SMB network browsing question

1st Official Post

    I open this topic because my question is a bit different than the existing SMB issues.

    Obviously the problem happens after upgrade to 8.2.0. On my HTPCs, Libreelec is still able to access the configured SMB shares of my NAS however SMB network browsing does not work. It simply does not show any network share. Neither the NAS network shares nor the default shares of other LE 8.2.0

    Yes, I read the release notes. It states.

    Kodi “Windows network browsing” needs the Kodi SMB client to support SMB1 and we now default to SMB2/3 connections so browsing no longer works. Windows SMB share sources must be added using the full server/share path.

    Q1. How this can happen? My Windows10 PC still can browse the complete network and show all SMB network shares both on the NAS and on the LE 8.2.0 HTPCs. Browsing is a very basic operation. It should work in any SMB version.

    SMB sources from Samba/NAS devices can normally be browsed via the “ZeroConf network browsing” alternative.

    Q2: Unfortunately this does not fly. I can see the SMB and sftp shares of the other LE 8.2.0 HTPCs but not my legacy NAS.

    I understand the security aspects of these improvement, however form usability point of view this is not an acceptable way of operation.

    • Official Post
    Quote

    Q1. How this can happen? My Windows10 PC still can browse the complete network and show all SMB network shares both on the NAS and on the LE 8.2.0 HTPCs. Browsing is a very basic operation. It should work in any SMB version.

    It can happen because Win10 does something new and different from SMB1 era browsing which (whether you choose to believe it or not) was exorcised from the SMB2/3 protocol and is very very definitely not supported under SMB2/3. Basically you are not special and your issue is the same everyone else's issue.

    Quote

    SMB sources from Samba/NAS devices can normally be browsed via the “ZeroConf network browsing” alternative.

    Q2: Unfortunately this does not fly. I can see the SMB and sftp shares of the other LE 8.2.0 HTPCs but not my legacy NAS.

    Note the carefully chosen and deliberate choice of the word "normally" in the statement. "Normally" does not equal "always" so it appears your NAS is an exception to the norm and doesn't advertise shares over ZeroConf/Avahi. Most modern/recent NAS 'do' advertise, and for the lucky users with a NAS that does, it works great. It may not 'fly' for you, but there is no bug or problem to be investigated here.

    Quote

    I understand the security aspects of these improvement, however form usability point of view this is not an acceptable way of operation

    We have prioritised security and basic functional support of SMB2/3 for users who MUST use SMB2/3 as the result of MS decisions. There is nothing stopping you from setting up things to use an insecure SMB configuration that works exactly the same as it did under 8.0. Fixing the browse function to use whatever new process Win10 uses (which again, is not how it worked under SMB1) is not an LE issue it is a Kodi issue, so you are complaining to the wrong audience.

    Quote from chewitt

    Fixing the browse function to use whatever new process Win10 uses (which again, is not how it worked under SMB1) is not an LE issue it is a Kodi issue, so you are complaining to the wrong audience.

    Hi chewitt,

    Thanks for response. I appreciate your trial of explanation of the complexity behind this issue.

    Anyway, let me ask another way.

    If I absolutely do not care if Kodi or LE interworks with Windows10 and would like to browse only my good old NAS as I did it with legacy LE releases, then is there any option for me to recover this functionality?

    I really use browsing occasionally, hence it is not obvious to recall the proper syntax and path of my shares, furthermore input characters over CEC control is not so fast and easy. I think no one could disagree with browsing is much more user friendly.

    • Official Post

    If you want to be insecure, set Kodi smb client to max SMB1 and reboot. However I suggest you make the effort to remember how to enter a server and share name, because once Leia arrives it will probably have new SMB code (i.e. existing crap is ripped out) and there will be no browse option.