On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 10:03:04PM -0800, Brian E. Lavender wrote:

On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 09:30:37PM -0800, Chris Miller wrote:

...

Hi Folks, O.M.G.! I have spent all afternoon trying to diagnose a DNS problem that presents like corruption but I can't find any trace, beyond the failure that I think is the result. This is a Windows Server problem... I have a domain name for my NAS -- "\NAS0.TCLC.org = 10.1.1.80", and all evaluations show me that translation. I can ping it; I can nslookup; I can run the DNS management application. My linux machines can "mount //NAS0.TCLC.ORG/d0 /net/nas0/d0 ..." All work exactly as you'd expect. Then I try to view the share with the Windows File Explorer -- "Windows can't find the DNS name"!! In that case I can use the IP address directly or the alternate domain name, so it is the domain name on the windows machines that is the problem, not the disk access protocol. I also created a second domain name "\NASX.TCLC.org = 10.1.1.80" and that one work just fine everywhere! Here I tried the command prompt: C:\Windows\system32>net use n: \10.1.1.80\d0 The command completed successfully. C:\Windows\system32>net use n: /delete n: was deleted successfully. C:\Windows\system32>net use n: \NASX.TCLC.org\d0 The command completed successfully. C:\Windows\system32>net use n: /delete n: was deleted successfully. C:\Windows\system32>net use n: \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0 System error 64 has occurred. The specified network name is no longer available. Of course I have flushed all caches I can find, scavenged resources records, rebooted every element -- Windows DNS server, Windows Server 2012r2, NAS, Client, ... the toaster and the microwave! So, I have a domain name that shows zero problems in any investigation, until I try to use it for its intended purpose on the windows machines, and I have another one that is nearly identical that has no problems! Any thoughts?

Maybe you need to map your dns to netbios? I just donated some samba books to Goodwill at Alhambra and S. I don't know they process them, but you feel free to go check and see. The thing is that they are a bit old.

I just did an update on a system and it says.

Modify smb.conf to use WINS settings from DHCP?

Perhaps one of the following will help diagnose what is going on with the connection.

use Wireshark to see the difference?

What does the log file say for samba?

Otherwise, i am not sure.

Brian

On January 17, 2023 7:45:03 AM PST, Chris Miller cjm@tryx.org wrote:

Hi Brian,

...

I just did an update on a system and it says. Modify smb.conf to use WINS settings from DHCP?

The behavior does not implicate configuration, or if it does, it implicates configuration for exactly one domain name, and I have no idea how THAT happens:

1. I can do everything I should be able to do if I use the IP address, 10.1.1.80, and not the domain name.
2. I can do everything I should be able to do if I use a different domain name, NASX.TCLC.org, with exactly the same IP address, 10.1.1.80.
3. I can do everything I should be able to do with the domain name, NAS0.TCLC.org, except reference that NAS with Windows.

I think this behavior indicates something Windows-specific, since whatever is preventing my use of "NAS0.TCLC.org" only prevents in on Windows machines. I am not prevented from any investigation of the domain name, meaning Windows knows about it and has a correct evaluation and willingly tells me whatever I want to know. I am prevented from using it: "net use n: \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0"

An illustration from PowerShell:

PS H:> dir \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0 dir : Cannot find path '\NAS0.TCLC.org\d0' because it does not exist.

PS H:> dir \10.1.1.80\d0 Directory: \10.1.1.80\d0 Mode LastWriteTime Length Name

---

d----- 2023-01-16 23:30 Justice.TCLC.org

PS H:> dir \NASX.TCLC.org\d0 Directory: \NASX.TCLC.org\d0 Mode LastWriteTime Length Name

---

d----- 2023-01-16 23:30 Justice.TCLC.org

Thanks for the help,

Chris.

V:916.799.9461 F:916.974.0428 A: Because we read from top to bottom, left to right. Q: > Why should I start my reply below the quoted text?

On Tue, Jan 17, 2023 at 05:44:38PM -0800, Chris Miller wrote:

Hi Brian,

 Perhaps one of the following will help diagnose what is going on
 with the connection.
 use Wireshark to see the difference?
 What does the log file say for samba

It is clear that when the NAS joins the domain and makes a DNS entry, it is doing something that corrupts that domain name. I cannot find any distinctions in any listing, so I have no idea what is being done. This may actually be a "Feature" of the NAS for which there is a preference setting. I have managed to enter several domain names for IP 10.1.1.80 which worked, "C:> dir <XXX>.TCLC.org\d0" until I named the NAS <XXX> and joined the domain. From that point on, that specific domain name was now corrupted -- even when I changed the name of the NAS and I deleted and re-entered that domain name. It is not clear if there is a less draconian rehabilitation, but deleting all known instances and caches, and re-booting seems to do the trick. Now that I have a clear mechanism, I should be able to search for similar experiences and/or open a support ticket with ASUS.

So, you didn't snoop the wire? My calculus teacher used to say, "What do we do now? Punt?" Open Wireshark. snoop. investigate.

On Wed, Jan 18, 2023 at 06:27:11PM -0800, Chris Miller wrote:

Hi Brian,

  So, you didn't snoop the wire? My calculus teacher used to say,
 "What do
  we do now? Punt?" Open Wireshark. snoop. investigate.

