"Computers Near Me" & Samba Shares

[Bud Curtis]

My system is a Win2K with the most recent upgrades (SP4). I have a Buffalo
LinkStation which is basically a Linux system with samba shares. I can open
up any one of the samba shares through the File Explorer by mapping it to a
network drive. I think this tells me the samba is correctly configured with
the correct workgroup and the firewall is passing the right ports.

What I use to be able to do is open up my "Computers Near Me" and see the
linux system and the samba shares it publishes underneath the system. Now
the linux system doesn't appear even though I can open up a share with the
file Explorer.

Can someone suggest what I might look at to fix the problem. I would prefer
to not map a drive just to see the contents of the samba share.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

My system is a Win2K with the most recent upgrades (SP4). I have a
Buffalo LinkStation which is basically a Linux system with samba
shares. I can open up any one of the samba shares through the File
Explorer by mapping it to a network drive. I think this tells me the
samba is correctly configured with the correct workgroup and the
firewall is passing the right ports.

What I use to be able to do is open up my "Computers Near Me" and see
the linux system and the samba shares it publishes underneath the
system. Now the linux system doesn't appear even though I can open
up a share with the file Explorer.

Can someone suggest what I might look at to fix the problem. I would
prefer to not map a drive just to see the contents of the samba share.

You don't have to map a drive - you can go to \\computername\sharename
directly, right? You can easily create a shortcut for that

Browsing requires NetBIOS, and I don't know if your Buffalo supports that.
Are you sure it's Linux? I thought those devices ran some proprietary OS.

 

[Bud Curtis]

No, I'm not sure it is Linux. It seems to me I read it was a derivative of
Linux. The problem was resolved on the LinkStation. There is a button on
their WEB interface to the LinkStation to apply the "Microsoft Network
Workgroup setup". As soon as I pushed the button the system showed up in
the File Explorer.

What I don't understand is why I could connect to the shares before it was
pushed. I always thought the Samba shares had to belong to the same
workgroup as your system. I guess that isn't so.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

No, I'm not sure it is Linux. It seems to me I read it was a
derivative of Linux.

Having just spoken with their tech support on a client's LinkStation, I
thought to ask - and yes, it's Linux. So, Kyle, I think we all learned
something very important today.

The problem was resolved on the LinkStation.
There is a button on their WEB interface to the LinkStation to apply
the "Microsoft Network Workgroup setup". As soon as I pushed the
button the system showed up in the File Explorer.

What I don't understand is why I could connect to the shares before
it was pushed. I always thought the Samba shares had to belong to
the same workgroup as your system. I guess that isn't so.

Nope, I don't think so. Workgroups aren't a security barrier. They aren't
meant for that. Glad you found the fix, tho.