New iMac - no network connection to older iMac
My MBP died. Since I don’t need a mobile computer anymore, I bought a Best Buy, Black Friday, mid 2014, 21.5” iMac for $900. Great machine; however I’m having a problem networking it with my 27” iMac.
Wireless routers hadn’t worked in the past, so I’d been using WD LiveWire through electric lines. That worked fine for about a day or so to connect the computers, but then quit working after I set the 27” to access the 21”. Now, I can access the 21” from the 27”” but not vice versa. Coincidence or does network connection work in only one direction?
I just get an error message on the 21” iMac: “There was a problem connecting to the server. Contact your system administrator for more information.””
Thanks for any info.
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Eureka!!! I thought I'd followed that procedure but evidently hadn't when setting up the new computer. Actually, I still couldn't see the server from the 21" until I sent the first item (a file) from the server iMac to the 21". After following your suggestion and as soon as that first file appeared on the 21", I could see the server and was connected to it. Hopefully, it stays connected.
Thanks, Marvin. You da man.
I think I got a good deal on the iMac - $900 - from Best Buy. Another vendor was offering a free Apple TV and a cost reduction of Apple Care, but I think it would have come out the same.
I spoke too soon. The connection from client to server lasted less than an hour. However, I can reestablish it by using the server to re-open the connection to the client.
The server stays connected to the client, but the client doesn’t stay connected to the server for more than a few minutes now. The server just disappears from the client end of the network.
Is there a way to keep the connection open? I don't know if this is a hardware or software problem. The new iMac (client) came with Mavericks; the older iMac was updated to Yosemite. Could that be causing the problem?
Are the computers set to never go to sleep including the drives? There's a checkbox in system prefs > energy saver for wake for network access that allows them to sleep but also be woken up over the network.
The default is: “Put hard disks to sleep whenever possible’ & “Wake for network access.”
I left "Wake for network access" checked and tried unchecking and then re-checking “Put hard disks to sleep when possible”, but neither solves the problem. So I assume that’s not what’s causing it.
What’s confusing is that there’s a link from server to client but not in the other direction, and I haven’t been able to re-establish it at all now. The server doesn’t show up under Network on the client, but the client does show up under Network on the server.
When it's not visible under network, are you still able to connect to it manually? If you go into system prefs > sharing on the server iMac and look at the file sharing item, it should give you the URL to use to connect to it e.g afp:// or smb:// followed by a number. On the client machine, if you use Finder > Go > Connect to server and enter that link, that should let you connect to it without the shortcut if the connection still works.
That did it. The afp:// number was off by one digit at the end: ——— .100, instead of .101 which worked after it was changed.
It’s been over 8 hours and the link is still up, so I’m assuming that was indeed the problem. It’s puzzling that .100 ever worked at all.
Many thanks, Marvin.
It's been over 24 hours and the link is still holding. What a difference one digit can make.
New problem accessing the server.
While the link can be opened to the server (by starting from scratch each time I try), it seems determined to block access. Now, there’s a red minus sign on files leading to server files (e.g. ‘Users).
“Get Info” doesn’t help. It shows I have custom access, yet the minus sign is still there, and there’s no lock to unlock.
How can I get rid of the ‘minus’ signs and open those files?
Did you connect to the server using an admin username and password?
Did you connect to the server using an admin username and password?
Yes. and have had to use them each time I've tried to link the client with the server; however, the system has become so flaky that that window isn't available at this point. In the last few minutes, I did get a window that suggests "Select the volumes that you want to mount on (apl:// number)", but the options are grayed out.
Thanks for trying to help, Marvin, but I've come to the conclusion that whatever is happening is too deep to fix. It started out fine when I first set up the new iMac, but keeps getting flakier and flakier. In fact, following your suggestions, it worked yesterday (see post #9). However, now, when I've gotten past one hurdle, another one pops up. The problem keeps changing from hour to hour. If I believed in poltergeists, . . .
I’m back to square one. On the Client, the Server doesn’t appear under Network at all, now,, and if I use Command K, I get the error message:
“There was a problem connecting to the server —- —-.101. Contact your system administrator for more information.”
I'd think the problem was the PowerLine connection; however, the client still shows under Network on the server and there's no problem linking with it from that direction.
If they are both connected to wifi, they might be seeing each other on the wifi network. If you disable wifi on one when trying to connect, that will let you know which connection it's trying to use. You can also try turning off and on the file sharing on the server machine.
Marvin, I think this is a losing battle. The situation keeps changing from day to day if not hour by hour. Tweaking wi-fi doesn’t help.
At times, the Server shows up on the network; then, a few minutes later, it’s gone. When it does appear, some files like ‘Users’ have a red minus sign and aren’t accessible. At other times, only a stylized folder like an icon shows up but can’t be opened.
Intermittently, it works and the Server can be accessed, but I can’t count on it. Again, the client has always been accessible to the Server. Weird!
I’m giving up - at least for now. Thanks for your efforts.
On both macs manually set your IP addresses
On both Macs enable sharing
Do you have the same user account name on both macs? If not remember which user to "connect as"
Once connected go to finder preferences and check the box for view connected servers. This will show the share on the desktop. Now right click the share and create alias, this will make a shortcut on the desktop for you rather than having to select connect to server each time.
Once the shortcut is there uncheck the view connected servers option in the finder preferences.
If your macs sleep, then you may find that the first time you go to access the share it will fail. Give it a few seconds and retry as the share will be 'waking up'.
Repeat all of this on both Macs.
If you are familiar with your router you can probably reserve IP addresses for both Macs rather than setting them to static.
Irnchriz,
Okay. I followed your directions and now there's connection from client to server. However, pardon me if I'm pessimistic. I've been at this point twice before. e.g., on 11/26/14, when I bought this iMac. Secondly, when I followed Marvin's suggestions. Both times, they worked for a few days before the server disappeared from the client. I'm not going to hold my breath but hopefully, this will work from now on.
In any case, thanks for your time and effort. I'll let you know if your 'prescription' continues to work.
Update:
This a.m, Server icons had disappeared from the client DeskTop and from the Finder SideBar. However I was able to access the Server by using Command-K. I was also able to replace the Desktop and SideBar icons with minimal effort, but It's a pain to have to do so. Hopefully, that won't happen often.
Again, thanks Marvin and irnchriz for your advice. I'd be lost without Apple-Insider.
Alles ist kaput. Server icons have disappeared from the SideBar, DeskTop, and Network, and all attempts to access the Server from the Client have failed. The suggestions you made did work for a time, but . . .
Again, I would think the problem is caused by the Western Digital Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit connection; however, the Client can be seen and accessed by the Server. It's probably something in the new mid-2014 iMac that's causing the problem.
That's good post indeed.well done