Windows issues with unRAID


RobJ

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For login failures, especially with 6.3.0, go directly tothis post

 

 

Note: this discussion was split off the 6.2.0 Stable release announcement, in order to continue the discussion of all of the issues users have accessing their unRAID server from Windows stations.  It is hoped we can come up with a good troubleshooting document.  I've decided to temporarily sticky this, until there's a resultant document.

 

 

On 12/2/2016 at 5:31 PM, Frank1940 said:

Be aware the SMB can take a lot of time to resolve everything the network (It  was written basically back in the days when the 80368 was the 'king of the hill') and was intended to add as little overhead to the CPU as possible.  As a result, its polling intervals are actually quite long--- think minutes!  Be sure that all of the name of your workgroup on all of your computers have the same name and all are in CAPS only.  (Windows ignores capitalization and Linux honors it.  I have never figured out quite how Samba resolves this issue.)  Sometimes, the best way to resolve issues is to shutdown every computer using SMB.  Then restart with your server and after about ten minutes start to add back in your computers slowly one at a time. 

 

What OS are you having issues with?

 

Plus, there are some nagging issues as MS has recently revised their version of SMB and the Samba group is still playing catch up.  I tend to suspect that some of their updates have broken some things...

 

If you want to force your unRAID server to become the Local Master, add these lines to the 'Settings'  >>  'SMB' icon  >>  'SMb Extras' tab:

 


[global]
domain master = yes
preferred master = yes
os level = 255
 

 

You might also install the  "Local Master" plugin for Dynamix.  You can find it listed in this post:

 

    http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=36543.msg339559#msg339559

 

It will show which computer on the network is the Local Master.

 

Frank, I'd really love to see all of this plus more collected into a comprehensive document on Windows issues with unRAID, both as to visibility problems (workgroup, local master, etc) and credentials/permissions issues.  You've written about some of these several times, would you be interested in putting it all together?  I don't know if a wiki page is better, or a long post, first authored by you, to which moderators at least could add to, or perhaps a full thread, moderated to only include posts on the issues but not user support posts.  I'd be happy to help any way I can, sticky the result in General Support.  You already do have a FAQ entry, it could be expanded, or it could point to the more comprehensive doc(s).

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On 12/2/2016 at 1:44 PM, RobJ said:

 

Frank, I'd really love to see all of this plus more collected into a comprehensive document on Windows issues with unRAID, both as to visibility problems (workgroup, local master, etc) and credentials/permissions issues.  You've written about some of these several times, would you be interested in putting it all together?  I don't know if a wiki page is better, or a long post, first authored by you, to which moderators at least could add to, or perhaps a full thread, moderated to only include posts on the issues but not user support posts.  I'd be happy to help any way I can, sticky the result in General Support.  You already do have a FAQ entry, it could be expanded, or it could point to the more comprehensive doc(s).

 

That would be a wonderful idea.  The problem is that solutions to SMB/Samba issues are more like witchcraft than science.  A solution that worked last week, doesn't work this week.  What fixes one persons problem doesn't fix the next person's  problem that appears identical.  I have attempted to help out folks because I do have some knowledge and, apparently, we don't have too many folks who have a real in-depth knowledge in the inter-workings of Samba.  (Or they are smart enough to avoid this whole can of worms!)

 

In my own case, I have reverted my Test Bed server back to 6.1.9 because of SMB issues copying files off of the server.  (I thought I had it 'fixed' when I switched to using Explorer++ as a Windows file manager but that started giving me problems.  My gut feeling is that the issue is on the Widows end of the equation but I can't quite put my finger on what triggered it.)  Johnnie.black posted up about what he found in a series of posts in this thread:

 

[EDIT:  I finally isolated the problem of slow copies off from the server to my Win 7 computers.  It was an out-of-date Windows NIC chip set driver for a RealTek NIC.  I downloaded an updated driver from the Motherboard manufacturer and that seems to have fixed the problem. ]

