Is it possible to have no entries in "Search Domains:", which is located under the DNS tab if Network of System Preferences?
I'm trying to solve the problem of having Windows computers connect with my Mac, and getting help in this effort from Microsoft forums. My Mac has no problems in connecting to the Windows systems.
There is no requirements to have a search domain. They are just there to allow you to not need to enter the entire name name.
For example: If you have a search doman for MyCompany.com, then you can if you have a hostname such as Fred.MyComputer.com, you can just enter "Fred", and the search domain will automatically provide the MyCompany.com
But you are welcome to enter the full domain name.
If the [-] does not become active when you select a search domain, then it is possible your DHCP server has provided the search domain, and it is not in your control. BUT, you should be able to enter your own search domain, and that should that priority.
There is no requirements to have a search domain. They are just there to allow you to not need to enter the entire name name.
For example: If you have a search doman for MyCompany.com, then you can if you have a hostname such as Fred.MyComputer.com, you can just enter "Fred", and the search domain will automatically provide the MyCompany.com
But you are welcome to enter the full domain name.
If the [-] does not become active when you select a search domain, then it is possible your DHCP server has provided the search domain, and it is not in your control. BUT, you should be able to enter your own search domain, and that should that priority.
Then, how do I determine if my DHCP server, which I presume is my modem/router, is providing the search domain?
I want to backtrack just for a second. When you are on the System Preferences -> Network panel, "Is" there a "Padlock" in the lower left corner of the window? If so, is it locked or unlocked? That might affect whether you are allowed to change anything. If there is "No" padlock, then this was just a "Wild Goose Chase" question. (Putting a padlock on the Network settings is System Preferences -> Security -> Advanced -> [X] "Require Administrator password to access system-wide preferences"
OK, back to DHCP
By default it would be your home router, but they often times just pass along information from your ISP's DHCP server, such as your DNS server(s), unless you have configured your own preferred DNS servers.
Finding out that information is not something that is commonly done, so I had to dig to find 'dhcpdump' and even then it is still a bit of "magic" to deal with.
You can get dhcpdump from HomeBrew (brew.sh) which is a package manager for open source packages. Once I got it installed, I did
sudo dhcpdump -i en0
Then I went to System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> TCP/IP -> Renew DHCP Lease
which gave me a bunch of stuff. However, my home router does not provide search domains, so I don't know what fields would show that information
TIME: 2017-11-05 11:32:45.919
IP: 0.0.0.0 (f4:f:24:35:f4:2) > 255.255.255.255 (ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff)
OP: 1 (BOOTPREQUEST)
HTYPE: 1 (Ethernet)
HLEN: 6
HOPS: 0
XID: 72d434c8
SECS: 0
FLAGS: 0
CIADDR: 0.0.0.0
YIADDR: 0.0.0.0
SIADDR: 0.0.0.0
GIADDR: 0.0.0.0
CHADDR: f4:0f:24:35:f4:02:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00
SNAME: .
FNAME: .
OPTION: 53 ( 1) DHCP message type 3 (DHCPREQUEST)
OPTION: 55 ( 10) Parameter Request List 1 (Subnet mask)
121 (Classless Static Route)
3 (Routers)
6 (DNS server)
15 (Domainname)
119 (Domain Search) <<<<<<<--------- most likely
252 (MSFT - WinSock Proxy Auto Detect)
95 (LDAP)
44 (NetBIOS name server)
46 (NetBIOS node type)
OPTION: 57 ( 2) Maximum DHCP message size 1500
OPTION: 61 ( 12) Client-identifier 00:42:6f:62:54:6f:75:63:68:50:72:6f
OPTION: 50 ( 4) Request IP address 172.16.1.62
OPTION: 51 ( 4) IP address leasetime 7776000 (12w6d)
OPTION: 12 ( 11) Host name MyMacName
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIME: 2017-11-05 11:32:45.919
IP: 172.16.1.1 (f8:bb:bf:51:58:d2) > 172.16.1.62 (f4:f:24:35:f4:2)
OP: 2 (BOOTPREPLY)
HTYPE: 1 (Ethernet)
HLEN: 6
HOPS: 0
XID: 72d434c8
SECS: 0
FLAGS: 0
CIADDR: 0.0.0.0
YIADDR: 172.16.1.62 <<<<---- IP address assigned to my Mac
SIADDR: 0.0.0.0
GIADDR: 0.0.0.0
CHADDR: f4:0f:24:35:f4:02:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00:00
SNAME: .
