Windows network gone - I can no longer see it.

Steven Davies-Morris sdavmor at systemstheory.net
Sat Oct 18 20:36:05 BST 2008


Gustin Johnson wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
> 
> aYo Binitie wrote:
>> I'm trying to access Windows shares, on a windows workgroup.
>> That's all :(
>> 
> Forget the GUI tool for now (we are troubleshooting now)
> 
> - From the command line:
> 
> smbclient -L //computername -U username
> 
> The computer name is the name of the computer you are connecting
> to. The username is one that exists on the target machine.
> 
> If you get an error like this: failed (Error
> NT_STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME)
> 
> then that means that name resolution is broken.  There are two
> solutions (technically 3):
> 
> 1) create entries in /etc/hosts that map names to ip addresses 1B)
> Set up a DNS server to do name lookups.  This is what I do but some
>  people find this scary and it is an overkill solution. 2) connect
> with IP addresses
> 
> So, instead of a name, use the IP address smbclient -L
> //192.168.0.100 -U username
> 
> Also, in my house I map all the network drives.  So on windows
> machines all network shares get drive letters, under linux they get
> mount points (as defined in /etc/fstab or whatever GUI front end
> you use).  Relying on the workgroup browser is a bad idea, even in
> a purely windows network.  I have had a home network long before I
> got into Linux in the '90s so this approach is born of years of
> hard earned experience.

Wow! Gustin, you beat me quite convincingly to the punch. I got in
very late last night and saw this but was too tired to reply. That's
a very concise explanation of what the OP needs to do.

I have all the local IPs defined in the /etc/hosts on each *nix box,
along with the name of the machine. That way I can access by either
IP addy or name.

Here's my local /etc/hosts:

sdavmor at spock:~$ cat /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.1.1 spock
##
## Other static IP computers on this network
192.168.0.88 ##spare
192.168.0.89 ##spare
192.168.0.90 UBtestbed #Ubuntu development
192.168.0.91 RHtestbed #Red Hat development
192.168.0.92 jedi #Trevor WinXP
192.168.0.93 naruto #Ian WinXP
192.168.0.94 hitchcock #Media center Ubuntu Hardy
192.168.0.95 abbeyroad #DAW WinXP/Ubuntu Hardy
192.168.0.96 ##spare
192.168.0.97 spock #SDM Ubuntu Intrepid
192.168.9.98 parrothead #Sandy WinXP
192.168.0.99 dmz #FTP & printer server Win2K
##
## addresses 192.168.0.100-120 are reserved for DHCP assigned
## by the D-Link DIR-615 wireless router.
##
## The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1 ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts

I am currently having a problem reaching "naruto" and "jedi" from the
systems that are *nix based. But not from the other Windows boxes. The
two PCs in question are my sons' Windows XP systems which have been
recently upgraded with Trendnet Wireless "N" cards, and just upgraded
with WinXP service pack 3. I can't ping them by name or IP address,
and get the NT_STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME error when doing a smbclient -L
//machinename -U username at either target. That will be a project
for Sunday morning, while the dog, the NFL and I have the place to
ourselves.
-- 
Cheers, SDM -- a 21st Century Schizoid Man
Systems Theory internet music project: <www.systemstheory.net>
on MySpace: <www.myspace.com/systemstheory>
on Last FM: <www.last.fm/music/Systems+Theory>
get "Codetalkers" *free* at <www.mikedickson.org.uk/codetalkers>
NP: tunes for the upcoming 2nd Cyndee Lee Rule (ViolinCyndee) CD



More information about the Ubuntu-Studio-users mailing list