Can’t see PC (XP) shares from Mac (10.3.8)
 

I would love some help getting my G4 with 10.3.8 to browse files on a PC running XP Pro SP2 (5.1.2600). The two are connected through a D-Link DI-704 gateway switch that is attached to a cable modem. The Network Utility/NetStat routing table info shows the correct MAC with the PC’s IP, but traceroute gives only ***. I was wondering about editing the hosts file on the Mac, but I don’t know how that’s handled in 10.3.8. I poked around Directory Access without success.

Connection errors
• When I try to browse to the PC from the Mac, I get “The Alias “[PC]” could not be opened, because the original item could not be found.”
• When I try connect to server (using the IP address or the machine name, with or without the workgroup name, with or without the share name), I get “The Finder could not complete the operation because some data in “SMB://…’ could not be read or written. (Error code –36).”
• I’ve also tried mount_smbfs in terminal without success.
• The console gives, “mount_smbfs: can't get server address `[PC]': Unknown host” and/or “mount_smbfs: can't get server address: syserr = Network is down” and/or “mount_smbfs: negotiate phase failed: syserr = Operation timed out”.

I just yesterday upgraded from 10.2.8 with a 10.3 archive and install and the 10.3.8 combined updater, but I think the problem might have started a month or two ago. It seems like Windows is always releasing updates, and I’m not sure quite what the timing with those was. I can’t think of any other interesting changes since I last connected to the PC using the IP address with Go to Server. I don’t think I’d tried with the PC name.

Here’s some of what I tried along the way (some of these are clearly grasping at straws!):
• Verified same workgroup, which I renamed on each end just for good measure.
• Verified matching username and password on both computers, and disabling the password.
• Simple file sharing enabled and disabled with max permissions on the log-in account on the PC.
• Sharing various folders, and turning sharing for each off and back on.
• DHCP and static IP.
• Repaired permissions on the Mac.
• Verified system files and network diagnostics on the PC.
• CIFS in place of SMB.
• Confirmed Windows firewall is off. The only other firewall is the D-Link switch to the outside.
• Confirmed NetBIOS is set correctly according to whether I’m using static or dynamic IP (have tried both).
• Confirmed PC is not digitally signing communications.
• Confirmed I can ping both ways and the gateway from each computer, and can access the shares on the Mac from the PC.
• Updated gateway firmware.
• Added the router to DNS search along with my ISP’s DNS servers on the Mac.
• Turned off Ipv6.

I’m not sure what to try next. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

I wish I had an answer because I've had this issue forever (it seems). I believe it's some setting on the PC that's incorrect because I had the problem with my G4 (since 10.2.x) and also with a new G5 connected to the same network. I have no problem connecting to the Mac from the PC.

D-oh! Finally found and fixed the problem.

On the PC, I had shared the entire drive (C:). It had been given a "share name" of "80GB (C:)" automatically by XP. I turned off sharing on that drive, turned it back on (which permitted me to rename the share name to "80"), and clicked the "allow users to modify files" checkbox.

I then moved back to my Mac, selected "Connect to server..." and put in "smb://192.168.1.151/80" (don't use quotes, obviously). Note that the 80 is the name of the shared drive. The connect dialog came up with "WORKGROUP" and my username (which is the same on both my Mac and my PC). I entered my password (the PC password, of course) and *presto* the shared drive appeared on my OSX Desktop. Note that I'm running 10.3.7 on a G5 so the "fix" (from the time in 10.2.x when it -did- work to the time when it -stopped- working) is to add the shared folder name to the address.

Note that the PC -still- does not show up when clicking on the Network icon in the Finder.

Also note that a folder named "Shared Documents" on my XP box which -was- shared for network use can't be accessed. I think this folder was originally for use "by other users of this computer" (sitting at the XP box and logging in as another user). There may be something in XP that prevents sharing it over the network (or it's another misconfiguration on my part).

The PC may show up in Network if they're both up and operating for a while. Make sure that they're both in the same workgroup (the default on the Mac is "WORKGROUP"). I've seen the Windows Firewall in XP cause some strange problems with sharing files and printers. Since you're behind a NAT router, it'd probably be safe to completely turn off the firewall temporarily and see if anything changes.

Unfortunately, the Firewall settings (on or off) have no effect on this problem (for me). Both workgroups are identical. The PC occasionally shows up in Network but connection always failed. However, it is possible that it might work now that I've deciphered the need to provide the share name as well as the computer.

Adding the share name didn't work for me
 

I'm grateful for your post, and glad you solved your problem, barryjaylevine. I'd already tried adding the share name, without success. (Also tried adding the workgroup, log-in name and password per advice I found somewhere else.) For good measure, I followed your process, crossing my fingers and holding my breath, but I'm still getting the same error messages.

Try turning off the sharing of that folder on the PC, then create a new folder at the root level. Share that folder and give it a simple sharename without spaces or caps. Then click the "allow network users to modify contents" (or whatever that checkbox is named - my PC is not on right now for me to check it). Then head back over to your Mac and try it again.

In my case I shared the entire drive C (which should be secure in your case as you have a router which, I assume, you have not configured to permit filesharing to pass through). Might be a good thing to try that with nothing else shared on that drive.

Also, if you don't have NetBios active for your Local Area Connection on the PC, you won't be able to connect to it !

I see nothing in the Networking control panel in my PC regarding NetBios. Where would I find this in order to verify your statement?

