How to Access my NAS (d-link 343) <SOLVED>

[webtarget]

Hi,

I am testing linux mint 12 on my new PC. It seems easy to use and has almost everything I need. There is just one thing that is stopping me from installing it on my new computer and that is: I don't know how to access my D-Link 343 NAS. I keep all my files on there b/c I have 3 computers in my home. It was easy with Windows, but, I don't know how to do it with Linux Mint 12.

I haven't been able to find a good article on the net either. Can someone point me to some article or tell me how I can read/write to my NAS?

Thanks.

[altair4]

I don't know why NAS devices are so hard to connect to. To start this process please post the output of the following commands:

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testparm -s

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smbtree

This first command will tell us how samba is configured and the second will tell us how Mint sees the rest of your network.

[webtarget]

Sure, my outputs are below. I wasn't logged in as admin though. Let me know if I had to be logged in as admin.
I already installed Linux alongside Windows 7. I figure I should be able to get help from the community (like yourself) to set this up, otherwise I will probably abandon this. I tried using Linux about 7 years ago or maybe longer and gave up. I hope it doesn't happen to me again! Although this time, this appears to be the only thing stopping me from using it fully. A lot less problems than the first time. Thanks for your help.

Output from testparm -s:

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Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
[global]
   server string = %h server (Samba, LinuxMint)
   map to guest = Bad User
   obey pam restrictions = Yes
   pam password change = Yes
   passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
   passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
   unix password sync = Yes
   syslog = 0
   log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
   max log size = 1000
   dns proxy = No
   usershare allow guests = Yes
   panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d

[printers]
   comment = All Printers
   path = /var/spool/samba
   create mask = 0700
   printable = Yes
   browseable = No

[print$]
   comment = Printer Drivers
   path = /var/lib/samba/printers


Here is my output from smbtree:

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WORKGROUP
   \\PROMETHEUS           Prometheus server (Samba, LinuxMint)
      \\PROMETHEUS\Print_to_PDF      Print to a PDF File
      \\PROMETHEUS\IPC$              IPC Service (Prometheus server (Samba, LinuxMint))
      \\PROMETHEUS\print$            Printer Drivers
HYDRA
   \\DLINK-14AFCA         DNS-343
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\lp                USB Printer
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\IPC$              IPC Service (DNS-343)
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\workadmin         
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\Shared Files      
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\User1            
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\User2            
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\Volume_1          
      \\DLINK-14AFCA\web_page          Enter Our Web Page Setting


[altair4]

Well, I was not expecting that. Your smb.conf file is factory fresh and I was expecting was some sort of error messages from smbtree.

What is the nature of the problem? You cannot see the share in Nautilus or your are denied access once you select it.

[AlbertP]

The NAS is in a different workgroup: it's in HYDRA instead of WORKGROUP. Please change the workgroup to HYDRA in your /etc/samba/smb.conf, or put the NAS in the WORKGROUP workgroup.

[webtarget]

Yes, this is a fresh install. I'm pretty much new to Linux as well.

Under Nautilus, I would browse the Network. I see my computer (Prometheus) and Windows Network.

Under Windows Network, I see Hydra and Workgroup. I try to click on Hydra and I get DLINK-14AFCA.

Finally, when I click on DLINK-14AFCA, I get the error message: "Unable to mount location. Failed to retrieve share list from server."

It's password protected, btw. In Windows I would get a prompt to enter my username and password. I was hoping the same to happen with Mint. But, it doesn't. That's where I am stuck.

I see that AlbertIP mentioned I should put my NAS in my WORKGROUP workgroup. How do I do that via menus, if possible, without changing the file: /etc/samba/smb.conf directly?

Thanks.

[altair4]

How have you created the shares on the NAS. Do they allow guest access or do they require a username and password to gain access?

[AlbertP]

The workgroup in which the NAS resides should be set up in the NAS itself. However you can also do the opposite and put your own computer in the HYDRA workgroup - it should be pretty easy to find your own computer's workgroup in smb.conf. Both ways, the NAS and computer eventually end up in the same workgroup. This can fix networking problems (e.g. I wasn't able to print to a shared printer on another computer, when the computers were in different workgroups).