FNAME: .
OPTION: 53 ( 1) DHCP message type 5 (DHCPACK)
OPTION: 54 ( 4) Server identifier 172.16.1.1
OPTION: 51 ( 4) IP address leasetime 28800 (8h)
OPTION: 1 ( 4) Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
OPTION: 3 ( 4) Routers 172.16.1.1
OPTION: 6 ( 8) DNS server 208.67.222.222,8.8.4.4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you sure DNS search domains are causing you problems?
Can you add new search domains, such as .local
You can also look in /etc/resolv.conf (this is a dynamically generated file, so editing is not going to really stay)
Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
cat /etc/resolv.conf
So you could create a harmless search domain, such as .local and then use /etc/resolv.conf to verify it was the only search domain, or see that there are others.
I wondered if logs on the Mac show an attempted connection, an perhaps a reason for rejecting it.
This may be a little old for Windows 7, but might set in the right direction.
Hi, Bob,
98% sure the problem is in the router. The person from social.technet (Microsoft forum) had me do ipconfig /all from the command window. The IP addresses and the search domain of Home are listed there.
I had concluded the router was the issue just a couple of hours before reading the ipconfig message. How? Not being this tech knowledgeable, I turned the router off, did a coldboot on the Mac. All the DNS info was gone. Turned the router on, but disconnected the phone line, coldboot the Mac, and it was all back. Since these two addresses were not something I had entered, the logical conclusion is, they are from the router. Other than the address for the router itself, the 2nd address and the domain name do not show up in the router interface.
As to the phone line... When the phone line is plugged in, and I try to connect to the Mac from Windows 7, W7 give me a message the path is not found. When the phone line is disconnected, I get asked for an account name and password. It doesn't work, but it is different. FYI, I get the account name and password request from W8.1 and W10 with the phone line connected.
Two things I've learned over the years when troubleshooting computers:
In accordance with my first point above, I'm going to put your instructions on hold for now, more to make it easier for me to keep things straight than anything else.
I'm not a tech at all, never have been. I like to find out what a computer can actually do for me. Not that interested in the overhaul! LOL
BobHarris wrote:
Then, how do I determine if my DHCP server, which I presume is my modem/router, is providing the search domain?
I want to backtrack just for a second. When you are on the System Preferences -> Network panel, "Is" there a "Padlock" in the lower left corner of the window? If so, is it locked or unlocked? That might affect whether you are allowed to change anything. If there is "No" padlock, then this was just a "Wild Goose Chase" question. (Putting a padlock on the Network settings is System Preferences -> Security -> Advanced -> [X] "Require Administrator password to access system-wide preferences"
I had it unlocked.
BobHarris wrote:
By default it would be your home router, but they often times just pass along information from your ISP's DHCP server, such as your DNS server(s), unless you have configured your own preferred DNS servers.
This would be above my paygrade! 😁
Finding out that information is not something that is commonly done, so I had to dig to find 'dhcpdump' and even then it is still a bit of "magic" to deal with.
You can get dhcpdump from HomeBrew (brew.sh) which is a package manager for open source packages. Once I got it installed, I did
sudo dhcpdump -i en0
Then I went to System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> TCP/IP -> Renew DHCP Lease
which gave me a bunch of stuff. However, my home router does not provide search domains, so I don't know what fields would show that information
Tackling the package manager progam is also above my paygrade.
