Connecting MacBook to B2 by smb

[webstar]

Since changing my laptop to a new M1 MacBook Pro (OS X Monterey) I'm having trouble mounting the B2 on my desktop. If I try to connect to the server's static IP address smb://192.xxx.x.xx/music I often get the following error message :-

There was a problem connecting to the server "192.xxx.x.xx".

Check the server name or IP address and then try again. If you continue to have problems contact your system administrator"

This used to work fine on my own MacBook but do I need to do something different on the new laptop or operating system ? [It's working fine through the browser interface.]

Many Thanks

Mark

[Mark Fishman]

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253519640

Apparently Apple has created problems with connectng to SMB shares using Monterey.

[webstar]

thanks for your response, mark.

is there a workaround for mac users with b2 ?

[Mark Fishman]

You can talk to Apple Tech Support, or visit your local Apple Store and talk to the self-styled Mac Geniuses.

Apart from that, it is well past time that Brennan implemented SMB v2 (or even v3) on the B2; that has been supported in Linux for at least 5 years, and IMHO there is no technical excuse for refusing to use it on the RPi. Insisting on the use of the obsolete version 1 of SMB is the cause of all these connection problems that people keep stumbling across when using a current client OS.

[Mark Fishman]

Also read the first post at https://groups.google.com/g/brennanb2/c/L2XLsBvQx0Q

At least one person has reported that those steps did work on a Mac running Monterey.

[PMB]

Hi Mark,

I have forwarded your comments, regarding later versions of SMB, to Martin B.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Paul & Mark,

Below is the global section of the B2's smb.conf file.  I'm not that knowledgeable about samba setup, but it seems to indicate that the B2 is set to run protocols from 'core' (SMB1 I think) up to SMB3.  So it looks to me like the B2 will use SMB2 or SMB3 if the other end is capable of communicating on those versions.  That would indicate that the problem is at the PC/Mac end.

[global]
netbios name = BrennanB2-1
log file = /var/log/smb.log
server max protocol = SMB3
server min protocol = CORE
ntlm auth = yes

I'm happy to be shown to be wrong about this!

Regards,

Peter.

[Mark Fishman]

Peter,

Either you have changed your smb.conf by more than just the netbios name, or the B2B software image (that you run, yes?) has a VERY different smb.conf from the B2 software image (that I am using). Here is the ENTIRETY of my B2's file:

# cat /etc/samba/smb.conf
[music]
comment = shared folder
path = /media/hdd1/music
valid users - @users
force group = users
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0771
read only = no

There is no [global] section AT ALL.

Now, it is true that  server max protocol = SMB3 should mean that the B2 would negotiate with the client the highest mutually supported version of the SMB/CIFS protocol -- it doesn't however mean that SMB3 is actually supported (especially if you added the [global] section to the file).

There are two issues with SMB1 that crop up here. One is the inherent security risks of having an SMB1 server inside your home network, given how insecure many commercial routers are, both wired and wireless. The other is sort of an inverse risk, a "user problem" if you wish to describe it thus, and that is that Microsoft hasn't implemented the "network browsing" function at any other level of SMB/CIFS.

In other words, with SMB1 turned off, a client system (e.g., Windows 10) will not look for CIFS servers appearing on the network, and probably if SMB1 is turned off at the server it won't "advertise" its existence. Anyone waiting for a B2 to magically show up in the Network Neighborhood (insert humming Mr. Rogers theme here) will wait in vain forever. You have to take it on faith that the server you know about is actually there, and that it has the name or IP address you believe it has. Then you can connect to it.

You do not need SMB1 to make the connection. You need SMB1 ONLY to make "network browsing" function. The fact that there are ways to connect without SMB1 -- see Paul's reposting of my steps in https://groups.google.com/g/brennanb2/c/YXeA0zcXMg4/m/8BVlqHjBAAAJ for creating a shortcut that works without either mapping a drive letter or having SMB1 turned on -- proves that it's not needed. An unnecessary risk is just that: unnecessary.

Cheers -- m.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

I think that your version of smb.conf is from an earlier version of B2 software.  I have made some changes to my smb.conf, but the [global] section is there by default and the only change I made in [global] was to 'netbios name'  and that change is to manage 5 Brennan devices; 3 x B2s and 2 x BB1s.

So at some point there must have been an update to the smb.conf file.  Which version is your B2 running on?   I'm on 'B2B Dec15 2021' for the B2 units but this updated version of smb.conf has been in use for quite a long time now

I agree with what you have stated above and am planning to remove SMB1 from my devices; I need a bit of time to test it out.  I had previously taken a copy of your post on the topic as shown above so it is on my to do list.

Regards,

Peter.

[Mark Fishman]

Software Version B2 Jul 13 2021 09:23:34

It would be interesting to know if your smb.conf gets overwritten with a web update, or if it's just the B2B image that has the larger smb.conf.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

So far, Web updates have not touched my smb.conf file and I have been using B2B software since it was released in late 2019.

One action that does overwrite the file is to do 'NAS off' then 'NAS on' and the smb.conf file is overwritten by a default version, but this still has the [global] section in it.

I'll do a quick flash of a B2 version and will see if this is the same as yours.

Regards,

Peter.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

Below is smb.conf from a 'B2 Sep 20 2021' build, which looks to match your version

[music]
comment = shared folder
path = /media/hdd1/music
valid users - @users
force group = users
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0771
read only = no

Below is smb.conf from the 'B2B Dec 15 2021' version after  'Stop NAS' and 'Start NAS' have been run.

[global]

log file = /var/log/smb.log
server max protocol = SMB3
server min protocol = CORE
ntlm auth = yes

[music]
comment = shared folder
path = /media/hdd1/music
valid users - @users
force group = users
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0771
read only = no

It looks to me like it is possibly a change brought in by moving from Linux 3.12 (B2 range) to Linux 4.19 (B2B range.

Regards,

Peter.

[Mark Fishman]

Peter, Just for fun, try running the command

testparm -v

on your B2 (that will produce a lot of output, as it shows the values of all the Samba parameters, including defaults that haven't been changed by the conf settings)

On my B2 version software, testparm -v tells me that the unchanged default values for those protocol lines are

 server max protocol = SMB3

 server min protocol = LANMAN1
 client max protocol = NT1
 client min protocol = CORE

and ntlm auth is set to yes anyway, so the only thing missing without the [global] section is the log file location (no value given).

Of course, it also says

params.c:Parameter() - Ignoring badly formed line in configuration file: valid users - @users

(probably because that should be an '=' instead of '-', but I see that the B2B software hasn't fixed that...)

Cheers -- m.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Mark,

Below is the equivalent output from two of my B2s.  Strange that the 'server min protocol' differs between my B2 version and yours.

B2-2   B2 Sep 20 2021

server max protocol = SMB3
server min protocol = CORE

client max protocol = NT1
client min protocol = CORE

B2-1  B2B Dec 15 2021

server max protocol = SMB3
server min protocol = CORE

client max protocol = default

client min protocol = CORE

Regards,

Peter.