Networking Question

Is there a way of getting my iMac to ignore a device connected to my network?

I have a BT Vision box for my TV and it needs to be network connected to work and for the EPG. I understand that inside it is some sort of Windows Media PC.

My iMac has always been able to see it on the network and connect even though there's nothing you can do with it, however, since upgrading to Lion I can still see it but Lion can't connect.

This is from the console:

23/07/2011 10:14:05.000 kernel: smb_smb_negotiate: Support for the server THOMSON has been deprecated (PreXP), disconnecting

Lion will make several attempts to connect before giving up.

My Mac doesn't need to connect to this box, is there a way of telling it to ignore it?

If you don't have any other network connected devices you need to have show up, you could open up Finder Preferences and uncheck Connected servers in both the General and Sidebar tabs.

If you do, then it's above my head.

Unfortunately I do have other devices, I have a networked printer, an HP MediaVault NAS drive and a Time Capsule.

I'm a recent convert to the Mac. I needed to replace my aging and slow laptop back in January and after setting out my requirements, one of which was no OS, I was a Linux user so didn't want to pay for Win 7, I realised I was in MacBook Pro territory price wise so I bought one.

Since then I've replaced my main machine with an iMac so there are no longer any PCs connected to the network other than the Vision box

I thought about creating two workgroups, one containing just the vision box with the other for everything else but I suspect that the Mac will still be able to see the Vision box on the other workgroup and try to connect to it

This is beginning to look like a three pint problem!

I'm out tonight with friends so will discuss it with them. We'll be risking the wrath of our respective wives and girlfriends but some things are important!

What I need to do is get to understand about networking Macs, NAS and printers etc. without using Workgroups.

Any help in this area would be appreciated.