iOS File Share apps unable to access File Shares since 10.11.5

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Level 1

93 points

iOS File Share apps unable to access File Shares since 10.11.5

Since updating my server to OS X 10.11.5 & Server 5.1.5 I've run in to this problem.

Macs still access server file shares flawlessly as they always have - no problems there.

However multiple apps iOS apps (iPhone & iPad) for accessing network shares return the same message "Connection Failed With Error: Failed To List Files" when attempting to connect to my server shares, these apps worked fine until recent updates. Not limited to iOS 9.3.2 as I've tried from older devices and still receiving the same errors.

I use the same credentials on my Macs as i do on the iOS apps, never been a problem there.

Now the only thing that does work is Guest shares on the server, if i connect as a Guest user on the iOS apps, i am able to access guest accessible shares on the server, but thats it. All authenticated access is being rejected - even the admin account - which all works from my Macs..

However, if i access my MacBook (no server app ruling on that machine and running 10.11.5) file shares, they are able to access everything as per normal.

Where do i start?

Mac mini (Late 2012), OS X Server

Posted on May 18, 2016 8:46 AM

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Answer 1

zeumann

Level 1

21 points

May 18, 2016 10:40 AM in response to Thomas-M

same here...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7564787

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Answer 2

GGHulse

Level 1

27 points

May 21, 2016 4:10 AM in response to Thomas-M

I experienced exactly the same issue with exactly the same setup when I made the mistake to "upgrade" OS X Server to 5.1.5. The only difference is my local admin user ID can access most shares from my iPad.

Side note: Is Apple hiring Microsoft programmers for OS X Server? Really, this shouldn't happen, but I have a problem with FileBrowser on iOS devices each time there is an update.

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Answer 3

Thomas-M Author

Level 1

93 points

May 21, 2016 4:25 AM in response to GGHulse

I contacted a few devs about their apps and problems with OS X 10.11.5 and Sever 5.1.5 having rouble for iOS accessing shares.

They've all been able to replicate the issue that a lot of people appear to be running in to. How can something that's been so robust get so broken.

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Answer 4

GGHulse

Level 1

27 points

May 21, 2016 6:47 AM in response to Thomas-M

Is it possible, and if so how, to rollback to the prior version? I have Time Capsule enabled for the OS drive.

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Answer 5

ebaauw

Level 1

15 points

May 22, 2016 12:19 AM in response to Thomas-M

Same here. I can no longer connect from apps on my iPad to SMB shares on my Mac mini server, since the OS X 10.11.5 / server 5.1.5 update. In the server log I'm seeing messages like:

May 22 08:55:54 server smbd[3314]: signing is required, but <ip address of iPad> is not signing

May 22 08:55:54 server smbd[3314]: session_setup_transact: activate_signing returned status 0xc000a000: status

I would same that Apple now forces SMB signing and the iOS client apps don't support that. I'm not too familiar with SMB, but signing seems to cause some 10%-15% overhead, so this could account for the loss of throughput in the other thread as well.

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Answer 6

zeumann

Level 1

21 points

May 23, 2016 9:03 PM in response to Thomas-M

I have received some support from the gyus at Stratospherix Support, that might help in other cases also?

We have upgraded our test OSX Server to El Capitan and upgraded the Server component to 5.1.5. Now, when connecting, FileBrowser is required to prefix the username with either the WORKGROUP name or the NetBIOS name of the server. These can be found on the “WINS” tab of the advanced screen of the Ethernet adapter page in the OSX Settings app on the server. Using “WORKGROUP\testuser” in FileBrowser’s username field allowed us to connect again. Previously just “testuser” was acceptable.

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Answer 7

ebaauw

Level 1

15 points

May 24, 2016 9:09 PM in response to ebaauw

I can confirm that the issue is indeed that SMB signing is now forced on the Mac server by default. The good news: this can be disabled manually by editing /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.smb.server.plist and add a new key:

<key>SigningRequired</key>

After restarting the smbd process, the apps on my iPad can connect again, as before the 10.11.5 / server 5.1.5 upgrade.

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Answer 8

zeumann

Level 1

21 points

May 24, 2016 12:10 PM in response to ebaauw

Worked for me, thanks alot!

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Answer 9

Thomas-M Author

Level 1

93 points

May 24, 2016 9:12 PM in response to ebaauw

Done the trick. Also, some of the apps are now being updated to work.

I use File Explorer, which will be updated soon to accommodate the new requirements for those who left Signing Required.

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Answer 10

May 24, 2016 10:39 PM in response to ebaauw

Probably useful but nowhere on my mac i have such a file: com.apple.smb.server.plist Strange !

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Answer 11

GGHulse

Level 1

27 points

May 25, 2016 5:35 AM in response to ebaauw

Please forgive my ignorance, but how/where do you add the new key? Where do I insert this text? Do I put your text between the <dict>? I'd rather ask then do it wrong. Here is my plist file. Thanks.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<dict>

<key>AllowGuestAccess</key>

<true/>

<key>DOSCodePage</key>

<key>LocalKerberosRealm</key>

<key>NetBIOSName</key>

<string>MacServer</string>

<key>ServerDescription</key>

<string>MacServer</string>

<key>VirtualAdminShares</key>

<key>WINSServerAddressList</key>

<array>

</array>

<key>wins server</key>

<array>

<dict/>

</array>

</dict>

</plist>

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Answer 12

ebaauw

Level 1

15 points

May 25, 2016 6:06 AM in response to GGHulse

Yes, anywhere in the top-level <dict> ... </dict> should be OK. I put it just before the VirtualAdminShares key. You can use plutil to check the syntax after editing the file.

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Answer 13

May 25, 2016 8:08 AM in response to Thomas-M

nice work thanks✅

all shares such scanners and sonos working fine now 🙂

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Answer 14

GGHulse

Level 1

27 points

May 26, 2016 4:31 AM in response to ebaauw

Thanks. Worked perfectly. I didn't use the plutil because I didn't see how to employ it. The following article might be useful to those who haven't edited configuration files before: OS X Server: How to edit configuration files - Apple Support.

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Answer 15

May 30, 2016 12:20 AM in response to ebaauw

Thanks heaps!, this resolved these failures with apps at iOS 9.3.2 and OSX 10.11.4 that access SMB files from a osx server shared file system.

Such iOS 9.3.2 apps such as Filebrowser from Stratospherics and GoodReader that utilise SMB access will fail with a password prompt on client side (iOS). Logging in server side is typically:

May 30 13:34:56 macmini-04-server smbd[23907]: Server requires signing while bound to unauthenticated Directory Service

May 30 13:34:57 macmini-04-server smbd[23907]: Connection failed, signing required but no session key

May 30 14:30:52 macmini-04-server smbd[23907]: signing is required, but 10.0.99.2 is not signing

May 30 14:30:52 macmini-04-server smbd[23907]: session_setup_transact: activate_signing returned status 0xc000a000: status

Also remember to restart the SMB daemon:

sudo serveradmin stop smb

smb:state = "STOPPED"

smb:status = 0

sudo serveradmin start smb

smb:state = "RUNNING"

smb:status = 0

sudo serveradmin fullstatus smb

smb:state = "RUNNING"

smb:logPaths = _empty_dictionary

smb:currentConnections = 1

smb:currentThroughput = 0

smb:servicePortsAreRestricted = "NO"

smb:servicePortsRestrictionInfo = _empty_array

smb:failoverState = "NIFailoverNotConfigured"

smb:logging = "NO"

smb:guestAccess = "NO"

smb:setStateVersion = 2

smb:startedTime = ""

smb:readWriteSettingsVersion = 1

Warwick

Hong Kong

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