[webtarget]

To altair4, yes, I created shares on the NAS and they require username and password. In Windows, I would get prompted for my username and pw, I was hoping it would happen with Mint. It doesn't and that's where I'm stuck.

[altair4]

Then let's see if we can replicate the way Windows browses a network:

Give a username - any username and see if it forces a prompt:

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nautilus smb://guest@DLINK-14AFCA

Or give it yours:

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nautilus smb://webtarget@DLINK-14AFCA

Or give it one that you set up in the 323:

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nautilus smb://user1@DLINK-14AFCA

EDIT: Depending on how SMB is set up on the NAS you might have to go to the share level itself, for example:

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nautilus smb://user1@DLINK-14AFCA/User1

[webtarget]

OMG, it's so close. So, it did prompt for a password when I used: nautilus smb://User1@DLINK-14AFCA/User1. I got this message window:

Password required for share User1 on dlink-14afca
Domain:
Password:

So, I tried it 3 times with my password and I changed the domain to WORKGROUP, HYDRA, and PROMETHEUS. And each time, I got this response:

Could not display "smb://User1@dlink-14afca/User1/

Error: Failed to mount Windows share
Please select another viewer and try again.

Any ideas on what to try next?

And, I would like to expand one of my responses regarding Windows prompting me for a USERNAME and PASSWORD, in case it helps. In Windows 7, I would see DLINK-14AFCA in my Network folder. I would click on it. And it would ask me for my username and password. I entered one of the usernames and password and then I would see a list of directories, which I noticed are really all the users with access to the NAS that I setup. I would then be able to enter/drill down into my directory.

Any other directory I click on would prompt me for a username and password again.

BTW, under my username and password prompt above, it would say, Domain: POSEIDON (which is the name of my other Windows computer). So, it doesn't say HYDRA, even though that is the name of my NAS. And that's why I tried 3 times above using the different domain names (HYDRA, WORKGROUP, PROMETHEUS).

Thanks.

BTW, to AlbertIP, I appreciate your responses, but, I just don't know enough to take action with what you wrote. I looked at the smb.conf file and I don't think it would be a good idea for ME to edit the file. I'm sure you or some others could, but, I'm afraid I would make things worse.

[webtarget]

It worked !!

I logged into my NAS to check the settings, and my workgroup was actually "Hydra" not HYDRA. And the name was actually "dlink-14AFCA", not "DLINK-14AFCA".

When I entered the credentials with proper caps, I was able to log in.

Thanks for your help!

I just realized I have one more problem, and that's with setting up my printer. I'll search a bit on this forum and the net and hopefully figure that out. After that, everything will be "good to go".

[webtarget]

Is there a way to save this connection in nautilus?

[jazz.h]

Yes, you can add your location as a bookmark.
Or you can add a cifs mount line in your etc/fstab upon which it will appear everywhere as a local drive, similar as mapping a network drive in windows (but this would be harder to accomplish ).

[webtarget]

Thank goodness I can save it!

Linux has come a long way since I used it many years ago, but, I vaguely remember having a similar problem regarding connecting to (less common) devices and also with common devices such as the printer. I hope it's easier this time around for the printer.

[altair4]

If you decide to start another topic on the printer problem you are having - especially if you are getting a bizarre error message about "firewallD" - you might want to look at this post first: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=98069

[webtarget]

With the help of everyone above, Network Magic (Windows), and playing around with Nautilus, I found I could get access to my NAS easily with Nautilus:

Note: My NAS was set to Samba not NFS.

In Nautilus (which is the file manager in Gnome) Select Go->Location.

Type in smb://<your NAS address>.

It then prompts you for your username, domain, and password. Put the domain of your NAS and the username and password you want to login to your NAS as, and voila, you're in. Then bookmark it and you're all set. Domain, ussername, and password are all case-sensitive.