NAS Access in Catalina issues

I just tried something and browsing with Finder worked. I'll have to report back later. The issue could be with NAS login credentials and possibly some conflict (just have to try hypotheses here since we have no feedback from Apple) .

I changed the credentials with which I connect to the NAS. I normally access the NAS with my personal NAS account (not admin), which is the exact same name as my Mac one (NAS username is Firstname Lastname, Mac is Firstname Lastname). Perhaps this somehow creates a conflict, I don't know. So I tried accessing the NAS with a different username (the admin one). Access was fine. Transferred a 3-4Gb file, no interruption.

My TimeMachine has always worked fine, and that is under a completely different NAS credentials dedicated to TimeMachine and a different shared folder mapping.

Do any of you with the issue use DIFFERENT usernames than your Mac one? Or use different usernames for different folders?

As user on a Synology forum said that killing a process on the Mac called “sharingd” solves the problem at least temporarily. A few other users confirmed killing the process restored the connection to the shares.

And here is the script, that I failed to attach:

#!/bin/zsh

# name of your NAS server
SERVER=<your-NAS-name>.local

# array of your shares to mount
SHARES=(<share-name-1> <share-name-2> <share-name-3>)

# your user name on the NAS server
NASUSER=$USER

NASPWD=`security find-internet-password -a $NASUSER -s $SERVER -w`
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo -e "Missing password for NAS server (name=$SERVER / user=$NASUSER)"
  exit 1
fi

SUDOPWD=`security find-generic-password -a $USER -s mountshares -w`
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo -e "Missing password for your login (name=mountshares / user=$USER)"
  exit 2
fi
echo "$SUDOPWD" | sudo -S pwd > /dev/null

for (( i = 1; i <= $#SHARES; i++ )) do
  SHARE=$SHARES[i]

  if [[ -a "Volumes/$SHARE" ]]; then
    echo "Share $SHARE: Mount folder exists. Share not mounted."
    continue
  fi

  if ! ( sudo -S mkdir "/Volumes/$SHARE" ) then
    echo -e "Share $SHARE: Failed to create mount folder /Volumes/$SHARE. Share not mounted."
    continue
  fi

  if ! ( sudo chown $USER\:staff "/Volumes/$SHARE" ) then
    echo "Share $SHARE: Failed to adjust ownership of mount point. Share not mounted."
    sudo rm -f "/Volumes/$SHARE"
    continue
  fi

  if ! ( mount_afp "afp://$NASUSER:$NASPWD@$SERVER/$SHARE" "/Volumes/$SHARE" ) then
    echo "Share $SHARE: Failed to mount share. Share not mounted."
    sudo rm -f "/Volumes/$SHARE"
    continue
  fi
done

@Bruno_I @MikeApp, I was not able to reproduce your proposal to solve the problem, unfortunately I fail in some steps, my knowledge is not sufficient.

However, @hop1967, with your link (https://www.techarp.com/software/macos-catalina-nas-failure/), I had a look and I tried, and so far it works fine (what I was missing is to connect using CTRL+K and then smb://DiskStation/).

So far, works fine, let's see in few days...

Fly_PetitPrince

@bsanders44 @Datajack,

I re-started both NAS and Mac, and all fine so far, but have you followed the item #10 in the link provided:

10. Then key in smb://ServerName/ (in our example, smb://DiskStation/) and click Connect.

I had also SMB3 enable and it was not working, now that I added this step above, it works (maybe it will pop up again in a near future, but so far so good...)

Fly_PetitPrince.

Update: Yesterday, I followed Cemento's approach (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250794335?answerId=252112800022#252112800022) of dragging the networked drive(s) to the desktop and then back to the sidebar under Favorites.

If I reboot my Mac (2019 16-inch Macbook Pro), the computer does not reconnect to the NAS automatically for some reason. This results in the drive icons disappearing from the desktop, and clicking the new links to the drives in the sidebar does nothing. I have to manually reconnect via the link to my NAS under Locations in the sidebar, but after that, the icons reappear on the desktop and the new links to the drives in the sidebar become functional again.

In the past 24 hours, I have let the computer sleep several times, including overnight, and have shut and reopened the computer, gone off wi-fi, and other normal activities that can interrupt network connections. The icons and new links have continued to work. I have also restarted the NAS, with no problem.

It is far too soon to tell if this approach is going to work long-term for me, but at least the results are promising thus far. Having to manually reconnect after reboots is annoying, but if this approach eliminates the hangs and crashes caused by the disconnection issue, then I shouldn't have to reboot often.

I'll continue to keep the group updated here on my experience....

@Fly

I can only guess why the TM message appears.

