I have a small network with a couple of windows computers and a couple of Suse 11.3 computers and a Buffalo NAS Terastation not using a domain, all on the same workgroup.
Everything was working properly till a few days ago, now all of my suse machines get a " timeout on server " error trying to access the windows shares and the NAS.
In Dolphin when I goto ( network > Samba Shares > Workgroup ) I can see all of the machines ( sues comps, windows comps and the NAS ) but I get the timeout error trying to access them.
Like I said all was working a few days ago and I have not run any updates or really changed anything on the network.
The windows comps can still browse the network without problems but my suse boxes wont and I have turned off the firewalls on the suse boxes still no love. I did have everything working with firewall on. Now I’m stumped and asking for help.
Update: I can access the shares on the network by using the IP addresses of the suse, windows & NAS boxes I get the timeout error when using their names even though it worked with names just a couple of days ago.
Example: In Dolphin I goto Network > Samba Shares > workgroup I see all of the boxes listed by name and if I click or type the name in address bar I get the timeout error but if I use the IP of said box it lets me in.
Sounds like it’s down to the suse boxes not being able to resolve machine names to their ip addresses, name resolution
If you don’t have a dns server running on your network, usually bind, then a simple way to provide the machine name to ip info is using the file /etc/hosts to ‘map’ them. Add them to /etc/hosts something like this:
192.168.0.2 machine1
192.168.0.3 machine2
If you do that on your suse boxes they should be able to browse by name, one thing though, if you had multiple suse boxes using names ok before but they all stopped working that way at the same time you probably had something providing them with the dns info that isn’t providing it any more
For something to be working and then not be working any more something must have changed … even if you don’t know what it is
Been awhile since I’ve dealt with SAMBA shares so may need to update my personal info, but typically…
SAMBA shares should be like Windows shares which use NetBIOS Name resolution, not Hostname resolution.
What this means is that you shouldn’t be looking at DNS and Hosts files unless they’re integrated in some way with a working NetBIOS Name system, which would consist of some combination of LMhosts files and WINS/NetBIOS Name servers.
This name resolution problem is further compounded by how a Workgroup resolves name resolution, absent a single authoritative machine which would be present in a Domain, the Workgroup collectively elects a machine in the group to act authoritatively for every member, and this election happens periodically and whenever a change in online workgroup members is detected. The result of the election can result in a different machine become authoritative for the workgroup and responds to broadcasts from the other members.
The bottom lline result is that in a Workgroup, you need to either provide for local name resolution (distributed LMhosts files) or risk inconsistent and unreliable name resolution due to things like changing authoritative machine, the vagaries associated with broadcasts instead of directed network traffic, more.
Since this is “traditional” info I haven’t personally tried to keep updated, if anyone understands differently and wishes to update my post, please do.
On Fri October 29 2010 09:06 am, BoloMarkIII wrote:
>
> Update: I can access the shares on the network by using the IP addresses
> of the suse, windows & NAS boxes I get the timeout error when using
> their names even though it worked with names just a couple of days ago.
>
> Example: In Dolphin I goto Network > Samba Shares > workgroup I see all
> of the boxes listed by name and if I click or type the name in address
> bar I get the timeout error but if I use the IP of said box it lets me
> in.
>
> What causes this ?
>
>
BoloMarkIII;
Name resolution for Samba is cared out by nmbd. First make sure that nmb is
running. In a terminal Window enter:
su
rcnmb status
If nmb is not running, go to YaST->System->System Services(runlevel) and
enable nmb to run at boot.
If nmb is running check that it is not being blocked by the firewall. Go to
YaST->Security and Users->Firewall->Allowed Services and make sure that the
Netbios Server is allowed.
If the Netbios server is allowed then you are having a problem with the master
browser. Add, if needed, the following parameters to /etc/samba/smb.conf
name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts
preferred master = Yes
The first is needed to ensure that broadcasts are tried first, the second
ensures that an election for master browser takes place when your machine
goes on line.
If none of this helps, then make sure that the workgroup parameter
of /etc/samba/smb.conf is the same as the workgroup on your windows machines.
As a last resort please post the contents of /etc/samba/smb.conf. You may
conceal any sensitive information (public IPs etc.) with substitute values.
–
P. V.
“We’re all in this together, I’m pulling for you.” Red Green