 

Limetech posted some very informative information about issues with 'users' share access issues, Windows and SMB.  Unfortunately, it is buried and difficult to find.  You can find that information here:

   

 

I really don't think I quite qualify as an expert in SMB/Samba.  Probably ten years ago, I did install SMB on a Ubuntu Linux box so that I had some place to store backups of the data on my windows machines.  (I bought a VERY cheap box solution without an OS to use for 'playing around' with Linux and thought I might as well use it for something useful.)  Even then, I used an semi-cookbook type of approach that did not require a great deal of technical knowledge.  As I remember the Samba manual was somewhere in the 100 page range!  I had to refer to that manual as I edited the default smb.conf so that it would work in my configuration.  In doing so I did pickup barely enough information to make me really dangerous!  :o  Of course, paper type docs are gone but here is a link to the present Samba WIKI:

 

        https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Main_Page

 

Apparently, unRAID are using samba: version 4.4.5 in UnRAID 6.2.4 while the current stable of samba is samba 4.5.1  It appears that  version 4.5.1 is used in the current beta releases.

 

I have been playing around with SMB since Workgroups for Windows (Windows 3.11) was introduced back in 1993.  I was actually retired by then and have only experience in the world of home type networking without all of the security concerns that the folks in IT had to deal with.  (The first network I set up in my home used RG-58 coax cable --- commonly 10BASE2.  So one have to be an RF Engineer to see that everything was properly terminated.  I really had empathy for the poor IT guys trying to keep these networks operation since the users would often disconnect the cable from 'their' computer for some reason or other, and this would take the whole network down.)

 

The whole thing was a kludge back then and It seems that things have not progressed very far from that starting point.  To the best of my knowledge, You could still install Windows 3.11 on a computer and find that it would still work on our present unRAID SMB network...

 

EDIT:  6/15/2019   Here is a link to an article from MS which gives some details on how the master browser (Local Master) works.  It is interesting to see the 'broadcast' times are for the SMB network.  This is the reason why it often takes so long for computers to appear on the network.  That is why it is so important to have a dedicated Local Master that is on 24-7 on the network.  

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2003/cc737661(v=ws.10)

 

You may be surprised to see that the article is from 2009 but I don't think anything has changed since then.  What MS is doing these days with SMB is tightening up security on the client end of SMB.  (If you are having problems with WIN10 clients not being able to access the server, read the posts on this page first.  Then jump to the last page and start reading backwards through this thread at the various problems and the solutions found.  Remember that there is often more than one way 'to skin a cat'...

Edited by Frank1940
Updated links
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Frank, I'd really love to see all of this plus more collected into a comprehensive document on Windows issues with unRAID, both as to visibility problems (workgroup, local master, etc) and credentials/permissions issues.  You've written about some of these several times, would you be interested in putting it all together?  I don't know if a wiki page is better, or a long post, first authored by you, to which moderators at least could add to, or perhaps a full thread, moderated to only include posts on the issues but not user support posts.  I'd be happy to help any way I can, sticky the result in General Support.  You already do have a FAQ entry, it could be expanded, or it could point to the more comprehensive doc(s).

 

Having thought a bit more about this, I have had a few more thoughts.  This discussion is a bit off topic here.  Plus, it is more complex than it seems when I was first thinking about it.  The problems range from no GUI, login requests from Windows when the user thinks he is just using a guest account, Windows 10 problems, Local Master issues, PC's that can't find the server when others can, slow transfer issues, can't get to the server via SMB, hardware issues, physical networking issues, and probably fifteen more that escape me at this moment. 

 

Could you start a thread by transferring the posts on this subject in the version 6 General Support sub-forum so that a larger group of folks can contribute, discuss, and see if we can begin to assemble some base of knowledge.  It might serve as a basis for someone being able to assemble a WIKI section (or become part of a more general one).  If nothing else, you might make it a 'sticky' thread.

