Many people experienced issues with SMB/CIFS shares in Volumio, so I want to try to suggest a series of steps to follow to correctly configure them.
This guide is NOT useful if you are using NFS. Check also step 14).
- Find out the correct IP address of the SMB/CIFS server. You should already know it (typically it begins with 192.168.0. or 192.168.1. or 10.0.0.), but to be sure you can verify it in this way:
- in Windows open a new Explorer window and in the address bar write: “\IP_ADDRESS” without the double quotes and replacing IP_ADDRESS with the IP address of the server.
- in OS X go to the Finder, press Command+K (Command is the key with the four lobes or with the Apple) and write in the address bar “smb://IP_ADDRESS” without the double quotes and replacing IP_ADDRESS with the IP address of the server.
In both cases, you may need to enter username and password.
If the address is correct, you will get a list of shares with their correct names. Write down the one you need. For example, I thought my share was called “Music” but it was instead called “music” and this made me lose several days trying to get Volumio right.
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Restart Volumio.
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Go to the WebUI -> Menu -> Library
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Delete all the shares that are not working (like the ones you created while trying to get it to work), but leave the ones that you already successfully configured.
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Add a new share
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give it a meaningful name (not “NAS”, for example), select protocol SMB/CIFS, insert the IP address you verified to be working, and in the “remote directory” write the name of the share as appeared in the list you saw in step 1). Enter also username and password in the fields.
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Save and go to the “Browse” pane of Volumio. You should see “NAS” in the list and, inside it, the SMB/CIFS share you just configured.
Inside this share you won’t see anything because Volumio needs time to index its content, just give some hours.
If after some hours you see the files, then you can post here in this thread the type of server you are using and the operating system of the server, including the version. For example, “Synology DSM 5.0, working with default options”. Of course, if someone else already posted your configuration, don’t bother.
If Volumio locks and is not responsive anymore after step 6), probably something is wrong.
In this case,
8) restart Volumio (probably you have to take out the power)
9) like 3)
10) like 4)
11) like 5)
12) like 6) but go to “advanced options” and in the “Mount flags” put the following text: “ro,noatime,sec=ntlmv2”
13) like 7) but, if it is working, post here specifying the mount flags you used. For example “OmniOS r151008, working with ro,noatime,sec=ntlmv2”
14) if you still have problems, DO NOT ask here (your post will be deleted without warning), but start a new thread in the section “First Start Troubleshooting”.
Hint: if you see your configuration listed here it means it is working for someone and you are probably making a mistake somewhere in the steps. Check the correct IP, the correct name of the share (case sensitive), the correct username and password.
Explanation of the advanced options:
“ro” means read-only, it is an added security and safety measure to avoid the files in the server to be modified in any way or deleted.
“sec=xxx” where xxx is ntlm, ntlmv2, ntlmssp is the authentication method, how the server checks if Volumio is giving the correct password. ntlmv2 is the newest, safest, suggested method. the other two should be equivalent and are an older and superseded way of authenticating.
“noatime” means that access times on the server are not modified, in other words the server doesn’t keep track of the last time a file is read by Volumio. It makes sense especially when read-only is used. Otherwise no change of performances or any other effect is produced.
This post will be updated if new information becomes necessary.
