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    Question about file sharing

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General pfSense Questions
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    • stan-qazS
      stan-qaz
      last edited by

      I am not fond of putting file sharing on a firewall and there are a lot of better options.

      Easy is something like a Western Digital "Live" series hard drive that plugs into your network and offers Windows file sharing in a fairly decent manner and a bit more limited NFS support for Linux and other operating systems. You can also load SAMBA on your Linux boxes and skip the NFS. A bit more flexible is something like a Raspberry Pi and a USB drive, much more flexible than the WD Live solution but a bit more work. They make dedicated storage devices (NAS) Network Attached Storage that come in at a variety of price points and capacities that are a very good deal if you want to protect your data with RAID.

      WD Live http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136745

      NAS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822165223&ignorebbr=1

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      • johnpozJ
        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
        last edited by

        "Which is a bit problematic because these morons at Microsoft"

        How is that?  Because you don't understand name resolution or file sharing in MS makes them Morons? ;)  Are you using dns are these windows machine members of a Active Directory?

        Do you have more than 1 network segment - how are you attempting to resolve names?

        An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
        If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
        Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
        SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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        • F
          firefox
          last edited by

          I am not fond of putting file sharing on a firewall and there are a lot of better options.

          Maybe I was not clear
          When I file sharing
          My intention was not to put shared folders on pfsense or something similar

          The intention was
          The usual file sharing that built in an operating system

          Right click on library and then click Sharing

          @johnpoz:

          "Which is a bit problematic because these morons at Microsoft"

          How is that?  Because you don't understand name resolution or file sharing in MS makes them Morons? ;)  Are you using dns are these windows machine members of a Active Directory?

          Do you have more than 1 network segment - how are you attempting to resolve names?

          All the computers are in a workgroup called home.plex

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          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            @firefox:

            Is there an option in pfsense
            That allows computers on a network to register with him
            Something similar to a server

            If your pfSense box is providing DHCP then you have the option of adding DHCP leases to the DNS forwarding services such that other users can access machines by name rather than IP. However that's probably not what you're asking for. There isn't any way of having pfSense act as a WINS server. JimP did some experimenting around that a while ago but didn't get anything useful up and running as I recall. You would have to install Samba and preferably only the nmbd part because running actual file sharing on the firewall is a bad idea. There is no easy way to do this and it's not recommended in any way.

            Steve

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            • M
              mikeisfly
              last edited by

              Posted by: johnpoz
              « on: Yesterday at 04:57:43 pm » Insert Quote
              "Which is a bit problematic because these morons at Microsoft"

              How is that?  Because you don't understand name resolution or file sharing in MS makes them Morons? ;)  Are you using dns are these windows machine members of a Active Directory?

              Do you have more than 1 network segment - how are you attempting to resolve names?

              Thanks Johnpoz, I'm getting tired of people ragging on Windows because of something that they don'[t understand.

              To this posters issues you could use something like FreeNAS, it makes filesharing pretty easy for people who don't get [b](I think you called them morons) file sharing in a multi-tenant network. I know that you don't want to setup a server so here are some topics that you might want to research:

              1. DNS vs Wins
              2. File and Folder permissions in Windows NTFS permissions(if this is going to be your share)
              3. Share permissions
              4. Active Directory vs Local Computer and Users
              5. Users vs Groups
              6. LDAP
              7. SMB on Linux and Unix machines (Like stephenw10 recommended Samba)
              8. File sharing in Windows Server (For auditing purposes)
              9. File and Folder permissions in Linux (if this is going to be your share)
              10. Firewall settings (which ports are used for file sharing)

              This is just a start, what you are trying to do is doable and not really that difficult you may just have to do a little bit of research. I'm here to help just get tired of people ragging on Microsoft.

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              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                @mikeisfly:

                7. SMB on Linux and Unix machines (Like stephenw10 recommended Samba)

                Pretty sure I didn't recommend it.  ;)
                At least I didn't intend to!

                It's an intersting topic that comes up repeatedly. I think JimP was investigating whether it might be possible after a customer request. I can't find that thread now.
                Many people when they ask about 'file sharing' are actually referring to the ability to browse the local network for smb shares. For that you need some central server to hold a list of said shares that machines register with when they connect. A WINS server does this. A package that did only WINS without any of the rest of smbd would get around much of the security implications of a full samba install. I think JimP linked to samba4wins as a possibility.
                Whatever it doesn't currently exist.

