[Samba] Windows 8.1 client not able to see and connect to samba server

[Rowland Penny]

On 25/11/14 10:27, Eike Hinderk Jürrens wrote:
> On 19.11.2014 15:52, Rowland Penny wrote:
>> On 19/11/14 13:46, Eike Hinderk Jürrens wrote:
>>> On 19.11.2014 14:25, Rowland Penny wrote:
>>>> On 19/11/14 13:09, Eike Hinderk Jürrens wrote:
>>>>> On 19.11.2014 12:53, Rowland Penny wrote:
>>>>>> On 19/11/14 11:33, Eike Hinderk Jürrens wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Marc,
>>>>>>> thank you for your response.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 18.11.2014 21:37, Marc Muehlfeld wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hello Eike,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Am 18.11.2014 um 14:05 schrieb Eike Hinderk Jürrens:
>>>>>>>>> My Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 client are able to find the server
>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>> connect to the shares but the Windows 8.1 client of a colleague
>>>>>>>>> is not
>>>>>>>>> able to find and connect to the server.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The failing client is able to ping the IP of the samba server but
>>>>>>>>> when
>>>>>>>>> connecting to it, I get the following error message:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 0x80004005 unspecified error
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Searching for this error results in some hits that requires to
>>>>>>>>> change
>>>>>>>>> three registry entries under
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManWorkstation\Parameters]
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> DWORD DomainCompatibilityMode 1
>>>>>>>>> DWORD DNSNameResolutionRequired 0
>>>>>>>>> DWORD RequireSecureNegotiate 0
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> All three do not solve the problem.
>>>>>>>> If your other Win 8.1 client didn't require these changes, it
>>>>>>>> can't be
>>>>>>>> the cause on the other one. ;-)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Registry changes are only required, if this is an NT4 domain -
>>>>>>>> not an
>>>>>>>> AD. And it's only required for joining the NT4 domain:
>>>>>>>> https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Registry_changes_for_NT4-style_domains
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> But it's not that easy to help. You didn't gave much information
>>>>>>>> about
>>>>>>>> your environment.
>>>>>>>> * Is this a Member/PDC/DC/Standalone?
>>>>>>> The samba server is configured as standalone and should only
>>>>>>> server as
>>>>>>> file server in a workgroup. The output of testparm -v can be found
>>>>>>> here:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>         http://pastebin.com/gpvYTQcv
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> * DNS resolution on the client works?
>>>>>>> Which client do you mean?
>>>>>>> The failing Windows 8.1 client is able to resolve public domains
>>>>>>> but not
>>>>>>> the hostname of the samba server to its IP.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> * Errors in the logs?
>>>>>>> /var/log/samba/log.nmbd contains no errors and covers the last three
>>>>>>> days incl. my tests from yesterday.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> /var/log/samba/log.smbd contains errors about CUPS which where
>>>>>>> fixed by
>>>>>>> disabling print stuff at all using
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>        printing = bsd
>>>>>>>        printcap name = /dev/null
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> * etc.
>>>>>>> What else could I provide?
>>>>>> How about the smb.conf that is on your machine, not 'testparm -v'
>>>>> http://pastebin.com/2dDBLU5w <- I removed all lines containing
>>>>> comments.
>>>>> Hope this helps.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kind regards,
>>>>> Eike
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Rowland
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>> MArc
>>>>>>> Kind regards,
>>>>>>> Eike
>>>> OK, from that smb.conf, a user that is not known to the server should
>>>> be able to connect as a guest user, but only to the temp share.
>>>>
>>>> Can the failing client ping the samba server by name ?
>>> No, only by IP. The connection to \\ip.of.the.sambaserver\ is not
>>> working, too. Yesterday, we tried to fix this by adding the name and IP
>>> to the client's hosts file but this didn't fix the issue.
>> You need to get dns working properly, how do the clients get their DNS
>> settings, via DHCP ? If so, is your dhcp server giving out the full
>> and correct information ? Does the samba server have a fixed ip ? Does
>> your dns server know about your samba server and the clients ?
> I think that this is not true as some clients are able to connect via IP
> without working DNS. So, DNS is an issue but not the source of the
> problem here, or not?
>
> The DNS server IPs are distributed via DHCP but the DNS servers are not
> aware of any servers in our companies LAN. Hence, DNS is not working for
> local servers and IPs but remote.
>
> Sorry for the late reply, I am quite busy atm.
>
> Kind regards and thanks for your time!
>
> Eike
>
>> Rowland
>>
>>>
>>>> Is the failing client a member of another workgroup or domain ?
>>> No, the failing client is member of the same workgroup like the samba
>>> server.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Is the firewall on the failing client blocking port 139 ?
>>> I tested with disabled firewall and nothing changed.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Rowland
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Eike
>>>
>

It sounds to me that you are running the DNS setup from hell. I used to 
administrate a small workgroup and had multiple problems until I setup 
my own local DNS server for the workgroup, this only knew about the 
workgroup, anything else was forwarded. I also gave the servers fixed ip 
addresses, this solved 99% of the problems that I had been having. The 
other question that springs to mind, just how many machines are in the 
workgroup, anything above about 12 and the workgroup gets really 
unmanageable.

Also have tried what Louis suggested ? 'Adding the "Client for Microsoft 
Networks" to you network adapter in windows.'

Rowland