SMB / CIFS server stops responding
Bottom Line Up Front: My two Time Capsules stop responding to SMB requests after about 15-30 minutes of operation. (I've not used a stopwatch.)
My network: I have one Time Capsule connected to a satellite modem. That Time Capsule is wired (Ethernet) to one more Time Capsule and two Airport Expresses in separate locations, providing a four hot spot roaming wireless network for ~75 users. The first Time Capsule manages authentication / DHCP services and acts as a DNS server / gateway. The other devices are bridges. I have ~20 Mac users running Tiger through Snow Leopard, ~50 Windows users running XP through 7 (32 and 64 bit) , and ~5 Linux users running current distributions.
The first Time Capsule is summer '09 running firmware 7.4.2 and the second is fall '09 running 7.5.
The TCP/IP and AFP functions of the network are fine.
My problem: 15-30 minutes after booting up, the Time Capsules start to refuse SMB / CIFS / Samba / Windows File Sharing connections (I'll start referring to them as SMB). SMB connections can still be made between Mac / Windows / Linux computers and passed through the Apple network, but not to the shared Time Capsule disks. The requests are refused from all versions of the Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Apple Filling Protocol requests continue to be accepted from the Mac OS or Linux.
THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY WINDOWS CONFIGURATION OR WINDOWS AT ALL. I am a programer and can confirm that the Time Capsule stops responding to valid SMB requests from a test applet I wrote. Still, I've followed all of the advice on the Apple Support forums ranging from configuring a Windows client to use the Time Capsule as a WINS server to changing system NetBIOS authentication settings in Windows 7.
When I first turn the Time Capsule on, I can connect via SMB by:
Using Go->Connect to Server->smb://10.0.1.1/ on a Mac
Using the Airport Utility on all versions of Windows
Using Start->Run->\\10.0.1.1 on all versions of Windows (even without Bonjour or Airport Software)
Using Samba mount utilities on Linux
At some point the server stops. My Macs get a notice that their smb mounted devices are unavailable and the Windows and Linux mounts stop working. Windows gives different errors depending on the version ranging from NetBIOS needing to be enabled (it is) to a login failure to the device not responding. Again, Macs and Linux machines with AFP mounts are unaffected.
The only fix I have right now is to use the Airport Utility to Disconnect All Users from the disk. This seems to reset the SMB server.
I have two workarounds I am exploring:
1. Try to write a script on a Mac that monitors the status of the smb server and when it detects failure orders the disk to Disconnect All Users. I'm not sure if this can be done easily yet. I'll need an Apple Script or Automator hook into the Airport Utility. However, this stops all file transfers in progress!
2. Install commercial AFP software on my Windows machines and use AFP mounts for Linux. This is a hassle but possibly my only real option.
I'd rather Apple explore this problem and update the Time Capsule firmware. I'm not sure how to open a trouble ticket, I can't find a way on the support website. I know that I have more users that Apple may have intended for a home use product, but this is a serious bug in my opinion because the Time Capsule advertises Windows compatibility!
My network: I have one Time Capsule connected to a satellite modem. That Time Capsule is wired (Ethernet) to one more Time Capsule and two Airport Expresses in separate locations, providing a four hot spot roaming wireless network for ~75 users. The first Time Capsule manages authentication / DHCP services and acts as a DNS server / gateway. The other devices are bridges. I have ~20 Mac users running Tiger through Snow Leopard, ~50 Windows users running XP through 7 (32 and 64 bit) , and ~5 Linux users running current distributions.
The first Time Capsule is summer '09 running firmware 7.4.2 and the second is fall '09 running 7.5.
The TCP/IP and AFP functions of the network are fine.
My problem: 15-30 minutes after booting up, the Time Capsules start to refuse SMB / CIFS / Samba / Windows File Sharing connections (I'll start referring to them as SMB). SMB connections can still be made between Mac / Windows / Linux computers and passed through the Apple network, but not to the shared Time Capsule disks. The requests are refused from all versions of the Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Apple Filling Protocol requests continue to be accepted from the Mac OS or Linux.
THIS PROBLEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY WINDOWS CONFIGURATION OR WINDOWS AT ALL. I am a programer and can confirm that the Time Capsule stops responding to valid SMB requests from a test applet I wrote. Still, I've followed all of the advice on the Apple Support forums ranging from configuring a Windows client to use the Time Capsule as a WINS server to changing system NetBIOS authentication settings in Windows 7.
When I first turn the Time Capsule on, I can connect via SMB by:
Using Go->Connect to Server->smb://10.0.1.1/ on a Mac
Using the Airport Utility on all versions of Windows
Using Start->Run->\\10.0.1.1 on all versions of Windows (even without Bonjour or Airport Software)
Using Samba mount utilities on Linux
At some point the server stops. My Macs get a notice that their smb mounted devices are unavailable and the Windows and Linux mounts stop working. Windows gives different errors depending on the version ranging from NetBIOS needing to be enabled (it is) to a login failure to the device not responding. Again, Macs and Linux machines with AFP mounts are unaffected.
The only fix I have right now is to use the Airport Utility to Disconnect All Users from the disk. This seems to reset the SMB server.
I have two workarounds I am exploring:
1. Try to write a script on a Mac that monitors the status of the smb server and when it detects failure orders the disk to Disconnect All Users. I'm not sure if this can be done easily yet. I'll need an Apple Script or Automator hook into the Airport Utility. However, this stops all file transfers in progress!
2. Install commercial AFP software on my Windows machines and use AFP mounts for Linux. This is a hassle but possibly my only real option.
I'd rather Apple explore this problem and update the Time Capsule firmware. I'm not sure how to open a trouble ticket, I can't find a way on the support website. I know that I have more users that Apple may have intended for a home use product, but this is a serious bug in my opinion because the Time Capsule advertises Windows compatibility!
White Macbook (2007), Mac OS X (10.6.2)
