I have seen this posted several places but I am unable to see my unraid share from my windows 11 computer. The server appears in my network connections, however when I click on it, I get this network error:

I can log in to the GUI from my windows 11 machine. Both machines are on the same workgroup "WORKGROUP". I have done the lanman thing already. Turned on network discovery. etc. I can ping the machine, but cannot navigate to it at all using file explorer. Please help!!

syslog.txt

I have also created the windows credentials. Still no dice.

setting server signing to auto fixed it. annoying

In this thread, start here and check to see that you have the next three posts covered:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561581

If you want more knowledge on how SMB works, read the entire thread...

PS— if you make any changes on your Windows client, reboot it before testing!

Edited January 2Jan 2 by Frank1940

When I added my Unraid server IP to my Windows host file when I had issues with this, I never had problems again accessing shares. Some say you have to have a user on the Unraid server with the same credentials as the Windows PC you're using for access but I don't. I have one user on my Unraid server and my Windows credentials are completely different. There's also some posts going around saying you have to do something with the Windows Credentials Manager. I didn't. Still no issues with accessing Unraid shares.

Everyone must've forgotten how to use Windows or never learned to begin with. It's an easy fix.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by m411b

1 hour ago, m411b said:

It's an easy fix.

Are you only using Public Shares?

@alonm15 Did you resolve the issue? If not, are you able to access the shares by explicitly typing the server IP into the Explorer address bar? I'm having the same issue as you, where the share appears in the network but as I click it I get the same issue as you. A temporary workaround I'm using is typing NAS IP, e.g. \\192.168.1.1, into the address bar to access my files.

5 minutes ago, taaaalleN said:

@alonm15 Did you resolve the issue? If not, are you able to access the shares by explicitly typing the server IP into the Explorer address bar? I'm having the same issue as you, where the share appears in the network but as I click it I get the same issue as you. A temporary workaround I'm using is typing NAS IP, e.g. \\192.168.1.1, into the address bar to access my files.

This type of problem (where \\server_name does not work and where \\IP_Address does) may be the result of this setting on your Windows 11 client:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561581

I suspect that in the 'Public' setting WSD is off and the client will not 'discover' servers using their Server_name. Things are now very complex on the Windows side of the networking equation now that MS is vitally concerned about security. Another factor is that there are so many different versions of Windows (Home, PRO, etc.) and each one targets a different type of client class with different security needs. I suspect that there may be differences in the initial settings of for each version to meet those needs. Plus, they may also decide that a security requirement that previously was only used in PRO and/or Enterprise versions should also be become one for the Home version and implement that change via the monthly security update.

13 hours ago, trurl said:

Are you only using Public Shares?

All private shares. Also to correct myself, I do have a second user under Users for shares.

I'll add this. The way I access Unraid shares in thru Windows Explorer. I open Windows Explorer then click on Network in the left column and then the Unraid server. If you've never accessed your server this way, when you double click on the server a window will pop up asking for credentials. Enter the credentials you entered in the User Share settings and tell it to remember the credentials you entered. Basically the same as going to Windows Credentials Manager and manually entering the creds but with way less steps. Of course for this to work you have to have network discovery turned on.

Just enter you server IP and server name into your Windows Host file and test it. If it works - wallah. If not, it was worth a try. Chances are, it'll work just fine.

These are my settings for Windows sharing and it's set for Private network.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by m411b

So all shares are private, and the only user allowed is the user you have created. That would work, but what if you have multiple users for your server?

36 minutes ago, trurl said:

So all shares are private, and the only user allowed is the user you have created. That would work, but what if you have multiple users for your server?

@trurl , not quite sure where this question is coming from. If you have multiple users set up on your Unraid server, you can access the 'Private' shares on the server according to the permissions (none, read-only, read-write) that you have assigned for each user for that particular share. You mind want to read this thread for my insights as to how things work with Unraid:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows

Now one thing to realize is that a 'user' for SMB purposes is just a set of rules to permit access to the various SMB shares on the server. Multiple Windows Clients computers can actually login as that 'user' login name. (The Windows client computer Network Name is prefixed to the 'user' name to keep things straight as to which client wants what action performed.) OH, yes, that set of rules might be tailored to a specific person but in the end it is still just a set of rules. As an example, you might set up SMB users named 'parent', 'kid' and 'visitor'. You can see where just three rules could cover a household. (On that 'visitor' one, remember that a read-only permission permits copying the files so be careful there!)

