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ljaquet
Contributor
Contributor

Network shared folders does not work using NAT

Hi, I recently update to Mac OS Sierra, Fusion 8.5 and Windows 10 Anniversary.

Since, I cannot access any network folders (Windows servers, NAS...) in Windows, if I share my network connection (Internet Sharing, NAT) with my host (Mac).

I can ping the servers, even open the web page of the NAS... But I don't see any server in the computers window ! I tried to re-install the VMware tools (manually). Same behaviour.

If I change the Fusion adapter settings to "Bridged Networking", it works as expected and I see immediately many servers in the computers window !

Who is the faulty software? Is it a bug? What can I do to use the "Internet Sharing" configuration?

Thx in advance!

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20 Replies
nancyz
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Hiljaquet,

Could you access the NAS or Windows server by enter the host name? I mean 'windows+R' then and enter '\\hostName'?

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ljaquet
Contributor
Contributor

No, I cannot.

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jamesacres
Contributor
Contributor

For me all SMB connections work as normal in Sierra until you start the latest VMWare, as soon as VMWare is started all SMB connections from finder fail with "couldn't connect to server"

This may be related to the problem you are facing.

Also, if making an SMB connection before starting VMWare it refuses to start with a Could not open /dev/vmmon error as per "Could not open /dev/vmmon" on macOS 10.12

I think this means it is now impossible to connect to files in a windows VM from the host mac over the network.

I initially thought it was related to SMB signing now being a requirement DISCUSSION - CIFS/SMB Slow with 10.11.5 and macOS Sierra | FreeNAS Community

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nancyz
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

No, I cannot.

Can you reach the network share via IP address?

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macalb
Contributor
Contributor

Same problem here, it happen every time update MacOS, last time I solved reinstalling VMware Fusion, it's a fast work-around because you don't loose VMs....

I will try tomorrow.

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ljaquet
Contributor
Contributor

I tried it just a few minutes ago. Does not solve the problem.

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macalb
Contributor
Contributor

I just re-installed Fusion, now only default shared are visible (Downloads, Desktop, Documents...) but you can't browse in their subfolders, you can only write/read in the principal folders, is useless right now for me.

Additional mapped shared resource like external disks doesn't are visible at all.

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PaulHermans
Contributor
Contributor

Same over here. Serious issue.

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ljaquet
Contributor
Contributor

I can ping it or open a web page on it. But impossible to share the folder even using the IP address.

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nancyz
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

ljaquet,

Sorry, I'm a bit confused.

Do you mean you want to access a shared folder (SMB or NAS) from your NAT Windows VM, but you could not(either using IP or hostname)?

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ljaquet
Contributor
Contributor

Yes nancyz, I cannot access shared folders (SMB or NAS), by using the hostname or the IP address, if I used the NAT mode.

But using the bridged mode, I can.

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rob_h2
Contributor
Contributor

I think I have the same problem.

- Host machine: 2013 iMac running OS X El Capitan 10.11.6

- VMware Fusion 8.5.0 (4352717)

- Guest machine: macOS Sierra 10.12

Within the macOS Sierra VM I can browse the internet as well as browse to the web interfaces on my Synology NAS drives, however I cannot mount a NAS volume within the VM. By comparison I also have an OS X Yosemite VM on the same host with the same networkwork settings (bar the IP address) and NAS connections work fine.

I also have a Mac Mini running macOS Sierra 10.12 and that can connect to my NAS drives fine which seems to suggest VMware is where the problem lies.

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bradannely
Contributor
Contributor

I just re-installed Fusion, now only default shared are visible (Downloads, Desktop, Documents...) but you can't browse in their subfolders, you can only write/read in the principal folders, is useless right now for me.

Additional mapped shared resource like external disks doesn't are visible at all.

I'm having the exact same problem that started after the Windows 10 Anniversary update.  I did find a temporary work around.

Go to System Settings >> Sharing >> Open in Guest >>  navigate to the folder you want to access >> drag the folder to Quick access in the left pane

Once you open any folder from its Quick Access pin, you can open any subfolders contained within it.

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nancyz
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Hi bradannely

Did you mean you add the network sharing via Fusion Settings->Sharing?

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macalb
Contributor
Contributor

yes

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iltorito
Contributor
Contributor

I have the same problem, I cant use Z map in shared Folder.

OS Sierra and Fusion 8.5

Thanks

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dafsaved
Contributor
Contributor

OK - I put a support call into VMWare, and fixed it by following their instructions (really quick turn-around on the ticket btw - so brilliant). I did not need to go to the bit to do this as direct admin - it worked under my normal account (that is Administrator).

Step-1: Please go to Control Panel > Programs and Features in Windows VM and uninstall VMware Tools.

Step-2: Reboot your Windows and go to Virtual Machine > Sharing > Sharing Settings and uncheck every option under Shared folder and Mirrored folders. Now disable Shared folders, finally.

Step-3: Reboot Windows VM again and click on "Virtual Machine" and click on "Install VMware Tools" and continue with the typical installation process by clicking on Setup64.exe for 64 bit Windows or Setup.exe for 32 bit Windows OS.

Step-3: Reboot Windows once the installation is completed.

Step-4: Go back to Virtual Machine > Sharing and enable all the options that were unchecked earlier. Let us enable shared folders now. You will be prompted to log off your account and log back in. Once you log in, you will be able to access your shared folders data without any issues.

If the above steps doesn't work, please note that you will have to perform the same from in built administrator account and this will fix the issue without any hurdles. To login into your in-built administrator account, please open command prompt as an administrator and run the below line.

net user administrator /active:yes

Log off your user account and you will find the administrator account enabled. Ideally there is no password set for this account, until and unless you had set any password earlier. So, you can click on Login to start.

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rob_h2
Contributor
Contributor

dafsaved - Thank you for these very clear instructions.

I have a macOS Sierra 10.12 guest VM running within VMware Fusion 8.5.0 (4352717) on an iMac that is itself running macOS Sierra 10.12 so I thought I would give your Windows instructions a go to see if they work for a Mac... nothing ventured as they say! Sadly they don't. Went through the process of removing VMware tools, rebooting, disbling sharing, etc. At the end of it, my NAS drives briefly appear under 'Shared' devices in Finder but when you click on one to connect, nothing happens until about 30 seconds later a message appears saying "The server may not exist or it is unavailable at this time. Check the server name or IP address, check your network connection, and then try again.". The NAS drives then disappear from the Finder, so it's back to the drawing board for me and hoping VMware will issue a fix for this very soon.

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dafsaved
Contributor
Contributor

‌I only tried this on Windows.

The final part of the instruction is to try the sequence as full admin. El Capitan introduced System Integrity Mode, but I believe it is enforced in Sierra - so you could try switching it off on the guest and see if it works. Switch it back on afterwards. Snapshot first just in case. This is only a guess - I have not tried it.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac/how-turn-off-mac-os-x-system-integrity-protection-rootless-3638...

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