 

I really think this type of documentation would be very useful but it seems overwhelming (to me) for one person starting from scratch. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Collecting related posts (because different methods have helped different users) -

 

* For login failures, especially with 6.3.0

 

* Another post from Tom, with a step by step procedure

 

* Tom's post on managing credentials, and clearing them

 

* Enabling older Samba authentication, also tips on debugging Samba connection issues

 

* Posts about reverting to SMB 2.0.2

 

* How to downgrade SMB

 

* Using 2 different Windows credentials for different shares

 

* The Local Master plugin

 

* Local Master, the LM plugin, and workgroup names - plus the followup 3 posts down (about workgroups and election)

 

* Keeps asking "Enter Network Password" - suggests using guest with no password

 

* Using the hosts file worked?

 

* Registry fix to keep your Windows 10 box from becoming the master browser

 

* Clear summary post, with comment about Win 10 updates

 

* config/smb-extra.conf

 

* Anonymous Login on Windows 7 - might work for other Windows versions too?

 

* more to come, as we find them or they are reported to us ...  (calling all fixes!  anyone that knows of a helpful tip - please inform us!)

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  • 1 month later...

For login failures, from Windows or networked devices, especially if you are running unRAID 6.3.0:

 

The Samba developers disabled the older form of authentication between devices.  This results in login failures when one of the devices only supports either the new form or the old form, but not both.  Here are 2 methods to resolve this, one re-enables the older form on unRAID, the other is an example of how to enable the newer form on the other networked device.  You should only need to do one of the methods, choose the one that seems more appropriate.


  • Enable older authentication method on unRAID (from SnickySnacks, here and here)
     
    Go to Settings->SMB and enter the following line in the Samba extra configuration: box:
      ntlm auth = yes
     
    Then either reboot or restart Samba (at a command line, execute smbcontrol smbd reload-config).
     
     

  • Enable newer authentication method on networked device (from here)
     
    You will need to find how to enable NTLMv2 on the device.  On some devices, you must find and edit the smb.conf file, and add the following line to it:
      client NTLMv2 auth = yes
     
    Then you will usually need to restart the device.

If you wish to view Samba debug messages for further troubleshooting analysis, then see the instructions in this post.

 

We understand that when 6.3.1 is released, this situation may change.  We'll update this as needed.

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hello all,

im sure someone answered this i just cant seem to find it.

 

i recently set up my first unraid server. i installed unraid and set it up following all the helpfull guides on here and youtube videos.

 

currently i have the server set up, changed tower to EvilMonkeyBrain and changed ip address to a static one. I am able to access the server via browser. however i cant find the server in network. all i want to do is start transferring files over and beeing able to use this.

 

Its primary role is a plex media server.

 

Please let me know what im missing to get this working properly

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On 2/15/2017 at 9:31 AM, Nitsuj said:

hello all,

im sure someone answered this i just cant seem to find it.

 

i recently set up my first unraid server. i installed unraid and set it up following all the helpfull guides on here and youtube videos.

 

currently i have the server set up, changed tower to EvilMonkeyBrain and changed ip address to a static one. I am able to access the server via browser. however i cant find the server in network. all i want to do is start transferring files over and beeing able to use this.

 

Its primary role is a plex media server.

 

Please let me know what im missing to get this working properly

 

Did you install the Local Master Plugin? 

 

Did you include the addition to the Samba Extras in the first post of this thread.

 

Did you setup your server to allow it become the Local Master?   

 

SMB is a very finicky and often seems more like witchcraft is needed to getting it to work.  I would suggest that AFTER you have done all of the above, you shutdown (power down) every computer and media device (that will be accessing any local computer via SMB) on your system.  Turn your unRAID server on.  Let it run for twenty minutes after you have it established that it is the Local Master.  Then turn back on all of the other devices that you have shut down at five minutes intervals. This interval allows each computer on the network to get properly logged into the SMB network and to end up with a list of every computer connected to the workgroup.  (The polling time for SMB is usually minutes as it was first introduced when the 80386 was the fast CPU on the planet!  The objective was not to allow SMB to slow down the responsiveness  of the other programs that would be running.  I understand that you could still connect one of those Windows for Workgroup computers to a current SMB network and it would work!)