Other important thing is that Windows allows only a single SMB connection to any one server. This is a real world problem as Unraid permits guest logins. If a Windows client computer is granted a guest login, you can not login a second time using valid user credentials! . (It can happen easily as there is a standard protocol exchange requesting a connection before Samba (Unraid) requests login credentials.) And the error message never even gives a hint as what the problem really is! That is why I recommend using Windows credentials rather than depending a 'fall-through' to a credential request. Windows credentials are always the first exchange done between the client and the server.

2 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

not quite sure where this question is coming from

An explanation of why the (somewhat limited) advice given by @m411b works for his specific situation, but would not be a general solution.

2 hours ago, trurl said:

So all shares are private, and the only user allowed is the user you have created. That would work, but what if you have multiple users for your server?

1 hour ago, trurl said:

An explanation of why the (somewhat limited) advice given by @m411b works for his specific situation, but would not be a general solution.

My dog in this is to help gain access to user shares in Windows Explorer using the Windows host file by telling the Windows client that a specific IP belongs to a specific server on the network. Which worked for me and makes my solution a general solution. If it works for my situation there is no reason why it can't work for others. What you're suggesting is there is no other Unraid users who use Unraid in a similar way as I do(all private, single user). I tried all the other ideas and advice on this forum and the internet to get it to work when I was having a problem with this and none of it worked even with fresh, un-molested Windows installs. When I entered the server information into the Windows host file without changing anything else, everything magically started working and I haven't had a problem since. On any Windows client. Neither the OP or the other user who asked about this problem in this thread mentioned anything about multiple users. Which is a completely different setup.

If you have a solution for allowing a Windows client to connect to the same server more than once at a time with multiple users accounts I'm all ears. Though I have no use for that and I'm sure there are plenty other Unraid users who don't either.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by m411b

2 hours ago, m411b said:

What you're suggesting is there is no other Unraid users who use Unraid in a similar way as I do(all private, single user).

Never did

I was just trying to get more information about your scenario, and then pointed out that it wouldn't work if your server had multiple users.

3 hours ago, m411b said:

If you have a solution for allowing a Windows client to connect to the same server more than once at a time with multiple users accounts I'm all ears. Though I have no use for that and I'm sure there are plenty other Unraid users who don't either.

The whole point of NAS is it can be accessed on the network, so multiple Windows clients are often involved and those clients may be different users.

You can do the host file thing and still have multiple users from different clients though.

Or even a single Windows PC with multiple users, each with their own private Unraid shares.

4 hours ago, m411b said:

My dog in this is to help gain access to user shares in Windows Explorer using the Windows host file by telling the Windows client that a specific IP belongs to a specific server on the network. Which worked for me and makes my solution a general solution. If it works for my situation there is no reason why it can't work for others. What you're suggesting is there is no other Unraid users who use Unraid in a similar way as I do(all private, single user). I tried all the other ideas and advice on this forum and the internet to get it to work when I was having a problem with this and none of it worked even with fresh, un-molested Windows installs. When I entered the server information into the Windows host file everything magically started working and I haven't had a problem since. On any Windows client. Neither the OP or the other user who asked about this problem in this thread mentioned anything about multiple users. Which is a completely different setup.

If you have a solution for allowing a Windows client to connect to the same server more than once at a time with multiple users accounts I'm all ears. Though I have no use for that and I'm sure there are plenty other Unraid users who don't either.

Yes, this does work but it is a bit of a hassle to explain how to do it. Plus, you have to have Administrator privileges** to edit the hosts file. The other thing is that the hosts file was used in hacking Windows computers a number of years ago so permissions blocks were added by MS to attempt to block that type of activity. (Basically, adding an entry to the hosts file to set a browser request for, say, cnn.com to a spoofing site in Bulgaria or some other third world country.) I can remember when it was suggested that the Windows host file should be read-only even for administrators!

I know I don''t want to have to explain how to get around all of these road blocks to a neophyte who has never done anything even remotely similiar.

