Mac can't connect to windows ad hoc

Hello, a while ago I was in a situation where I had a few computers that all required internet access yet there was no WiFi only a single Ethernet cable. To solve the problem I bridged a ad hoc connection to my Local ethernet one. When any other Windows computers connected to the ad hoc connection they received internet access. The issue was with the Mac laptops. The Mac laptops saw the name of my ad hoc network on their computer but when they attempted to connect to it like you would a normal internet connection, it said Connection Timed Out / Connection Failed. I have even tried creating an ad hoc connection to allow others access to my local http server running on my laptop, however only the Windows computer gained access.

I have been searching for a solution for a while now and I just can't seem to find one. Why can't Mac laptops connect to my Windows ad hoc?

Is there no fix to this issue?

are you fully updated? There was a patch for this problem

Yes I last used Windows Update yesterday. I am running Vista on a 64-bit machine.

i never said anything about a windows update. It's a patch on the mac. However, there are a couple of things you can try. 1. Change your password to all number
2. include the domain name before the computer name
http://discussions.apple.com/thread....art=0&tstart=0 is a multi-page thread about this issue on the apple support site.