1. Go to Network Connections in the CP
2. In there, find the Local Area Connection you are using (I am assuming your running through your network card), right-click on it and go to Properties
3. Find Internet Protocol TCP/IP in the list, highlight it and click on the Properties button just bellow
4. In the TCP/IP properties window click on the Advanced button
5. Go to the WINS tab
6. At the bottom of that tab there is a NetBios section, make sure its set to Default
7. If it was not, the set it, and click on Ok a few times untill you get back to the main Local Area Connection properties window and there click on Close (thius may take some time as the system will save the setting changes and then reset the TCP/IP to activate the new ones)
8. Wait 2-3 minutes and try to connect again with your Mac.

Thanks for the instructions. Mine is set to "enable NetBios over TCP/IP" rather than the Default; this is probably because I've specified a static IP for my PC (in order to be able to reach it in a consistent manner from the Mac). It looks like this is normal for a static IP.

Using a Windows box is its own punishment.

I do use a static IP too, and have it set to default... I was not able to get smb sharing from my mac to that PC to work with any other setting.
Just to make sure, try the Connect to server with smb://ip.of.the.pc and if it comes up saying either error -36 or without prompting you for username and password states that you have a wrong user name or password change the setting back to default and it will work (only thing that made it work again here (had to figure it out after suddenly no Macs in the office could smb to PCs but the oposite did work.. ended up finding out that the Windows admins ahd done changes to NetBios settings...)

Raven,

I can log into my PC since I added the sharename to the address like:

smb://192.168.1.151/80

(where 80 is the actual sharename I gave the drive in the Sharing tab). I haven't changed my Netbios settings since I switched the PC to static from DHCP.

Until I added the sharename to the addess, I was getting the "-36" error.

Barry

Witrh all the back and forth info, I'm noot sure exactly what is your issue at this point... And what the error message is now. Youd you repost that part clearly so that we know exactly what changed since your original post ?

Raven,

I'm not the one who created this thread. I had added my comment and then subsequently added the solution I had found. My question about Netbios was simply to determine whether my PC was configured in the manner you had implied was necessary for the file sharing to take place. (It was/is.)

Ah ok... Then this one is mostly now an informative thread... Good for searches ! ;)

I started the thread - continuing problems
 

Hi, Raven. I’m the one with the continuing problem. I’m not at home, where the problematic network is, but I’ll do my best from here.

I have tried static IP while trying to diagnose this. Right now I think I have both machines on DHCP but the gateway switch set to always give each the same IP. (Hard to remember since I’ve changed things back and forth so much trying to solve this problem.) I’ve always changed NetBIOS according to whether I’m using static or dynamic IP.

In one of your posts (http://forums.macosxhints.com/showpo...5&postcount=12) you say if connecting doesn’t work with static IP, “change the setting back to the default.” Are you referring to the NetBIOS setting that says “Default: Use NetBIOS setting from the DHCP server. If static IP is used or if the DHCP server does not provide a NetBIOS setting, enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.” Since it says right on the tab to choose Enable NetBIOS with static IP, using static IP with the Default setting is something I haven’t tried. Did I understand correctly that that’s what worked for you? I’m very glad to have something new to try. I really want this fixed!

In response to barryjaylevine, at the moment, the only share I have is the entire hard drive, which I have set to share as C. I’ll try setting up a new root level folder to share tonight with a lowercase name. I have been giving max sharing permissions to each share.

I’m thinking this is unrelated, just a sign of Windows flakiness, but I’ll throw it in for good measure. My PC often has trouble switching between the TCP/IP settings on the General and Alternate Configuration tabs. It’s a laptop, and I do use it on one network that requires static IP a day or two per week. So I normally have the main TCP/IP setting as obtain IP and DNS automatically (for home), and the alternate configuration with the static settings for the other network. Usually opening the connection properties a few times, changing trivial things like alternate working DNS servers, and closing it gets XP to wake up and smell the settings. Sometimes I resort to rebuilding the connection without the alternate settings. I never try connecting from the Mac until the PC has grabbed the right network settings, so it wouldn’t seem related. But there it is in case it signals something to someone else that I'm not getting. (Never have tried searching to see if that’s a common problem. I just work around it.)

Seeing shares via SMB used to work with dynamic IP, with a variety of shares (including the Shared Documents folder that’s not working for barryjaylevine) and share name types, without specifying share name (would get prompted asking me which I wanted), without password (would get prompted). It used to be very reliable. The good old days…

Thanks very much for helping me resolve this.

Yes what I was suggesting was to set it back to default even though your using a static IP... For some reason (I call it "Ahhh Windows !!!!!") I was only able to get it back working once the NetBios setting was to default... Thta it why I suggested it... Normally I would have left it to Enabled too.

Also, for your C drive sharing... Sometimes you ahve to use smb://ip.of.the.pc/C$ ... Naming convention issue...

Sadly, these tips didn't help. Same error messages.

I have to say that at this poinbt I am stomped by your issue, but the fact that you can't even trace route to the PC properluy, I would have to guerss that there is something blocking traffic to the PC (aka something on the PC is blocking it, or maybe some router settings specific to that IP - any port forwarding or usch on it ?) and thhat's what's causing the issue opn your PC... If you can afford it, I would suggest that you format and re-install Windows. Thats the only way to make sure the issue is no on the PC... but my guess is that after you get a clean machine, you will be able to connect to it.

Your message says: "always give each the same IP." You really don't mean that BOTH machines have been given the SAME IP address, do you?

No. Sorry to be imprecise. The MAC address for the Mac always gets one pre-selected IP address, and the MAC address for the PC always gets another. But I've changed the config so many times, I can't recall without looking if that's the way I have them now.

Hi guys, I've got the same problem.
From my pc i just put in my Mac's IP and name so: 192.168.1.3/macsname and i can acces it easily. But the other way around does not work. It worked at some point when i set up a home network using xp pro sp2's network wizard. But suddenly it stopped working. Thats windows for ya. I'll see what else i can find on the net, caus im determined to do this!