I received my HP Mediasmart Server earlier this week and successfully set up my PowerMac, and MacBook Pro (1st gen). I had no problems setting up these machine to use the HP server to backup my mac's via Time Machine. I picked up a new MacBook (unibody) for my son and had some issues getting his machine to create the external drive so Time Machine could backup his machine as well. I found out if you use a hardwired connection it would create the external drive so time machine could backup the mac. Additionally, I dragged the icon of that drive into the user login items because if you rebooted on a wireless connection the drive would not show up. By adding the drive to the login items I can reboot my mac's wired or wirelessly and the drive is always there and able to backup my mac's.

Today, I picked up a new MacBook Pro for me and no matter if I use a hardwired or wireless connection the external drive does not show up so I am not able to backup this mac to the HP server. I know a couple of others have reported the same thing, but I have not seen if they resolved the issue. So I am posting this here with the little bit of information I have found out and hoping for a resolution to my newest mac's issue of not seeing the external networked drive. Please post a reply if you find a solution to this problem.

Thanks

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Corey

Proud owner of a EX485 with 2 x 1.5 TB drives, 750 GB Drive, and 1 TB Drive

Mixed house of Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X, Apple TV streaming from MediaSmart Server

This is how it worked for me;

* Set up user accounts for your mac from your PC, do not use spaces EX: John Doe user names should be JohnDoe; do the same on your Mac; also use the same password set on the server on your Mac. System Preferences - Accounts

* Turn on file sharing. System Preferences - Sharing

* Install the connector software

* Enter the server name EX: HPSERVER and the password you setup your server with (you should see a green orb if it is red than password or server name is wrong and/or some other networking error)

* Click on the "Backup" tap set your drive size you want for back up

* Click: "Start"

* Click: "Open Time Machine Preferences

* Select the yellow drive named "Backup to HP MediaSmart Server

* Known bug is that the HP connector does not like wireless (wifi) (may be how the Mac starts wireless)

*Work around is to start it wired, it will work until you reboot your mac, than you have to boot connected to a hard line to for it to work again.


If you installed the connector software on your Mac before you setup the server from a PC, you will need to uninstall the program and start fresh.

Hope that helps,
Drew

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Aluminum MacBook 2.4, MacBook PRO 2.4, iMac 24", Q9300/4Gig DDR2/9800/Win7, MediaSmart 487

I have a MSS 487 that I am trying to set up. I have a macbook running 10.5.6 running Windows Vista via Bootcamp. I set up the server on the PC side and the PC recognizes the MSS normally and can backup. Then I rebooted into the MAC side.

I went through all the steps detailed in the message above but when I attempt to log into the server on the Mac side I get a validation error. Initially I had tried wireless and more recently I have connected to the router via ethernet but it still doesn't work. I have gone back into Windows and changed the server password to make certain I have the right password but no luck on the Mac side. I've also uninstalled and re-installed the Mac software many times. I also turned off airport while on the ether connection

Stupid question... My housemate did the initial server setup and it is possible that she isn't telling me the right name for the server. I have looked on the windows console, and looked at the help files resident on the server. The path shown for the help files lists the proper server name, so I assume it is correct although you do not need to enter the server name on the PC side nor can I find the server name anywhere except on the path.

Any thoughts? I've done everything I can think of.

This is the problem I was having, I changed the allocated TM space and rebooted several times and finally it worked via a hard wired connection. By the way I tried off and on for a period of a couple of days. During this time I did rebuild my server and shut it down. I really don't think rebuilding the server had anything to do with it but I throw it out just so you know all the things I did to finally get my working. When HP called to follow up 2 weeks after my first call to them about this I tried it again and, it just worked. The guy from HP said to call back if a problem comes back. Also he said they expect to see this problem with other MAC users. Make sure once you do get it working that you drag the drive created for the TM back up to your login items so it will start this connection every time you reboot. This steps solved a problem that if you reboot and use a WIFI connection the drive would not show up so TM would not backup until it saw the drive reappear.

Let us know how this works out for you.

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Corey

Proud owner of a EX485 with 2 x 1.5 TB drives, 750 GB Drive, and 1 TB Drive

Mixed house of Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X, Apple TV streaming from MediaSmart Server