                Steve

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                • M
                  mikeisfly
                  last edited by

                  Sorry stephenw10 I didn't mean to put words in your mouth.

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                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by

                    So when you say can not see, your talking about simple network browsing?

                    If so who is the master browser?  Again is there more than 1 network segment on your network?  network browsing does not work across segments.

                    So this would explain your point about seeing some, not seeing others.

                    As to your choice of workgroup names - using "period" in the name is not something I would suggest.  So now your linux box is master browser, running samba?  What version of samba, if not a linux box who is master browser.. Should be able to do simple

                    ubuntu:~$ nmblookup -M – -.
                    querying MSBROWSE on 192.168.1.255
                    192.168.1.8 MSBROWSE<01>

                    for example - as you can see my linux box sees my windows machine that is the master browser 192.168.1.8 is my box called storage.

                    You could use smbtree as another tool, example here showing my machines

                    smbtree -N
                    LOCAL
                            \STORAGE
                            \I5-W7

                    nmblookup local
                    querying local on 192.168.1.255
                    192.168.1.100 local<00>
                    192.168.1.8 local<00>

                    Understanding the tools your trying to use, the protocols in use, etc.  Normally makes working with your machines much easier vs hoping it just works via magic??

                    So again how are you trying to resolve these members of your workgroup?  If your trying to use a browse list - who is the master? If you trying to access shares from linux - what accounts are you using?  What permissions did you setup on the shares?

                    So example here is another example -- I get prompted for password when trying to access the share lists..

                    
                    budman@ubuntu:~$ smbtree local
                    Enter budman's password:
                    LOCAL
                            \\STORAGE
                                    \\STORAGE\Users
                                    \\STORAGE\Music
                                    \\STORAGE\Molly
                                    \\STORAGE\Media
                                    \\STORAGE\IPC$                  Remote IPC
                                    \\STORAGE\H$                    Default share
                                    \\STORAGE\G$                    Default share
                                    \\STORAGE\F$                    Default share
                                    \\STORAGE\F
                                    \\STORAGE\E$                    Default share
                                    \\STORAGE\C$                    Default share
                                    \\STORAGE\ADMIN$                Remote Admin
                            \\I5-W7
                                    \\I5-W7\test
                                    \\I5-W7\IPC$            Remote IPC
                                    \\I5-W7\D$              Default share
                                    \\I5-W7\C$              Default share
                                    \\I5-W7\ADMIN$          Remote Admin
                    budman@ubuntu:~$
                    
                    

                    Depending on what account you are logged into on linux, your configuration of samba on the linux box, etc.  You might have issues with this, etc.

                    An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                    If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                    Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                    SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                    • ?
                      Guest
                      last edited by

                      When trying to browse Windows > linux, are you clicking network neighborhood, or are you trying to access the share directly via start > run > \IPaddress\share?

                      If you know the path directly, why not create shortcuts on the desktop(s) straight to the share? Or map drives and tell Windows to remember it.

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                      • F
                        firefox
                        last edited by

                        Answers

                        When trying to browse Windows > linux, are you clicking network neighborhood, or are you trying to access the share directly via start > run > \IPaddress\share?

                        When accessing another computer from Linux
                        I click on "Places" and then on "Network"
                        And there are the names of the computers

                        or are you trying to access the share directly via start > run > \IPaddress\share?

                        Maybe I can do it
                        But my parents or siblings are not a computer technician
                        They know just double-click

                        If you know the path directly, why not create shortcuts on the desktop(s) straight to the share? Or map drives and tell Windows to remember it.

                        It is a good idea
                        I did not think about that

                        So when you say can not see, your talking about simple network browsing?

                        yes

                        If so who is the master browser?

                        What's that?

                        Again is there more than 1 network segment on your network?

                        yes
                        Wired network      192.168.0.1
                        Wireless Network  192.168.2.1

                        So this would explain your point about seeing some, not seeing others

                        Before upgrading to 2.1
                        When I worked with 2.0.3

                        I could see them

                        I do not know if it's related to the topic
                        Maybe it connects to another problem that started when i upgraded the pfsense
                        http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,66756.0.html

                        As to your choice of workgroup names - using "period" in the name is not something I would suggest.