Edited by Frank1940
updated Links
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On 2/15/2017 at 11:05 AM, Nitsuj said:

ok did all that. still not showing up

do i start up array again?

 

Try that.  If that does not work there is an utility that you can run on your Windows computer that will provide with information about your current networking configuration from that computer's viewpoint.  It is called LANscan and you can find it by googling 'Scottie's LANscanner v1.6'.  Many folks are reluctant to download programs from the Internet and you may want to do a bit of resource first.  (I would definitely get it directly from Scottie's website...)

 

OH, one more thing!  I would suggest that you name your workgroup and computers using all Capital letters.  Windows tends to treat all names was if they were All capitals even while it stores things are entered.  In Windows, create a file named new.txt, then try to create one named New.txt and Windows will complain!  Linux will happily create both files without any issues.  How SMB resolves this issue is confusing and it can lead to some really perplexing problems. 

 

EDIT (2020-01-20):  Current version of Scottie's LANscanner is 2.02 and works with Windows 10.

Edited by Frank1940
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i saw this and thought

# Generated settings:

IFNAME[0]="br0"

BONDNAME[0]="bond0"

BONDING_MIIMON[0]="100"

BRNAME[0]="br0"

BRSTP[0]="no"

BRFD[0]="0"

BONDING_MODE[0]="1"

BONDNICS[0]="eth0 eth1"

BRNICS[0]="bond0"

DESCRIPTION[0]=""

USE_DHCP[0]="no"

IPADDR[0]="192.168.1.5"

NETMASK[0]="255.255.0.0"

GATEWAY="192.168.0.2"

DHCP_KEEPRESOLV="yes"

DNS_SERVER1="24.226.10.194"

DNS_SERVER2="24.226.10.193"

DNS_SERVER3="24.226.1.93"

MTU[0]=""

SYSNICS="1"

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still dont see it in here

my unraid server (EvilMonkeyBrain) not there or in network

 

Post up your diagnostics file.  "Tools"  >>>  'Diagnostics'

 

Have you done a setup under "Shares".  Setup at least one 'User' share and then click on the new share's name and under "SMB Security Settings", Export it as a 'Public' share. 

 

You also mentioned that evilmonkey dc as being an ap(p?).  It has an IP address that that would imply that it has its own physical network connection to your router.  That report from LANscan says you have four devices (Computers, Phones, Tablets, BluRay players, etc.)  that are currently connected to your SMB workgroup named WORKGROUP. 

 

I just saw your latest post.  Do you have two RJ45 jacks on your server?  Have you tried both ports.  I do believe that unRAID only uses eth0 by default unless you have set it up differently.  Get a command prompt on your Windows' computer. (I can get one by typing 'Command' after clicking on the Start button on my Win7 computer.)  then enter    ping 192.168.1.5  and you should get a response back from your server. 

 

EDIT:  Another thought.  the IP address of 192.168.1.5 is a bit dangerous as a static IP address to use unless you have properly setup your router to reserve that address.  I would have picked one like 192.168.1.243  which is highly unlikely to ever be needed the DHCP processor in your router.

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/22/2016 at 4:14 PM, RobJ said:

Collecting related posts (because different methods have helped different users) -

 

* For login failures, especially with 6.3.0

 

* Another post from Tom, with a step by step procedure

 

* Tom's post on managing credentials, and clearing them

 

* Enabling older Samba authentication, also tips on debugging Samba connection issues

 

* Posts about reverting to SMB 2.0.2

 

* How to downgrade SMB

 

* Using 2 different Windows credentials for different shares

 

* The Local Master plugin

 

* Local Master, the LM plugin, and workgroup names - plus the followup 3 posts down (about workgroups and election)

 

* Keeps asking "Enter Network Password" - suggests using guest with no password

 

* Using the hosts file worked?