In my case the following occurred:

• a new TM backup was made on the NAS, via SMB
• the new backup lasted several hours, approximately 250GB of data, this backup ended normally
• the next TM (incremental) backup fails, with the horrible message
• nothing was changed in te Finder, OSC System Preferences or the NAS configuration

My assumption is that the connection with (parts of the) the NAS is somehow lost and TM cannot find parts of the Sparse Bundle. I read somewhere that TM uses hard links. If something goes wrong with these hard links, TM can only conclude that the backup is corrupted and start all over again with a new initial backup.

I get the feeling that there is something wrong with discovery, naming and adressing in Catalina.

Perhaps something with connection timeouts on TCP layer 5 in Catalina. The TCP connection with the NAS is okay, as the web interface with Synology DSN is working all te time. The mentioned NVRAM fix seems to be doing something in the timing area.

As long as Apple does not disclose any details on this problem, we can only guess, unfortunately.

Perhaps we can dig deeper by looking at Wireshark traces. For me this goes too far: if my car breaks down, I bring it to the dealer.

Anyway: the following workaround solved all my problems (for now):

• apply the NVRAM fix by Bob Zelin
• set up a SMB connection for TM in the NAS
• define a server SMB connection from Finder to the IP-address of the NAS
• open all share on the NAS from Finder
• drag the TM share to the Finder Locations pane = left column
• select the TM share in the TM preferences
• start a initial or incremental TM backup

This is working for more than 1 week now. Also my other shares on the NAS (music, video, document, etc) keep working.

Cheers,

Martin

Bob Zelin's trick did NOT work for me (Macbook Pro Nov 2019).

What did work was switching the WiFi Protocol on the router back to 802.11n.

It would be worthwhile to know what WiFi Protocol was used by those who have reported or confirmed the issue.

I have an open Apple ticket but officially this issue has not been acknowledged.

Instead Apple Tech Support advices to do a fresh install of Catalina which did not resolve the issue.

Others even had their motherboards replaced which likewise did not resolve the issue.

I have a work around that appears to be working for me on Catalina 10.15.6. If I reboot the Mac, Finder works when I click on the NAS but after 30 mins or so, it just won't connect. So this is what I have done

1. Reboot and click on the NAS. For about 30 mins, you should have access.
2. All the folders appear
3. Make an Alias for any folders required and copy these to your desktop
4. Double click the Alias and the folders are mounted and accessible even when they aren't in Finder

Whether this solves everyones problem, I don't know but hope it is helpful.

@Rob-VB

Perhaps is helps if you setup your NAS on fixed-IP and reserve a fixed-IP address in your DHCP-server for the NAS (typically your internet modem).

And then declare this IP-address in Finder (Go server) and place the associated NAS shares in the Finder left column, or on the Desktop. Please see previous posts.

This worked for me.

Cheers, Martin

A fix that seems to constantly make things start working (temporarily, until it breaks again of course) for me is to run this command from the terminal / shell prompt:

sudo killall NetAuthSysAgent

Many of us have been having SMB stability proble\ms for ages, and it's extremely frustrating. SMB file share access is a major part of most professional environments, and for Apple to have issues with it for years is just an embarrassment. If Apple can't write a functioning SMB client - and it's quite clear and obvious at this point that they lack that competence - they should just integrate SAMBA and be done with it.

It's not just NAS devices. Windows Server (2012, 2016, and 2019) shares are problematic as well. This is a joke. Get your act together, Apple.

I have perhaps traced it to the Parallels Desktop Toolbox that ships with the latest versions. Disabled that, and fingers crossed things are working for over 12 hours now.

I’ll just add here that some combination of rebooting my router, restarting Finder, and rebooting my iMac fixed this for me. So the theory that it could be related to a router issue holds some weight.

I have this problem too. My hardware includes a Synology DS1819+ and a LaCie 2big NAS, both with latest patches. My macOS is patched as well to the latest supplemental update of macOS 10.15.4. After a while, I will eventually experience loss of connection to both NAS.

Here are my observations: I can use an alternative to Finder, Path Finder to be specific, to mount, unmount and access both NAS even after Finder has given up. I can access the mounted shares from the Terminal. And, if I enter the path to a mounted share with Cmd-Shift-G in Finder, I can access the share too, while accessing the very same share through the sidebar server location > share crashes Finder.

My conclusion: It seems to be an OSI layer 6 or most likely a layer 7 problem in macOS. That is, restarting, changing protocols AFP/SMB, clearing caches etc. will only provide a temporary relief.

Hello,

To let you know that while it was working fine for few weeks, I also suddenly had the problem again, quite the same time than Datajack, rather strange that we are affected the same days ?

My case @ sinology was not answered so far by Synology on my side...

Finally, the solution proposed by Datajack to kill process called "sharingd" solves the problem temporarily, until it re-appears again. My Time Machine on Synology is strangely not affected.

Fly_PetitPrince