I've gone though every page of the router setup, and saw no field labeled Search Domains:.
And I wouldn't know what to look for either.
Hi, PN2,
Thanks for the info, I'll put it on hold for the reasons I just stated to BobHarris.
I should have noted, if the social.technet helper solves/corrects the issue, I'll post here to let everyone know.
Bob and PN2,
Troubleshooting the modem/router raised questions as to whether it is functioning properly. It's over 10 years old.
After talking to my ISP, they are replacing the modem/router.
I'll update you when I have new information.
It is actually a good idea to replace the network gear every so often. In some cases the ISP may have increased your internet connection speed, but the older gear may not be able to keep up. Sometimes it is good so that firmware flaws in older gear that may have never been patched will get new hopefully up-to-date firmware.
In my case it was a desire to switch to an 'eero' mesh network, as my house is long and it is difficult to cover all areas well with a signal WiFi base station.
BobHarris wrote:
It is actually a good idea to replace the network gear every so often. In some cases the ISP may have increased your internet connection speed, but the older gear may not be able to keep up. Sometimes it is good so that firmware flaws in older gear that may have never been patched will get new hopefully up-to-date firmware.
In my case it was a desire to switch to an 'eero' mesh network, as my house is long and it is difficult to cover all areas well with a signal WiFi base station.
The replacement schedule is also what my Windows helper said. And, it makes perfect sense to me, been simply using computers since 1983 and aware there will always be bugs and changes that only new hardware will correct. And the ISP didn't put up a squawk at all, although I'm paying overnight shipping. I can live with that.
It will really be interesting if, when it's installed, all the communications between all the systems work.
But the effort to get it to work has been worth it to me, to learn what needs to be done to do the job right.
Bob and PN2,
New router/modem has not solved the problem. 😟
I don't know if either of you are interested, but below is a list of what works, and what doesn't.
Vista connects to W10
Vista connects to W7 ultimate
Vista connects to W7 starter
Vista connects to W8.1
Vista will not connect to iMac
W10 will not connect to Vista
W10 will not connect to W7 Starter
W10 will not connect to W7 Ultimate
W10 will not connect to iMac
W10 will not connect to W8.1
W10 connects to XP Pro
W7 Ultimate connects to W10
W7 Ultimate connects to Vista
W7 Ultimate connects to W7 starter
W7 Ultimate connects to XP Pro
W7 Ultimate will not connect to iMac
W8.1 connects to W10
W8.1 connects to W7 Starter
W8.1 connects to Vista
W8.1 will not connect to iMac
W8.1 connects to XP Pro
W7 Starter connects to W7 Ultimate
W7 Starter connects to Vista
W7 Starter connects to W10
W7 Starter will not connect to iMac.
W7 Starter connects to W8.1
W7 Starter connects to XP P\rRo
XP Pro connects to W10
XP Pro connects to W7 Ultimate
XP Pro does not connect to W7 Starter
XP Pro does not connect to W8.1
XP Pro does not connect to iMac
iMac connects to everything.
Bob and PN2,
We had to make some registry changes to a couple of the Windows computers, but they are working now, about 98%. XP won't connect to a couple, but that's totally not needed.
Now working on getting Windows to connect to this iMac.
Stay tuned.
Silly question, but are the offending Windows computers and the Mac in the same Windows "Workgroup"? And is the NetBIOS name something that will not offend Windows?
System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> WINS
NOTE: I know this preference exists, but I do not know much about it, or how Windows networking works.
Hi, Bob,
As I tell my senior computer tutoring students, "No question is silly if you don't know the answer."
All the computers have the same workgroup name. I don't know/remember if the Mac had one as a default or not, but over the years, the default name supplied by Windows is "workgroup'", although for a short while it was "mshome".
I've actually changed mine so that when a strange computer was hooked up, they would not see my computers. And it's a network friendly name.
And, before you think of it, it's changed in the router, too. LOL
Clear search domains in network preferences