I know that there are a some number of people who have had problems with \\server_name and \\IP_Address works. For those folks, just set the IP address as static and use that. (I have a suspicion that it is often a Router/LAN problem and that is another hair-ball that I don't want to get into.)

** While some Windows client users are set up to have administrator privileges, it is not a recommended practice. I don't know if Windows has a sudo command like Linux. Doing things down at the Windows system level is not something that many of us have much experience at. (I have done Regedit stuff but I am much more comfortable using the Group Policy Editor!) I know just enough to make me realize that I could be really, really dangerous... And I, personally, have a problem telling someone how to do something that I am not comfortable doing myself.

13 hours ago, trurl said:

Never did

My apologies then.

13 hours ago, trurl said:

I was just trying to get more information about your scenario, and then pointed out that it wouldn't work if your server had multiple users.

The whole point of NAS is it can be accessed on the network, so multiple Windows clients are often involved and those clients may be different users.

Why wouldn't it work if your server has multiple users? You can add users to the host file. Not that you would need to because all you're doing is telling your Windows client that a certain IP on the network belongs to a certain server on the same network. Having multiple Windows clients is way different than using one Windows client for multiple connections to the same server at one time.

12 hours ago, trurl said:

Or even a single Windows PC with multiple users, each with their own private Unraid shares.

You're right, you can. But again, you can only make one connection to the server from a Windows client at a time.

11 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

Yes, this does work but it is a bit of a hassle to explain how to do it. Plus, you have to have Administrator privileges** to edit the hosts file. The other thing is that the hosts file was used in hacking Windows computers a number of years ago so permissions blocks were added by MS to attempt to block that type of activity. (Basically, adding an entry to the hosts file to set a browser request for, say, cnn.com to a spoofing site in Bulgaria or some other third world country.) I can remember when it was suggested that the Windows host file should be read-only even for administrators!

I know I don''t want to have to explain how to get around all of these road blocks to a neophyte who has never done anything even remotely similiar.

I know that there are a some number of people who have had problems with \\server_name and \\IP_Address works. For those folks, just set the IP address as static and use that. (I have a suspicion that it is often a Router/LAN problem and that is another hair-ball that I don't want to get into.)

** While some Windows client users are set up to have administrator privileges, it is not a recommended practice. I don't know if Windows has a sudo command like Linux. Doing things down at the Windows system level is not something that many of us have much experience at. (I have done Regedit stuff but I am much more comfortable using the Group Policy Editor!) I know just enough to make me realize that I could be really, really dangerous... And I, personally, have a problem telling someone how to do something that I am not comfortable doing myself.

I remember when hacking the host file was a thing. If your network is setup correctly, hacking a Windows host file is incredibly hard to do from the outside these days. Not saying it can't be done. If I were going to go through the trouble of hacking someones host file on their Windows PC, I wouldn't start or stop there. There are plenty other files that can be hacked well before you get to the host file and plenty other Windows features that would be much easier to hack than the host file. Like port 3389 for RDP. Solid credentials can shield against a lot of hacking attempts.

Editing the Windows host file is an easy thing. Open notepad/notepad++ with admin privileges and open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts with notepad/notepad++. Then add your IP and server name to the file, save and close, reboot and that's it. Very easy.

I also have a problem with telling someone to do something I'm not comfortable with and if I wasn't comfortable telling people to do this I wouldn't suggest it.

Agreed that your solution does work. But I would only recommend using it for one specific problem—the one where \\Server_name typed into the Windows File Explorer does not find the Unraid server but \\IP_address does.

When the problem is this:

Where the Unraid server (or even a Windows peer-to-peer client-server) does not appear under the Network section! Observe that in the case that I am showing the server ELSIE1 is available and being used in mapping a network drive. Yet, it does not show up under the Network section. In this case, typing \\ELSIE1 will find the server but that can be a real nuisance if you have to do several times a day. Pinning it to the 'Quick Access' section is a very simple solution and it will always be there for instant use. See below:

Just wanted to send an update everyone that may read this in the future, but I was having an issues trying to load files on their shares.

If you have a newer UNRAID setup and happen to be transferring files/folders using RSYNC from another server this background process will need to have your permissions set under your TOOLS and NEW PERMISSIONS and this will fix the read/write access given this is a linux OS trying to understand windows file structure. You'll just run this and it will fix your permissions.