For a long time I've noticed that my unRAID server isn't listed in my Windows network. I can access it fine, it just doesn't show up in the Windows Network section of Explorer. I'm trying to sort this out and Gemini (apologies) helped quite a bit, and now I have the server showing up.

Apparently in my case it was because the discovery service, WSD, was possibly being confused by different network services, like Tailscale and Docker shim (shim-br0). So as instructed, I ran
killall wsdd2

and then

/usr/sbin/wsdd2 -d -i br0

and now I can see the server listed.

Now Gemini is saying that this fix will disappear on reboot, which seems logical, and it's suggesting that I disable WSD in SMB Settings and edit /boot/config/go to run the commands on boot. To me, as a novice in this, it sounds reasonable, but I know that at some point in the future, I'm going to be confused by seeing WSD disabled.

I see that in SMB Settings there's "WSD options (experimental)". Is there something I can enter here to replicate the fix? Like "-d -i br0?

13 minutes ago, sonofdbn said:

I see that in SMB Settings there's "WSD options (experimental)". Is there something I can enter here to replicate the fix? Like "-d -i br0?

Not sure but it may be worth a try

17 minutes ago, sonofdbn said:

For a long time I've noticed that my unRAID server isn't listed in my Windows network. I can access it fine, it just doesn't show up in the Windows Network section of Explorer. I'm trying to sort this out and Gemini (apologies) helped quite a bit, and now I have the server showing up.

You can try this work around:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/191221-some-musings-on-smb-and-samba-and-unraid-and-windows/#findComment-1561585

Thanks for the replies. I might have sorted it out - if I set "Host access to custom networks" to Disabled under Settings/Docker I can see my unRAID server in Windows Explorer's Network section. I had two network interfaces assigned to my server's IP address: br0 and shim-br0 (apparently created by the Docker network). Removing host access removed that Docker interface (I think - can't confirm because the accursed unRAID GUI is acting up again and I can't get to the terminal) and now the server is showing up as it should in Windows. At least for now.

3 minutes ago, sonofdbn said:

Thanks for the replies. I might have sorted it out - if I set "Host access to custom networks" to Disabled under Settings/Docker I can see my unRAID server in Windows Explorer's Network section. I had two network interfaces assigned to my server's IP address: br0 and shim-br0 (apparently created by the Docker network). Removing host access removed that Docker interface (I think - can't confirm because the accursed unRAID GUI is acting up again and I can't get to the terminal) and now the server is showing up as it should in Windows. At least for now.

That was always my problem. A solution would work for a while and then the Unraid servers and/or Client-servers would go missing again. Plus, if any of these devices are not online 24-7, it can take a period of time before they would even show up. (A real b***h if a computer is booted up and you need to access it immediately to transfer a file!) I think AD has fewer problems along these lines but remember that peer-to-peer is the 'ugly stepchild' of networking as far as MS is concerned!

I have never had a failure using with a 'pinned' server in the Quick Access panel of Windows File Explorer or using the "Network Neighborhood' Folder— which can be also 'pinned' to Windows File Explorer. Think of it as just putting it in a different location in Windows File Explorer. I have been using the alternative so long that I never even look under "Network" for a server. (I only know that it still has issues is when I am checking while responding to requests for help with the problem of missing servers!)

Totally agree with the pinned servers - have had them for a while and totally reliable. This was more an ongoing irritation and mystery. I'm not convinced that it's solved, and tend to think it's a Windows problem, not an unRAID issue. I have a Windows VM that has no problem listing the server in Network.

1 hour ago, sonofdbn said:

I might have sorted it out - if I set "Host access to custom networks" to Disabled under Settings/Docker I can see my unRAID server in Windows Explorer's Network section.

Make sure you are on 7.2.3, there was a bug about this on earlier releases.

After upgrading to 7.2.3, the server appears in Windows Explorer Network, and so far this has persisted, including through a Windows reboot. So all is well. And my apologies for dissing the unRAID GUI earlier - my own fault with unRAID logs getting full.