                        I just wrote down what these boxes listed
                        I thought it might help somehow

                        ubuntu:~$ nmblookup -M – -.
                        querying MSBROWSE on 192.168.1.255
                        192.168.1.8 MSBROWSE<01>

                        This outcome on my computer

                        :~$ nmblookup -M – -.
                        querying __MSBROWSE__ on 192.168.0.255
                        192.168.0.2 __MSBROWSE__<01>

                        If you trying to access shares from linux - what accounts are you using?  What permissions did you setup on the shares?

                        In all computers
                        When I share a directory
                        Permissions are
                        Read & Write permissions for everyone
                        No password

                        Depending on what account you are logged into on linux, your configuration of samba on the linux box, etc.  You might have issues with this, etc.

                        In all computers
                        Only account the computer automatically enters
                        Is Account administrator

                        Currently the wired network sharing works properly
                        Only wireless computers
                        Do not appear

                        But one can access their shared
                        via start > run > \IPaddress\share

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                        • johnpozJ
                          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                          last edited by

                          So you have multiple segments

                          yes
                          Wired network      192.168.0.1
                          Wireless Network  192.168.2.1

                          So there is NO way for windows or samba's network browsing to to work.. Just not possible without wins or setup of remote browse sync and remote announce in this sort of setup.  You need a browser on each segment to maintain list of names on that segment.  Then they need to be able to exchange this information.  They are not going to do that is just by default.  So when it worked before you clearly did not have multiple segments.

                          So from your output 192.168.0.2 is your master browser - on your wired network..  So this is the computer that maintains the listing of computers for you.  Is the box you want to be the master browser?  Is it on all the time?  Does it enter and leave the network, example a laptop is a really bad choice for a master browser ;)

                          So you say this works on your wired – and you can access shares on wireless via IP, this is good -- so no firewall issues on the other segment.

                          So if you want network browsing to work - your going to need a browser on that wireless segment and then setup remote sync and accounement or run wins and let that list your boxes for you.  Or as mentioned create the entries you want statically on your boxes like a drive map since you can clearly access them.  Setup dns correctly to resolve your names, etc..

                          BTW from your pfsense shot there - home.plex is NOT workgroup name.. You have pfsense host called home in a plex tld.  That is not a workgroup.

                          On your linux boxes what does your /etc/samba/smb.conf show for workgroup?

                          You will want this to match up with your windows workgroup name - you can view this computer properties or from a cmd prompt do a nbtstat and look for the 00 group name

                          example

                          
                          C:\>nbtstat -a i5-w7
                          
                          Local:
                          Node IpAddress: [192.168.1.100] Scope Id: []
                          
                                     NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table
                          
                                 Name               Type         Status
                              ---------------------------------------------
                              I5-W7          <20>  UNIQUE      Registered
                              I5-W7          <00>  UNIQUE      Registered
                              LOCAL          <00>  GROUP       Registered
                          
                              MAC Address = 18-03-73-B1-0D-D3
                          
                          Wireless Network Connection:
                          Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []
                          
                          

                          My windows box is called i5-w7 and is in the local workgroup name, but its FQDN dns name is i5-w7.local.lan – local.lan is not the same as a workgroup.

                          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                          SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                          • F
                            firefox
                            last edited by

                            I think this problem is connected to the same problem I had the first topic
                            Where I gave up

                            So you have multiple segments

                            yes
                            Wired network      192.168.0.1
                            Wireless Network  192.168.2.1

                            So there is NO way for windows or samba's network browsing to to work.

                            Before upgrading to 2.1
                            When I worked with 2.0.3

                            I could see them

                            I do not know if it's related to the topic
                            Maybe it connects to another problem that started when i upgraded the pfsense
                            http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,66756.0.html

                            On your linux boxes what does your /etc/samba/smb.conf show for workgroup?

                            All set to home.plex

                            Instead of beating my brains
                            I will go by your first offer
                            This will solve the problem

                            If you know the path directly, why not create shortcuts on the desktop(s) straight to the share? Or map drives and tell Windows to remember it.

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                            • ?
                              Guest
                              last edited by

                              That's my rule of thumb, keep-it-simple, if a shortcut works and it's a small environment - it's a winner in my book.

                              Also depending on your setup, if you want guest (no password) access, be sure to enable the Guest account in windows under "User Accounts"

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                              • M
                                mikeisfly
                                last edited by

                                Also remember to turn off password protected sharing in Windows 7 or Vista if that is what you are using for sharing.

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