Macbook Finder and Belkin N+ Router

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Macbook Finder and Belkin N+ Router

Hello,
I recently replaced my Linksys WRT54G router (which died) with a Belkin N+ router. Everything works fine on my combined Windows/Apple network, EXCEPT I cannot access the other computers on my LAN from my Macbook Pro. The Router shows up as an entry in the FInder window under Shared, whereas before the other computers on my LAN were listed....

Any ideas what might be causing the problem?

Thanks!

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 10, 2010 6:47 PM

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Answer 1

iVmichael

Level 6

13,740 points

Jan 10, 2010 10:00 PM in response to bikefan

Welcome to Apple Discussions 🙂

I use a Belkin F5D8636-4 v1 (ADSL 2+ N Wireless Modem/Router) and have multiple Mac's and PC's exchanging/connecting with each other (including AppleTV, iPhone and Windows Mobile)

On your Mac's you'll need to enable Samba (smb) sharing in the System Preferences/Sharing control panel - check File Sharing is checked, select it then click the Options button. In the window that pops open check the third item "Share files and folders using SMB (Windows) and make sure you have an account name that has read/write access on both systems showing there.

You can connect to the Windows boxes by using the Finder/Desktop top menu bar Go/Connect to server then enter smb:// nameofPC

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Answer 2

bikefan Author

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Jan 11, 2010 4:19 PM in response to iVmichael

Hi Michael,

many thanks for your response. Let me add a bit more descriptive information:

I had file sharing working with the old router (the Linksys), which I had to replace this past Saturday when it died. For a couple of months, when the Linksys router was alive, I had file sharing working between my Macbook Pro and my numerous Windows machines. To do this, of course, I had to activate file sharing and the SMB facility.

When I swapped out the Linksys Router (It was model WRT54G Version 1.1), and replaced it with the Belkin N+ on Saturday, I was able to get file sharing to work between the Windows PC's, and have provide Internet access to my Cable Broadband to all of the computers. The ONE thing that doesn't work is file sharing between the Macbook Pro and the Windows computers.

Whereas before (with the Linksys), I could see all of the other computers in the Finder on the MacBook, now I can only see the Belkin N+ listed as a PC. I can't connect to this Belkin N+ from the Finder window.

I rechecked that I had the settings as you outlined them in your response set correctly (I agree those are the right settings), and they are....

Any other thoughts?

P.S. We spent three weeks in Australia in 2005, and really enjoyed it!!

Best regards,

Phil

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Answer 3

bikefan Author

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Jan 11, 2010 4:48 PM in response to iVmichael

Hi Michael, I have some additional information...

File sharing from my Windows machines TO the MacBook Pro works fine - I can access files on the MacBook Pro from the Windows machines. The problem is accessing Windows machine files from the MacBook Pro - the only entity listed under "Shared" in Finder is "Belkin N+", whereas before it listed the windows PC's (with the Linksys).

Thanks!

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Answer 4

Jan 15, 2010 7:46 AM in response to iVmichael

@iVmichael -

a quick question are you using the draft-n capabilities? If so are you able to use connect to it with a data rate of more than > 150Mb/s (alt+click-airport).

I can only get it to MCS of 15 and data rate of 145Mb/s no matter what I configure ... so no possibility of 300Mb/s and it doesnt seem to use the 40mhz band at all..

@bikefan
that shouldnt be a problem - I've got the same setup. did you set in networks/advanced options, wins, workgroup respectively so the Macs and the Windows devices are in the same workgroup? works for me just fine ..

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Answer 5

bikefan Author

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Jan 18, 2010 6:04 PM in response to severin Collins

Hi severin collins,

thanks for your info.

When you look at your Finder on your Apple, do the Windows PC's appear, and can you connect to them? Mine don't - the only item that appears is "belkin n+".

I think the workgroup, smb authorization, and file sharing are all setup correctly (near as I can tell), since my file sharing worked fine with my old Linksys router - the only thing that has changed is the new Belkin n+ router.

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Answer 6

iVmichael

Level 6

13,740 points

Jan 18, 2010 6:38 PM in response to bikefan

I'm seeing "Pentium4", "ThinkPad1" and "ThinkPad2" listed in the Shared section of the Finder just as with my older Belkin g Router ... I'm puzzled why the Router itself is appearing there as I can only connect to it using 192.168.2.1 via browser.

Checking the WORKGROUP setting might be worth a shot ...

Message was edited by: iVmichael

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Answer 7

iVmichael

Level 6

13,740 points

Jan 18, 2010 6:39 PM in response to severin Collins

I've set it to use 20/40MHz and channels 5 & 9 and it seems to deliver the faster speed locally, it's actually hard to tell here as I've got a mix of g and n wireless cards across the platforms.

Just tried alt-click on Airport and it says 145 😟

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Answer 8

bikefan Author

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Jan 24, 2010 6:07 PM in response to iVmichael

Hi Michael,
I think I can help with your problem....

If you hook a disk drive via the USB port on the n+ router (a thumb drive will do), you can access that from the other PC's on your network...

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Answer 9

bikefan Author

Level 1

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Feb 12, 2010 12:31 PM in response to bikefan

I think I figured it out....

When I set "Enable NETBIOS over TCPIP" in the TCPIP properties tab of the Properties of the Ethernet adapter for each of my Windows PC's, all of them showed up in the Finder on my Macbook, and I can access them all.

See also: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6603200

Case closed - thanks for everyone's help...

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