unable to connect to AFP server

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Level 1

8 points

unable to connect to AFP server

i have a wireless network enabled external harddisk, configured to work as an AFP server with my macbook pro...

it worked fine, double-click on the AFP server name on the left pane of the Finder will list down all the share points, and i can double-click on any share point to open the folders inside.

today .. i cannot seemed to see the list of share points after double-clicking on the AFP server name in Finder..
i tried using "connect to server" option in Finder, and managed to see the list of share points. But when i double-click the usual share point where i saved all my work, it keeps showing "connecting" and takes forever..

but the other share points connect well, and i can see all the contacts inside..

what puzzles me are:
- this usual share point was working fine, and i did not re-configure anything
- if i tried to create a new share point to a folder, which is located inside the share point that is not working, it managed to connect without any issue...

anybody encountered such behavior with AFP servers? looks like some "time out" issue, as it was working fine until some time??

any help will be very very much appreciated.. as i had tried all ways and means .. thanks

Mac Book Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.1), Centrino Core 2 Duo, 2.53GHz with 4GB RAM

Posted on Nov 27, 2009 7:01 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 27, 2009 7:42 AM in response to dlckson

Try these settings, to the extent you haven't already done so, on each Mac where sharing one way or the other is not working. I realize that you probably have done these things; they are preliminary to trying to refine the search for your solution. If you are running Leo or Tig on any of your machines, then you may have to improvise a bit.

1. Go System Preferences > Sharing > Check File sharing > Go Options > Enable AFP and SMB sharing.
2. Go System Preferences > Network > Select Airport or Ethernet depending on what you are going to be using. I am assuming you will be using wireless below. Let me know if not true.
3. Having selected Airport, select ask to join new networks and show Airport status in menu bar.
4. Click advanced > click remember networks this computer has joined > Click WINS > Enter the ip address of any Win machine in the WINS server box > Enter the Win's workgroup name in the workbook box unless it already is there (look in the drop down menu too). In all likelihood the name is workgroup, but check on the Win machine.
5. Restart.

If you reply, then please let me know what operating systems your machines are running.

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Answer 2

dlckson Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2009 7:21 PM in response to donv_the_ghost

my setup is simple:
- one macbook pro running snow leopard
- one external hard disk connected via LAN cable to a wireless router, acting as AFP server
- connection from macbook to hard disk is via wireless

i had tried the "mount" command at terminal, and it returns error number 89
i had tried to connect using SMB instead, but it always hangs, and i need to force quit - relaunch Finder

i am running out of wits.. thanks so much for your advice.. i had tried all your suggestions, but still no response when i click on the AFP server name in Finder..

when i tried to use "connect to server" option in Finder, and use SMB protocol, it managed to show me all the share points..
but when i tried to click on a folder inside a share point, Finder will take forever and not show the contents inside the folder..

Message was edited by: dlckson

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Answer 3

Nov 28, 2009 5:42 AM in response to dlckson

dlckson wrote:
when i tried to use "connect to server" option in Finder, and use SMB protocol, it managed to show me all the share points..
but when i tried to click on a folder inside a share point, Finder will take forever and not show the contents inside the folder..

After applying the settings, did you try Connect to Server: afp://ipaddress again?

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Answer 4

dlckson Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2009 8:08 AM in response to donv_the_ghost

tried, ... after i used "connect to server" and type "afp..." .. it showed me the list of share points.. when i clicked on the share point that hangs previously ... it again takes "forever" ...

looks like nothing changes..

the irritating part of this whole matter is .... the network disk was working fine for a period of time, seamless even .... and on the same set of configurations [nothing was changed] .. after some time .... it just stopped working ...

but i can testify the network disk is still functional because:
- using other protocols [SMB, FTP] can see the contents in all share points [though unstable]
- using Safari web browser to the network disk IP can see the web interface for the hard disk

so .. something wrong, most probably time-triggered [maybe some log files full, or maximum number of connections reached, etc] .. but i do not know how the AFP connection works in technical detail.. thus i cannot figure anything ,,,

Message was edited by: dlckson

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Answer 5

Nov 28, 2009 12:17 PM in response to dlckson

You could create a test user with the same privileges as your main user and see if the problem follows you to the new user.

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Answer 6

dlckson Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 29, 2009 7:26 AM in response to donv_the_ghost

tried.. i created a new user in the network drive web interface, and i intentionally used the same user name as the account on my macbook pro....
but the same behavior, takes forever to connect to the problematic share point..

strange observation here is .. i tried to create a new share point, which is pointing to sub-folder inside the problematic share point .. and i can connect to this new "sub" share point.. this means the folders inside the problematic share point are working fine..

so i am wondering... is there any maximum number of times of connections, or any form of such "counters" for a AFP share point??? this issue i have seemed like a share point had "expired" .... and i need new share points to continue..

but it sounds absurd right?

Message was edited by: dlckson

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Answer 7

Jan 19, 2010 5:23 AM in response to dlckson

I searched everywhere to find a solution to the problem I was having getting AFP to work in Snow Leopard after it mysteriously broke.

Senario:

- AFP connections from the "Broken Mac" to other Macs are successful.
- Other Macs CAN see the "Broken Mac" in the sidebar.
- Other Macs CAN control the "Broken Mac" via Screen Sharing.
- Other Macs CANNOT connect to the "Broken Mac" via AFP.

This is what I did to resolve the issue when nothing else would.

Delete:
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.network.identification.plist
and /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist

(I also deleted /etc/AFP.conf but am unsure if this needs to be done.)

Reboot.

Goto Network and Sharing in System Preferences and configure your desired settings. AFP should now be working correctly. (You may need to re-add your Network Adapter en0.)

Hope this helps!

For those that are interested, here are the things I tried (looked at) that didn't work (help):

Configuring the AFP Reconnect Server Key
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=ServerAdmin/10.5/en/c3fs34.html

Mac OS X Server v10.6: AFP users unable to authenticate with Kerberos after upgrading
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2938?viewlocale=en_US

AFP disconnects users, file opening problems, abnormal exits and bus errors
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1745610

AFP Links/Share not working on Snow Leopard
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2238602

Snow Leopard: can't connect to AFP server anymore
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2139664

AFP file sharing broken on one MacBook, not others
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2141893

AFP disconnects users, file opening problems, abnormal exits and bus errors
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1745610

unable to connect to AFP server
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2247087

Networking on OS X - configd
http://www.afp548.com/article.php?story=20041015131913324

Start and stop services from the command line
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20031119233101652

Snow Leopard and File Sharing Tips and Reports
http://www.macwindows.com/snowleopard-filesharing.html

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Answer 8

msail

Level 1

0 points

Feb 10, 2010 7:18 AM in response to bu11etpr00f

After a second reboot this problem returns and afp stops working again.

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