Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, and the

Question

Hi,
I'm getting this error message "Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, and then try again" when I try to access my Windows computer on my home network. I never had problems before... I don't understand why this message suddenly appeared keeping me from accessing the shared folder on my XP based computer.
Thanks

Answer 1

Hedi ® wrote:
Hi,
I'm getting this error message "Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, and then try again"
This means that your Mac is not seeing your WinBox, either by IP address (a series of four sets of three numbers which might look something like this: 192.168.001.010) or by name (usually a SMB connection, which would look something like this: 'smb://winboxname' where 'winboxname' is the name of your WinBox).
Typically this means that you were connected by IP, and the target's IP address has changed.
when I try to access my Windows computer on my home network. I never had problems before...
You probably have DHCP enabled on your home net, and your WnBox's IP address has changed because its old lease expired. That kind of thing is why you should set up your net to either have fixed IP addresses or to reserve a specific IP for a specific machine, or you should use the smb name instead of the IP.
I don't understand why this message suddenly appeared keeping me from accessing the shared folder on my XP based computer.
See above. If you want to connect by IP address, you'll need to know the WinBox's IP. Go to your Start menu, select the 'Run' box, type 'cmd', hit Enter. You'll get the Windows terminal. In the terminal type 'ipconfig/all'. You'll see the IP address (and the MAC address, useful if you want to set up a reserved IP address). Ensure that the Mac is connecting to that IP. (enter 'smb://theIP' in the network connection box.)
If you want to connect by name, you'll need to know the WinBox's name. Right-click on 'my computer', select 'properties'. Click on the 'computer name' tab. There it is. Use 'smb://computername' in the network connection box.
Thanks