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Networking Problems

M

Maritan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 6, 2003
109
0
I'm trying to connect to the backup machine which is on a private network in my lab. Basically this machine allows access only to computers that have the IP address listed as trusted in its firewall.

So, I connected my Mac on the network (ethernet, not wireless). Entered my IP address in the firewall. After a little toying around, I finally got the Mac to connect to the backup machine but there is a problem.

Main Problem:
The backup machine is a Windows 2000 machine and has 2 drives: C and D. There is ONE folder on the C drive that is shared. It's buried somewhere - I had to actually search for it on the backup machine to find it. This folder, my Mac shows me. However, the folder that I actually NEED to connect to is on the D drive. This folder is shared too, but it does not show up on my Mac. What could be the problem, and what are the possible solutions?

Sub Problem:
I had to type in the IP address on my Mac - "smb://12.345.678.90". If I entered the IP address as "afp://12.345.678.90" (which is the default) I couldn't connect.

I don't know much about networking, so if someone could explain what that SMB is, I will appreciate it. What is the difference between AFP and SMB that allows my Mac to connect to this particular computer only with SMB?

Please help me out here guys! Thanks.

Edit: BTW, I have 10.2.7 on my computer. I have ordered the Panther update and it should be here sometime next week.
 
I can only answer your sub-problem. SMB is also known as CIFS or "Samba" (samba.org). It is used for networking between Linux and Windows based machines, and with the advent of OS X, Macs. AFP is the Apple File Protocol, it has been the standard protocol for transporting files between Macs for many years. Windows machines do not support AFP natively. When you specify the IP of the windows machine you must say to your computer that you want to connect with SMB, otherwise it will use the default AFP. It is the same principal as specifying http vs. ftp. Web browsers default to http, and you must specify that you want to go to an ftp location by putting FTP in the beginning. (put in google.com in Safari -> it goes to http://www.google.com/. Put in ftp://google.com in Safari -> it goes to the google ftp server)

Hope this made sense ;)
 
Thanks, OutThere. That definitely does make sense.

Now for the main problem:

I tried something that didn't work: I logged on to the backup machine, and created a shared folder in the C drive and then put in a shortcut link to the actual folder on the D drive. Sure enough, my Mac recognizes the folder I created on the C drive, but does not know what to do with the shortcut.

I definitely need your help here, people.
 
I'm not sure if it work, or how to do it but I wonder if it would work if you switched the drive letters, changed C to D and D to C. I don't know if this could work or not but it was the only thing that I could think of. Another thing I thought of would be to make sort of a folder action on the folder on the PC that instructed the PC to move everything that was put into the shared folder into the other folder. I have no idea if this is possible or not on a PC.


Good Luck!
 
I can try renaming the drives but I really am not too certain about doing that.

The other suggestion: Writing a script to copy all the contents from the D drive folder to the C drive folder won't work because the C drive is pretty much maxed out. That is the reason we actually use the D drive in the first place.

Any other suggestions?
 
Sorry man, I was hoping that someone here who knew more about this stuff than me would hop in here, but apparently people are reluctant to help....I don't really have any other ideas. Good Luck!
 
Thanks for trying man.

There is a Mac users group here at ASU (which I found out about just a few minutes back), and luckily enough, their monthly meeting is tomorrow. So, I will be going there and hopefully someone will be able to help me.

Thanks again.
 
You may need to check the permissions on the share on the D drive.

If you are prompted for authentication, enter credentials the backup machine knows about (either local accounts or domain accounts). For example, try authenticating as Administrator and you should see the share.

If it is not prompting you for authentication, then you are accessing the machine as a guest, and the guest may not have rights to the share on the D drive.
 
I am asked for authentication. So, I definitely am not connecting as a guest. The login I use does have administrator priviliges.

(After the passage of some time...)

I just tried something now: I created a new share called "Mac share" on the whole D drive. And with that I can access the D drive. This "new share" has the same properties as the one that was already in effect for the drive. But for some reason, after this new share was created I see the "hand" on the D drive (when I'm actually sitting at the backup machine) indicating that it is shared. With the original one, there was no "hand". What is happening?

Anyone that can clear this up for me? I will be very grateful.
 
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