 

* Registry fix to keep your Windows 10 box from becoming the master browser

 

* Clear summary post, with comment about Win 10 updates

 

* config/smb-extra.conf

 

* Anonymous Login on Windows 7 - might work for other Windows versions too?

 

* more to come, as we find them or they are reported to us ...  (calling all fixes!  anyone that knows of a helpful tip - please inform us!)

 

Rob, since you have a decent clue as to what posts were originally linked here, you've got to update the url's as for some reason, basically none of them are working.  To help you, if you edit the URL's to remove the specific message you can at least get to the topic.  From there find the msg and then update the url again in the post

 

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On 4/15/2017 at 9:31 AM, Squid said:

Local Master, the LM plugin, and workgroup names - plus the followup 3 posts down (about workgroups and election)

 

Rob-- How do you want to handle this?  Here is the link for this one:

Delete the portion of the link that jumps to the message number but leaving the topic number seems to work to get you to the right thread. You then have to manually search for for the actual message.  I would almost suggest that we use private messaging to get things repointed to the right place on the new board rather than cluttering up this thread.. 

 

EDIT:  Here is a link to a way to a (relatively) quick way to permanently  fix those links that point to  post on the old forum:

 

 

Edited by Frank1940
Add permanent way to fix old links
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  • 1 month later...

If you want to know that transfer speed between any computer and your server(s), there is a  little program available which will measure the speed both ways.  It does not even require installation!  Download it, click, and run.   You can find it here:

 

     http://www.totusoft.com/lanspeed1

 

There are both Windows and Mac OS versions available.  As with any program that you download from the web, you should exercise some caution but I have used  this without any problem.  You should run the first time as a 'warm-up' to make sure that all of your drives on the server are spun up.  Then make your measurements for comparison.  You also have to select a share on the server as it writes a file there. (It will automatically deleted that file when the test is down if you so desire--- A good choice by the way!)  You can use the default small file size to begin with but I have found that using large file sizes (>5000MB) will give a better indication of the true transfer speed. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you are having issues with Windows 10 and Intermittent unresponsive Samba with the following symptoms: 

Quote

For some reason accessing shares from Windows becomes unresponsive. Sometimes waiting helps, then other times it seems I need to force close Windows Explorer.

 

See this post for a one user's solution:

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

In regards to the LANSpeed app mentioned above, if you have a cache drive/pool all this will measure is the speed between that and your workstation, so no matter what share we point it at the results should be the same I would assume.  The comment about having all HDDs spun up made me stop and think about that, but I suspect not everyone is using a cache drive/pool.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 minutes ago, mmgarci30 said:

Hi RobJ

 

Since the change of the forums, all the links in old format doesn't work. Would you mind update the links?

 

Thank you.

@RobJ hasn't been active for a couple months, I suspect real life has intervened again and he may be away for a while.

 

Hopefully everything is ok and he just doesn't have the time and mental energy to dedicate to the forums right now. People come and go, for a variety of reasons.

 

For now, if you are willing to do a little work, you can still find the mentioned posts by editing the link a little.

Example.

On 12/22/2016 at 4:14 PM, RobJ said:

That link is https://forums.lime-technology.com/?topic=54910.msg537807?topic=54910.msg537807#msg537807

which doesn't work. However, if you remove everything after the first topic number, you get this,

https://forums.lime-technology.com/?topic=54910

Which does work. It doesn't go directly to the post in question,

https://forums.lime-technology.com/topic/54454-unraid-os-version-630-stable-release-available/?do=findComment&comment=532202

which in this case unfortunately is on the 4th page half way down, but it goes to the correct topic, which contains a wealth of relevant information if you take the time to read it.

 

 

All the links can be found that way, it just takes a little effort. You can give back to the community by reposting the fixed links as you find them, just like I did here.

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