[Samba] Samba 3.5.8 / Windows error and system errors while mapping network drive on some PC's

[Dodson, Eric (COT)]

Problem: We have a share defined using Samba 3.5.8 on AIX 6.1. Several
people can map a Windows Network Drive to the share and it works fine.
Several other people get Windows errors or system errors when trying to
map a drive to the same share.

 

Command line errors (from the net use command):

System error 59

or

System error 64

 

Windows Explorer error:

The specified network name is no longer available.

 

I can map the drive fine from my PC. I can go to another PC and try to
map a drive to the same share using my same Samba ID and password as
defined in Samba on AIX and I get the above errors. All of the PC's have
matching XP Pro 2002 SP3 and anti-virus versions.

 

I need help in determining the cause of the problem and the solution.
The only pattern I have seen so far is that the older PC's work and the
newer PC's (same brand) don't work. The newer PC's have a network cards
from different vendors. I have upgraded a PC with errors to the newest
network driver and still have the same errors. It seems to be a
PC-specific problem. Maybe it's related to policy differences or
installed Microsoft Update differences, etc.

 

I have had our AIX admin upgrade from Samba 3.2.0 to 3.5.8 and we still
have the same errors. I have had our AIX admin set the log level from 1
to 3 and add the %m option to the log file setting. I have captured a
Samba log file on AIX from my working PC and compared it to a log from
an erroring PC:

 

1. The log.<computer_name> file that works contains a "Got user" entry
(below) showing my Samba ID, my actual domain name, and my computer
name. The log.<computer_name> file from the computer getting Windows
drive mapping errors does not have this type of entry:

 

[                              ]
libsmb/ntlmssp.c:747(ntlmssp_server_auth)

  Got user=[MyUserName] domain=[MyDomainName]
workstation=[MyComputerName] len1=24 len2=24

 

2. The log.<computer_name> file from the computer getting Windows drive
mapping errors ends with two additional entries (below). The
log.<computer_name> file that works does not end with these two entries
(timestamps removed for comparison):

 

[                              ] smbd/connection.c:31(yield_connection)

  Yielding connection to 

[                              ] smbd/server.c:902(exit_server_common)

  Server exit (failed to receive smb request)

 

The smb.conf file from AIX 6.1 (actual IP's replaced):

 

[global]

        unix charset = CP850

        display charset = CP850

        workgroup = INSP

        server string = InSp

        guest account = guest

        log level = 3

        log file = /var/log.%m

        max log size = 3000

        load printers = No

        domain master = Yes

        dns proxy = No

        wins server = IP1..., IP2..., IP3..., IP4...

        ldap ssl = no

 

[MyShare]

        path = /MyShare

        read only = No

        create mask = 0775

 

I have done a lot of searching on the errors and only found suggestions
to upgrade Samba and upgrade network drivers. This is my first post, so
please let me know if additional information would help.

 

Thank you,

Eric Dodson