Version 5.0-rc5

 

For some reason several of the computers on my network stopped showing up in network neighborhood of my widows machines.  Access to them was not affected. Using a full path name I could access any data on those systems that I declared share able. The problem with the windows computers was that somehow they were suddenly configured as part of a work network.  Changing them back to a home network resolved their issues and they now show up.  The only system still not showing up is unraid (Tower). I can access it fine and retrieve any and all data as before, it is just not in the Network neighborhood.  This is the case for all the windows systems on my LAN so it is not an issue in windows or the windows machine showing the network neighborhood.

 

I am using Samba, not using NFS nor AFP. This has all worked in the past.  I have rebooted the tower but with no change.

 

Any Help, Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

TIA Barry

Under Settings - SMB make sure unRAID is the Local master.

 

For some reason several of the computers on my network stopped showing up in network neighborhood of my widows machines.  Access to them was not affected. Using a full path name I could access any data on those systems that I declared share able. The problem with the windows computers was that somehow they were suddenly configured as part of a work network.  Changing them back to a home network resolved their issues and they now show up.  The only system still not showing up is unraid (Tower). I can access it fine and retrieve any and all data as before, it is just not in the Network neighborhood.  This is the case for all the windows systems on my LAN so it is not an issue in windows or the windows machine showing the network neighborhood.

 

TIA Barry

Conclure with advice from Trurl.

 

OK, what is the name of the workgroup that has been assigned to each of your windows machine?  (You can easily find this by right-clicking on "My Computer"  and selecting 'Properties' from the drop-down menu.  The workgroup name will be on that screen.) 

 

Second item, is that the workgroup name under 'Setting, 'SMB' on your unRAID GUI?

 

The two names should be identical including capitalization.  And that Local Master setting absolutely should be set to 'Yes' unless you are running a Widows domain server!!!!  (You would know if you are, as a Domain Server setup is is something that is quite complex usually requiring the assistance of an expert in networking.) 

 

If all of these are correct, leaving the system alone for a good half hour and see if all the computers are visual from each Windows computer.  If not, you could shutdown ALL the Windows computers for about half hour to allow your unRAID server to become the Local Master.  Turn back on the Windows machines one-at-a-time and everything should be visible on the entire network.  Never turn off your server after this and it will remain the Local Master.  (The Windows networking OS holds an 'election' to select the Local Master from the computers on the Network when one is not assigned.  MS has never saw fit to disclose what factors are used in conducting this 'election'.  However, uptime as well as the length of time that a computer has been the Local Master apparently is a part of the process.) 

 

Thanks for the replies guys.  I never used to have the Tower as the local SMB master and it wasn't.  All the workgroup settings are correct and the workgroup is exactly the same on all windows machines and the Tower.

 

A couple of hours ago I set the SMB setting for local master to yes on the tower. I mat have forgotten to apply it, but when I just looked it said yes, the tower is the local master. no change yet.  I can see all the windows computers but not the Tower.

 

Thinking about it, wouldn't I have to restart the other windows systems so the one acting as the Browse master gives up doing so or will we have more then one browse master on the network which I believe is a no-no.

Thanks for the replies guys.  I never used to have the Tower as the local SMB master and it wasn't.  All the workgroup settings are correct and the workgroup is exactly the same on all windows machines and the Tower.

 

A couple of hours ago I set the SMB setting for local master to yes on the tower. I mat have forgotten to apply it, but when I just looked it said yes, the tower is the local master. no change yet.  I can see all the windows computers but not the Tower.

 

Thinking about it, wouldn't I have to restart the other windows systems so the one acting as the Browse master gives up doing so or will we have more then one browse master on the network which I believe is a no-no.

 

No, as I understand it, setting the Local Master to 'Yes' allows the unRAID server to become the local master during the 'election'.  Furthermore, when a windows computer with networking comes on-line, it 'announces' itself to the local master.  The local master then adds it to the table of computers on the network.  This table is used to resolve computer 'names' to IP addresses.

 

You say that you can access the files on your server by typing \\TOWER\ShareName on an windows explorer.  If this is true, then the unRAID server name must be in that table.  That would imply that the server, for whatever reason, is not considered a member of the workgroup. 

Frank I agree with your analysis, and Yes I can access the files using the full path name with no issues. I just can not seem to figure out how to get it (the Tower) to be a member of the MELBOURNE workgroup.  It does claim that it is on the Settings page of the simple features plugin I am using.  Where do I check the actual SMB configuration data.

 

What bothers me is that it worked for years with no issues, and I made no changes to the Tower configuration when it stopped working properly.

 

How do I force the windows machines to make a re-election of who is master?

Frank I agree with your analysis, and Yes I can access the files using the full path name with no issues. I just can not seem to figure out how to get it (the Tower) to be a member of the MELBOURNE workgroup.  It does claim that it is on the Settings page of the simple features plugin I am using.  Where do I check the actual SMB configuration data.

