Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.

Herman · Mar 10, 2019, 12:47 PM

Hello everybody,

Since I have figured out the basics of VLAN (still learning and modifying things), I have another issues that is not working.

Created VLAN10 and put all the Raspberry PI Kodi streaming devices in VLAN10. Looks like all is working well on the devices that are configured already. I use NFS for sharing my content. Now in VLAN10 when I browse the NFS shares nothing comes up. The default VLAN works perfectly. Do I miss some rules? I does look like that the NFS shares are accessible. Just the browsing will not find anything?

Any ideas guys?

gr. Herman

Herman · Mar 12, 2019, 6:39 PM

Hi Guys,

Any Idea how to solve this? In VLAN1 (default) everything is working perfect, I am able to browse the nfs shares. But I switch over to VLAN10 then no nfs browsing is possible anymore. Searched google and the forum here but cannot find any solution working...

Would appreciate every help,

Regards Herman

Herman · Mar 12, 2019, 7:54 PM

Hi again,

I have read something about AVAHI. Does that make sense?

marvosa · Mar 13, 2019, 4:08 AM

Need more details about your network. Post a network map.

What are the firewall rules on the VLAN10 interface? What are the two endpoints connected to and what VLAN are they in?

If you can see the shares, but not seeing the files, it's probably a file/folder permission issue or an NFS config issue.

JKnott · Mar 13, 2019, 11:03 AM

It's been years since I've worked with NFS, so I don't remember the details, but if you're just able to browse shares, without prior connection, it means they're being broadcast. So, unless the server is directly connected to that VLAN, you won't receive the broadcasts, which are not passed by router.

johnpoz · Mar 13, 2019, 11:08 AM

@herman said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Now in VLAN10 when I browse the NFS shares nothing comes up.

Huh? You mean your asking box in vlan 10 what its sharing via showmount or something?

What does "browse" mean to you??

Herman · Mar 13, 2019, 4:30 PM

Hi Guys,

@marvosa @JKnott : Mij video content is located on a server with IP address 10.0.0.15 (VLAN1). I have several Kodi media players (Raspberry PI2B) connected in VLAN10. They have IP 10.0.10.201, 202 and 203. The streaming works perfect with the existing shares added in Kodi. No problem at all. Plays everything like a charm. The problem starts when I try to add a new folder in Kodi. In the menu I can browse for existing nfs shares on the 10.0.0.15 server. Normally when the device is in VLAN1 it comes up with the server IP and then I can choose the desired nfs folder I wish to add in Kodi. In VLAN10 this doesn't work anymore. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this has to do with the broadcasting witch is not allowed between two VLANS? Can that be solved with rules? On VLAN10 I've created a "Default allow VLAN10 to any" rule.

@johnpoz : With browsing I mean actually the discovery of the shares on a server. When I want to add a new shared nfs folder in Kodi I can choose the nfs option, then Kodi searches the network for existing nfs shares.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Herman

jahonix · Mar 14, 2019, 2:25 PM

@herman said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this has to do with the broadcasting witch is not allowed between two VLANS? Can that be solved with rules?

You are correct that your problem comes from broadcasts or the lack thereof in a different VLAN. The main purpose of VLANs is to disconnect broadcast domains. So no, this cannot be solved with a rule.
Why are your Kodi devices in a different subnet than your server?

JKnott · Mar 14, 2019, 2:23 PM

@herman said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this has to do with the broadcasting witch is not allowed between two VLANS?

No, broadcasts are not normally passed by routers. Some protocols, such as DHCP, can use a relay agent to get past this, but I haven't heard of similar for NFS.

johnpoz · Mar 14, 2019, 2:15 PM

NFS doesn't broadcast anything - atleast never heard of such a thing... You would have to ask the box for its NFS shares..

You could use something like autofs to mount nfs shares, etc.

Herman · Mar 14, 2019, 2:15 PM

@johnpoz said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

NFS doesn't broadcast anything - atleast never heard of such a thing... You would have to ask the box for its NFS shares..

You could use something like autofs to mount nfs shares, etc.

Hi JohnPoz,

I do ask the box for nfs shares. Like I said before when the box is in VLAN1 it find every nfs share that is available. When I connect the box to VLAN10 then the box finds zip!

Regards Herman

Herman · Mar 14, 2019, 2:24 PM

@jknott said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

@herman said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this has to do with the broadcasting witch is not allowed between two VLANS?

No, broadcasts are not normally passed by routers. Some protocols, such as DHCP, can use a relay agent to get past this, but I haven't heard of similar for NFS.

Maybe I should use 2 network interface cards in the server. That would also be better for performance reasons, yes?

Herman · Mar 14, 2019, 2:25 PM

@jahonix said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

@herman said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this has to do with the broadcasting witch is not allowed between two VLANS? Can that be solved with rules?

You are correct that your problem comes from broadcasts or the lack thereof in a different VLAN. The main purpose of VLANs is to disconnect broadcast domains. So no, this cannot be solved with a rule.
Why are your Kodi devices in a different subnet than your server?

