Thanks for the help, I found the awnser in (where else?) the ubuntu forums. Turns out the Netbios broadcasts are blocked so you have to unblock them in firestarter/guarddog. Here's the link: <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=190542" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=190542</a> Still, I think this is too much hassle for the average Joe that wants to have it "just work"... Cheers, <div>On 11/30/06, Chanchao <<a href="mailto:custom@freenet.de">custom@freenet.de</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> On Thu, 2006-11-30 at 07:57 +0000, Rutger van Haasteren wrote: > Someone pointed out that I might be able to connect from Machine B to > Machine A by using the IP adress. This is true. So my problem becomes: > > When I configure my firewall I can only connect to the samba server by > using the ip adress. When I try to use the name ( e.g. "Desktop-PC") > the call is blocked. Does this have something to do with broadcasts? > And how do they work? I think the way Windows finds (or doesn't find) host names in a peer network environment is pretty black magic. Indeed using the IP address is most reliable, assuming you have no objection to using fixed IP's for your network of course. And if IP's are fixed then you can put them in your hosts list as well. Can be done with the System->Administration->Networking panel, then the hosts tab. (Though there exists a bug in there with Edgy I think, causing that window to crash in some cases.) Best solution is probably to let the Samba server be a WINS server as well. Back to the manuals. :) Cheers, Chanchao -- ubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users </a> </blockquote></div>