Suddenly no devices on network-- not even my own PC?

[geekomatic]

Hi all,

Was fine yesterday. I just went to access my NAS box & I have nothing on the network any longer? I can see a Windows Network, but in that is Workgroup & if I click on that, it's empty (& I never used that before anyway). I used to be able to see everything: my PC showed, the NAS, the modem/router, any drive plugged to it (though none right now are), our Chromecast, my kids Windows laptops, etc....

testparm -s
Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
WARNING: The "syslog" option is deprecated
WARNING: Ignoring invalid value 'share' for parameter 'security'
Error loading services.

That doesn't look good & I swear, nothing has changed other than I ran the updates that were in the tray notification. I cannot understand what's going on & have tried the "fixes" here for similar network issues but none work , thus far.

I'm Mint 17.1, Mate 1.8.1, & 3.13.0-37-generic kernel. 64bit.

[altair4]

WARNING: Ignoring invalid value 'share' for parameter 'security'

** Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf
** Find the line: security = share
** Either just delete the line or change it to security = auto or security = user
** Then restart smbd:

Code: Select all

sudo service smbd restart

You shouldn't have to do this but just in case the above steps don't correct the situation restart nmbd:

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sudo service nmbd restart

Note: The problem with restarting nmbd is that all the networked devices need to re-announce themselves so it will take a while ( sometimes 10 minutes or so ) to settle down.

Share level security was deprecated years ago but since version 4 of samba having it in smb.conf just shuts everything down. Why this happened after an update is a mystery.

[geekomatic]

Hi Altair,

Thank you so much for that very speedy reply.

Immediately after I posted that, I got the bright idea (maybe not so bright) to purge samba & samba-common, then reinstall. Same issue, no change.

I've just gone ahead & entered those cmds so we'll see. It's after 1:30am here & I've been looking for an answer for hours before posting here. It's so weird & incredibly frustrating!

My new output:

testparm -s
Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
WARNING: The "syslog" option is deprecated
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Loaded services file OK.
WARNING: The 'netbios name' is too long (max. 15 chars).

Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE

# Global parameters
[global]
server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
server role = standalone server
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
idmap config * : backend = tdb


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


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

[altair4]

smb.conf is now clean although when you are ready to create shares again you will have to fix this because your machine is invisible to the network - at least to your Windows machines:

WARNING: The 'netbios name' is too long (max. 15 chars)

Adding a line under the workgroup = WORKGROUP line:

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netbios name = xxxx

Where xxxx is the name of your box - just make sure it's 15 characters or less in length.

Then restart the dreaded nmbd service again.

None of this at this point should interfere with your ability to access another machine however. You might want to go through the Checklist: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=88146&start=0

[geekomatic]

"Where xxxx is the name of your box - just make sure it's 15 characters or less in length."

By "name of box", are you referring to my home folder name? I think that's what shows for me on the network (or, used to show). Otherwise, I'm lost.

Also, nothing ever changed-- so I don't even understand the "too long a name" bit, either? What in the world happened?? (I know you don't know, I'm just so puzzled).

[altair4]

Samba will use the Linux host name as the netbios name by default. The netbios name is the thing a Windows machines sees on the network.

Open a terminal and run:

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hostname

Count the number of characters.

A Windows machine cannot handle anything over 15 characters long. The easiest way to handle this is to use the netbios name = xxx parameter in smb.conf to make the name it sees shorter.

This has always been the case. I'm beginning to think more than just samba was updated and corrupted on your system.

[geekomatic]

Okay,

I changed the hostname to less than 15 by editing hostname/hosts. Restarted those services. That's as far as I got.

Now when I use terminal>hostname I get the new name I gave it. BUT---> my computer will now not let me in to edit anything! I now cannot even run update manager-- I input the correct password & nothing happens, however, I CAN input the same password into terminal (sudo) & it accepts it??

Using hostname I get the new name. Using nmap, I get the old name.lan ????

Omg--- what is going on?

Oh, & still not seeing any shares on the network.

Is there any way to reset ALL of these settings from terminal?

Edit:

bitfenix@bitfenix ~ $ testparm
Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
WARNING: The "syslog" option is deprecated
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE

Press enter to see a dump of your service definitions

# Global parameters
[global]
server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
server role = standalone server
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
idmap config * : backend = tdb

[geekomatic]

I decided to disconnect the ethernet cable & go back onto wifi direct to the main modem/router. Nmap shows:

Starting Nmap 6.40 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2017-04-25 13:50 AWST
Nmap scan report for bitfenix-desktop.lan (10.1.1.152)
Host is up (0.000064s latency).
Not shown: 1991 closed ports
PORT STATE SERVICE
139/tcp open netbios-ssn
445/tcp open microsoft-ds
6566/tcp open sane-port
68/udp open|filtered dhcpc
69/udp open|filtered tftp
137/udp open netbios-ns
138/udp open|filtered netbios-dgm
631/udp open|filtered ipp
5353/udp open|filtered zeroconf

Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 163.24 seconds


It didn't occur to me to say before (it's just been like this for a long time, so I forget):

Our main modem/router is provided by Internode (TG789). This desktop connects via a lan cable which is connected to a wireless-repeating-bridge router (Linksys 1500) running DD-WRT, which picks up the TG789 signal. I set it up forever ago & it's been fine ever since so I don't look at it as "the" issue because nothing has changed in it.
I disconnected from there & back to the desktop's built-in wifi card (not as good a signal, but to test it out). It also cannot see the other devices on the network.

I fired up an old Windows 7 laptop & it sees everything on the network *except* this Linux desktop.

[altair4]

I don't know what nmap command sequence you used but it can only see one host.

Nmap scan report for bitfenix-desktop.lan (10.1.1.152)

Who or what is bitfenix-desktop.lan?

I changed the hostname to less than 15 by editing hostname/hosts.

You should have used smb.conf to define the netbios name and left the hostname as it was.

You are having way too many issues for just a update -- unless you did an upgrade.

Boot into the install DVD so that you can get to a live session and see if you can see any of the other hosts on your network.

[geekomatic]

Sorry for the delay-- I've been on the phone with the ISP tonight. It turns out that my son had rung them earlier yesterday to ask about high ping spikes & only today did he tell me that they "reset something". It was after that when I noticed my issues.

So the other odd thing is that even after verifying that all modem settings were correct, this PC still wasn't getting an assigned IP from that modem? All of the others were, just not this one. I went back into the modem settings, once more, & DHCP was off! Don't ask me how my Windows laptop & my son's Windows laptop were able to get an IP & be online? This is with all three using wifi. I turned DHCP "on", then reconnected my wireless bridge modem & booted a live USB of Mint. I had the network & could browse it!

Back to my own desktop-- I'm back in! I am also now able to open folders/files as admin as well as update. So, when I thought update manager was not taking the password-- it was actually not able to connect to the net, but didn't say that, just nothing happened. I don't understand why the internet going down would cause the admin permission issues? - as that has got nothing to do with the network/internet, right?

And no- I didn't "upgrade"-- all I did was run the standard updates when I saw it no longer had a green check mark.

The reason I also altered the hosts/hostname file is because I was reading a different tab than yours & didn't realize it (I had a lot open as I searched for an answer). However, it's now all working so mustn't be an issue. I do now have netbios = bitfenix in smb.conf.

Other than the diddling tonight to get that modem up & running, I've not done anything else to this PC at all.

I'll mark this "solved, sort of" because I'm not sure what exactly transpired to break it all or how it fixed itself. Thank you, Altair. I wish I had a "tried & true", this-is-how-to-fix-it, ending for you & everyone else.