I have a laptop I just got from work.  I just want to plug it into my network and copy some files from my unraid server.  For some reason when I browse the My Network Places my server doesn't show up.  I can ping it no problem.  I can connect to my router and have internet access.

 

If I try putting in \\tower\disk 1\ into explorer, I get prompted with User\Guest and it then prompts me for a password.  I don't have guess access on my server as far as I know.  I can access my server from my htpc no problem.

 

What step am I missing?  This is driving me nuts!  I'm sure it's something simple that's escaping me.

I have a laptop I just got from work.  I just want to plug it into my network and copy some files from my unraid server.  For some reason when I browse the My Network Places my server doesn't show up.  I can ping it no problem.  I can connect to my router and have internet access.

 

If I try putting in \\tower\disk 1\ into explorer, I get prompted with User\Guest and it then prompts me for a password.  I don't have guess access on my server as far as I know.  I can access my server from my htpc no problem.

 

What step am I missing?  This is driving me nuts!  I'm sure it's something simple that's escaping me.

They both need to be in the same "workgroup" to see each other in their network machine browser.  Since it is fairly easy to set the workgroup name on the unRAID server, I suggest you change it to match that of the "work" computer.  It is too easy to mess up the "work" computer to where it will not connect to the network at work, so I'd leave its settings alone.

 

Joe L.

Ah that's right.  I just checked but now I have another problem.  My htpc is part of a workgroup not a domain.  My laptop is part of a domain and not a workgroup.  Am I out of luck or do I need to join a domain on my htpc then put that domain name on the unraid server?

Try accessing through the IP address instead of the name, e.g.  \\192.168.0.4\disk1

 

I am able to see my home network from my work computer (on a domain) without mucking wtih the workgroup by using the IP address.

As someone who massively "mucked up" his work laptop by attempting to go the "change workgroup" route, I strongly suggest the IP solution.

 

BTW, I still can't connect my laptop at work via wireless.  Sigh!

 

 

Bill

DigitalDivide, that is no problem.

 

unRAID just takes a workgroup name, which in turn just means you give it a netbios name.

Even computers on domains, still get a netbios name for their network and you can access that network as a workgroup (minus whatever has to do with a domain controller).

 

So if your home is "myhome" and your laptop domain is "mywork.local", you can change unRAID workgroup to mywork and it will help you see it in your neighborhood.

 

Easy enough, but I find it stupid to change everytime. So I too, would suggest the IP method (or change your home network's netbios name)...

 

 

Hopefully you won't consider this advice *too simple*, but I always modify the "hosts" file on my laptop to map a name I will always remember to an IP address.  Maybe you can easily remember "192.168.1.33", but I will never forget "portnoy" (Bloom County fan, for those old enough)

HOSTS file option would likely work but dhcp does not always give the same ip address.

HOSTS file option would likely work but dhcp does not always give the same ip address.

That part is easy... Just assign a fixed IP address to your unRAID server.  Then the "hosts" file will always be accurate.  That's what I eventually did.

 

Joe L.

My experience with using "hosts" file was actually in the other direction.  I was (at the time) able to access my work computer from my home computer via IP.  Since my access pattern was erratic (could go weeks without doing it), it seemed my work machine's IP was always changing.  I did not want to assign a fixed IP on my work machine, as it would mean having to remember to unassign it, making it more trouble than it was worth.

 

I do think that some routers have functionality that makes DHCP always give the same IP to the same computer, but I have never tried configuring that feature.