.

If they are already networked you're good to go. I never tried to share whatever via USB/FireWire.

I am surprised that I have not seen clear instructions about this anywhere and I have been doing considerable looking.

Hmmm : 1st link in Google for "OSX File Sharing" : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1549

Since I'm already hijacked into this process, I noted that the time lag to get the second computer to crank out a print copy since it went through the ethernet sharing connection was somewhat longer than the iMac which has USB connections to both printers. I am still wondering if I could connect both computers with USB or firewire cables and have faster results. I still have not seen anything on direct connections between an iMac and a G5 by USB or firewire. I would like to avoid fire and smoke/dead computers.

I needs a bit more time because the computer first needs to send the file to be printed to the computer that is sharing it. So it also depends on how fast your LAN is. I think a "direct" connection via USB would be a loss of time. Why don't you just connect the printer directly to the mac where you want to use it ?

I also am now wondering how vulnerable I might be for my files being available to others since these two computers talk to one another even though passwords are needed to have them see one another. They are likely no more vulnerable now than when individually connected to the ADSL modem by the ethernet connection. Any comments?

Any computer on your lan can acceess the shared folders if they have to permissions set (see link I posted above). Otherwise, only users with the password can access them.


Hope it helps
Tex

 

[calderone]

Have you tried connecting with afp, smb, vnc, etc via Finder --> Go --> Connect to server?

If so, have you tried with the hostname of the machine or the IP?

Are you pinging via IP? Or via hostname? What are the names of the machines, specifically the local hostname? You could have conflicting names. To get these names run:

scutil --get HostName

scutil --get LocalHostName

In Terminal.

Do the machines have the same network settings? Are you running the Firewall on any of the machines?

Have you checked to make sure Finder will show Bonjour Computers? You can check this in Finder --> Preferences --> Sidebar.

I know this is a lot of questions. But more information is needed if we are going to solve this.

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

Have you tried connecting with afp, smb, vnc, etc via Finder --> Go --> Connect to server?

Just did that and it connected just fine. The shared printer still doesnt show up and i dont think this will help the vista pc connect. After ejecting the drive it disappears from the Shared department of the sidebar in finder.

If so, have you tried with the hostname of the machine or the IP?

IP
192.168.1.XXX

Are you pinging via IP? Or via hostname?

IP again. I ran in Terminal:
ping 192.168.1.xxx

What are the names of the machines, specifically the local hostname? You could have conflicting names. To get these names run:

scutil --get HostName

scutil --get LocalHostName

In Terminal.

On both macs "scutil --get HostName" returns:
HostName: not set

And "scutil --get LoaclHostName" returns
Stevens-Desktop
and
Desktop

In the sharing preferences my comp is named "Steven's Desktop" and the other is simply named "Desktop"

Do the machines have the same network settings? Are you running the Firewall on any of the machines?

All the network settings i know about are the same on both. I didnt change anything im not sure about.
I have Little Snitch on both, and i've tried turning it off but it didnt help. OSX's firewall is turned off too.

Have you checked to make sure Finder will show Bonjour Computers? You can check this in Finder --> Preferences --> Sidebar.

I have everything checked.

I know this is a lot of questions. But more information is needed if we are going to solve this.

No problem, thanks for your help thus far. At this point i would be happy to get just the macs communicating well and worry about the pc later.

 

[calderone]

Had you tried connecting via afp or smb before?

It is good that at least your machines can speak to each other.

While it may seem obvious, Bonjour simply is not broadcasting. The localhostnme is what they should be broadcasted as.

Try running this on your machines:

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist; killall Finder

This will force Bonjour to load. Please report back, I am curious if your devices will appear in Finder after this.

If it is already loaded run this to unload it, then run the above:

sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist; killall Finder

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

Hey, its a zombie thread!


Anyway, i must have gotten distracted way back when, but now i need filesharing to work again and it still wont budge.

I've unloded then loaded Bonjour on two macs (one 10.5 the other 10.6) and neither see each other. I have FTP and AFP turned on for both of them. They can ping each other fine, and i can connect via the "connect to server" in the menu bar of Finder, but nothing shows up in the sidebar. I have everything checked off in Finder's preferences for the Shared section, but no dice.

Its not a big deal, but if i's like to get everyone showing up in the sidebar if anyone would be so kind as to point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[pilotError]

What kind of router is it?

That's weird, I have bonjour on my Win PC and all the Mac's set to screen sharing in the Sharing preferences and they all see each other. It sounds like the router is stopping the broadcast from going out (that's how they discover each other).

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

My router is a wrt54g with DD-WRT installed. I dont recall changing anything important, just QoS...