I want to seperate my regular network from the Streaming network. Maybe I should also use 2 nic's for this.

johnpoz · Mar 14, 2019, 3:42 PM

Multihoming is going to bring its own pain to the problem

HOW are you asking the other machine for its NFS shares... You can for sure cross vlans with say showmount?

showmount -e IPaddressofNFSserver

Did you look to the firewall of the NFSserver - he might be saying - hey that is not my local network, F off not showing you shit ;)

Here I just fired up NFS sharing on my NAS, set my dmz vlan (192.168.3/24 to have permission to my plex share..

Nas IP 192.168.9.10
Pi coming from 192.168.3.31

pi@pi:~ $ showmount -e 192.168.9.10
Export list for 192.168.9.10:
/volume1/Plex 192.168.3.0/24,192.168.9.0/24
/volume1/2TB  192.168.9.0/24
pi@pi:~ $ showmount -e nas.local.lan
Export list for nas.local.lan:
/volume1/Plex 192.168.3.0/24,192.168.9.0/24
/volume1/2TB  192.168.9.0/24
pi@pi:~ $

Can access it via IP or name.

jahonix · Mar 14, 2019, 4:33 PM

@herman If your clients connect to a share on another network then they aren't separated anyways. So where's the point in solving this trouble?
A second NIC doesn't solve this problem.

...and forget what I wrote before about broadcasts. It is correct that they are limited in the broadcast domain. But NFS does not use it. See below (you might understand this c&p from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_File_System )

Schematischer Ablauf der Datenübertragung

Im Folgenden ist der prinzipielle Ablauf einer NFS-Kommunikation des alten zustandslosen NFS bis 
einschließlich Version 3 beschrieben. Szenario: Ein Nutzer des Client-Rechners möchte ein 
entferntes Verzeichnis (/directory) öffnen und eine darin befindliche Datei (test) anzeigen lassen.

Damit ein Datenaustausch zwischen NFS-Server und -Client stattfinden kann, muss der NFS-Server 
gestartet und beim Portmapper registriert sein.

* Client kontaktiert Portmapper auf Port 111 und fragt nach dem Port des Mount-Daemons (mountd)
* Portmapper gibt Portnummer für mountd heraus. Typischerweise ist das 694.
* Client kontaktiert mountd und fragt nach einem Filehandle für /directory, des vom Clienten zu mountenden Verzeichnisses des Servers.
* mountd gibt ein Filehandle 0 als root-Filehandle für das zu mountende Verzeichnis des Servers zurück
* Client kontaktiert Portmapper und fragt nach dem Port für NFS (nfsd). Typischerweise ist das 2049.
* Portmapper gibt Portnummer für nfsd heraus
* Client führt LOOKUP-Prozedur aus mit den Parametern Filehandle 0 und dem Dateinamen (test)
* nfsd gibt Filehandle 1 für Datei (test) heraus
* Client führt READ-Prozedur aus mit dem Parameter Filehandle 1
* nfsd gibt Inhalt der Datei (test) zurück (Daten)

No broadcast involved, don't know why I got this so wrong. Brain fart. Sorry!
More info about NFS can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_File_System
http://nfs.sourceforge.net

Herman · Mar 14, 2019, 6:56 PM

Hi Guys,

Thaks for all the info you providing. I will start reading and learning tomorrow and see you then same time next year

On my raspberry PI's I have installed LibreElec (Just Enough OS for Kodi). I show you a screenshot how I browse for nfs shares. The screenshot is made on a Windows computer in my VLAN10. So forget the drive letters you see.

🔒 Log in to view
I can click and click, but it won't show shares. On VLAN1 it works like a charm.

Regards,
Herman

johnpoz · Mar 14, 2019, 7:00 PM

Well you should get on their forums and ask them how that works... I have no idea, don't use it - its not related to pfsense in any way at all.

And has zero to do with vlans, etc.

But lets be clear how did you setup the server sharing the NFS... you now moved your client to another network... its quite possible the firewall on the other server is just not allowing you..

Why not just drop to a cmd line and do a showmount -e IP..

Herman · Mar 14, 2019, 7:00 PM

@johnpoz said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Well you should get on their forums and ask them how that works... I have no idea, don't use it - its not related to pfsense in any way at all.

And has zero to do with vlans, etc.

But lets be clear how did you setup the server sharing the NFS... you now moved your client to another network... its quite possible the firewall on the other server is just not allowing you..

Why not just drop to a cmd line and do a showmount -e IP..

Thank you Johnpoz.

Grimson · Mar 14, 2019, 7:04 PM

@johnpoz said in Browsing nfs share in other VLAN not working.:

Well you should get on their forums and ask them how that works... I have no idea, don't use it - its not related to pfsense in any way at all.

It's mainly using mDNS/DNS-SD with Avahi.

johnpoz · Mar 14, 2019, 7:06 PM

Yeah you could/might be able to get it to work across your L2 if its using that mode of discovery, if your NFS server is publishing it..

That is what is broke with this software... Why don't you just directly map your nfs?