.....

 

How do I force the windows machines to make a re-election of who is master?

 

Look in the /etc/samba directory using Putty or a monitor/keyboard.  The .conf files are the configuration files for Samba.  I have posted what my smb-names.conf looks like.  The workgroup name is on the fifth line.  (My workgroup name is all Caps because it is how things worked back in Workgroup for Windows 3.X. )  Double check that this name matches EXACTLY with what is showing up on all your windows machines!  Otherwise, the server will think it is in a different workgroup.  It is my experience that a computer in a different workgroup can connect to a workgroup server by knowing the full path name and that may be what is happening in your case. 

 

root@Elsie1:/etc/samba# cat smb-names.conf
# Generated names
netbios name = Elsie1
server string = Media server
security = USER
workgroup = HOME
local master = yes
map to guest = Bad User
passdb backend = smbpasswdcrypt passwords = Yes
null passwords = Yes
map archive = No
map hidden = No
map system = No
map readonly = Yes
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777

 

The workgroup name also is in the config folder in the ident.cfg file on your flash drive.  You probably have to change it there to make it stick rather than editing the  smb-names.conf file.

 

The only way that I know is to physically turn off all of the Windows machines and allow enough time that the server becomes the Local Master.  Give it an hour to for the server to realize  that it alone in the workgroup.  Then start up the Windows machines (  If you have one or more computers that are one 24-7, start them last) one-by-one allowing enough time for each machine to fully boot and attach to the network.  (About once a week, it will take my Windows 7 computer about five minutes to establish a connection to the router.)  Hopefully everything will have sorted itself out in about an hour.  (Don't be surprised if you have to reboot  a windows machine that will refuse to 'see' some other machine on the network.) 

Thanks for the advice/suggestions.  I will report back when I have done it all.

well I finally got back to this after having to attend to other problems (not unRaid or PC related).

 

This is my samba config file (smb-names.conf)

 

# Generated names

netbios name = Tower

server string = Media server

security = USER

workgroup = MELBOURNE

local master = yes

map to guest = Bad User

passdb backend = smbpasswd

encrypt passwords = Yes

null passwords = Yes

map archive = No

map hidden = No

map system = No

map readonly = Yes

create mask = 0777

directory mask = 0777

 

The only difference from yours (Frank) is the netbios name and the workgroup which are correct for my system.  still can't see Tower in my network neighborhood. 

The only other comment is that now when it tries to build the network neighborhood it takes a bit of time as if it is looking for some machine (Tower?) I do not recall it ever acting that way when it was working properly.

 

Tonight when I retire for the evening I will shut down all of the PC's and just leave unraid running.  In the morning I will reboot them and see what the status is. my personal opinion is that it will not change.  I hope I am wrong.

 

Forgot to mention - the boot file is the same as the samba config so when I do reboot it sets the same parameters.

 

If anybody else has a clue, any advice suggestions would be appreciated.

It is now resolved!!! Being an old man, I sometimes forget things. In a more positive vein, things generally go so  well on my LAN that I begin to forget what is connected and take things for granted. Besides my win 7 systems and the unRaid Tower there are two other computers on the LAN.  They are both Dune players which I tend to think of as appliances not computers.  In actuality they are Linux based (I think) PC's with dedicated single apps running.  Eventually it occurred to me that I talk to those machines using SAMBA but they were not showing up in the Network Neighborhood. I powered them off and suddenly the neighborhood showed my primary machine and the Tower with no delays. The other win 7 PC's were also off, so the neighborhood was showing just what it should. I then rebooted the two Dune players and they also showed up in the network neighborhood. I then rebooted all the win 7 machines and the network neighborhood shows everybody with no delays.

 

Unfortunately the Browse master according to nbtstat is one of the Dune players.  I would prefer that not to be the case and need to speak to the Dune HD team to ascertain how I can set it up so it is not the browse master.

 

If anyone knows how to do that, I do not believe I can get at the samba configuration on the Dune players, please advise.

 

TIA

 

Barry

 

.....

 

Unfortunately the Browse master according to nbtstat is one of the Dune players.  I would prefer that not to be the case and need to speak to the Dune HD team to ascertain how I can set it up so it is not the browse master.

 

If anyone knows how to do that, I do not believe I can get at the samba configuration on the Dune players, please advise.

 

 

What I would try to unplug your Dune boxes and as turn-off as many of your Windows machines as possible.  Leave your server on.  Leave everything like that overnight.  Basically, you are forcing it to become the Master Browser (Local Master is another term) by default.  I believe that once your server becomes the Master, it will tend to remain so.  Apparently, up-time is one of the factors used in the 'election' process.  After that, try to never turn your server off (or at least turn off the Dune players when you do).