No. I'm not going to be able to diagnose anything from binary traffic on the wire. If it is Windows protocol problem, I would have to spend a fair amount of time learning what the correct protocol is before I could even hope to recognize a defect, and if it is a coding problem, I would have to spend a fair amount of time learning the binary encoding before I could even hope to recognize a defect.

Wireshark makes it a whole lot easier than you make it out to be. It decodes the traffic. Especially with the fact that it works with an IP address, yet it didn't work with a dns entry leads me to believe that wireshark could provide valuable info. I would say at least look at it.

Hi Brian,

I just did an update on a system and it says. Modify smb.conf to use WINS settings from DHCP?

The behavior does not implicate configuration, or if it does, it implicates configuration for exactly one domain name, and I have no idea how THAT happens. I think this behavior indicates something Windows-specific, since something is preventing my use of "NAS0.TCLC.org" and only prevents it on Windows machines. I am not prevented from any investigation of the domain name, meaning Windows knows about it and has a correct evaluation and willingly tells me whatever I want to know. I am prevented from using it: "net use n: \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0" or "dir \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0"

1. I can do everything I should be able to do if I use the IP address, 10.1.1.80, and not the domain name. 2. I can do everything I should be able to do if I use a different domain name, NASX.TCLC.org, with exactly the same IP address, 10.1.1.80. 3. I can do everything I should be able to do with the domain name, NAS0.TCLC.org, except reference that NAS with Windows.

PS H:> dir \10.1.1.80\d0 Directory: \10.1.1.80\d0 Mode LastWriteTime Length Name ---- ------------- ------ ---- d----- 2023-01-16 23:30 Justice.TCLC.org

PS H:> dir \NASX.TCLC.org\d0 Directory: \NASX.TCLC.org\d0 Mode LastWriteTime Length Name ---- ------------- ------ ---- d----- 2023-01-16 23:30 Justice.TCLC.org PS C:\Windows\system32> nslookup nasx.tclc.org Server: aequitas.tclc.org Address: 10.1.1.11

Name: nasx.tclc.org Address: 10.1.1.80 PS H:> dir \NAS0.TCLC.org\d0 dir : Cannot find path '\NAS0.TCLC.org\d0' because it does not exist. PS C:\Windows\system32> nslookup nas0.tclc.org Server: aequitas.tclc.org Address: 10.1.1.11

Name: nas0.tclc.org Address: 10.1.1.80

Thanks for the help,

Hi Chuck,

Maybe he'd get better results posting to a Microsoft Windows list?

Yeah, ... maybe. But this list needs the traffic. (-: And I know that you read this list. And eventually, this problem will have to be solved by me. Advice and hints can come from anywhere. Any question, regardless of the source must be answered carefully, and Linux or Windows, the questions are likely to be similar.

It has been my frequent experience that I solve a problem by carefully crafting a question or a response to a question. There is a certain discipline about writing.

C:> nslookup

...

set debug set timeout=10 nasx.tclc.org nas0.tclc.org

This produces a fair amount of text, and I need to review it before I can comment.

c:> dnscmd ‹server› ∕ZoneInfo ‹zone› c:> dnscmd ‹server› ∕ZonePrint ‹zone› c:> ipconfig ∕displaydns

Also lots of text that I have not yet reviewed.

c:> ipconfig ∕flushdns c:> net stop dnscache c:> net start dnscache

None of these has any effect on the problem.

If this is configuration, it is the strangest configuration problem I've ever seen -- one domain name, and only in one context -- in use on Windows.

Thanks for the help,

On 1/17/23 17:57, Chris Miller wrote:

Hi Chuck,

        C:\> nslookup
        > set debug
        > set timeout=10
        > nasx.tclc.org
        > nas0.tclc.org

This produces a fair amount of text, and I need to review it
before I can comment.

I did "vimdiff" on these to listings and there is no difference between them that can't be explained by having different names.

        c:\> dnscmd ‹server› ∕ZoneInfo  ‹zone›
        c:\> dnscmd ‹server› ∕ZonePrint ‹zone›
        c:\> ipconfig ∕displaydns

Also lots of text that I have not yet reviewed.

This was information on the aggragate zone, and my symptoms were for a single domain name, so I didn't learn anything here.

Have you tried disabling WINS name resolution?

Hi Chuck,

On second thought, try creating a new DWORD registry key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters Name the new key "DisableStrictNameChecking" and set it to one (1).

I will do that later today and I'll let you know.

In the mean time, the solution is to name the NAS something other than NAS0.TCLC.org; I picked "NASTY.TCLC.org", and I collaterally entered "NAS0.TCLC.org = 10.1.1.80" in DNS. Everything goes back to "normal". I can make all references with "NAS0.TCLC.org", and the corrupted domain name, "NASTY.TCLC.org", just sits there fat, dumb, and happy, doing nothing to or for anybody.

ASUS reports that the issue is "known", but they don't offer any insight into "Known, how well?", of likely cause or solution. However, from my point of view, my "updated" NAS is now working [nearly] exactly the same as before the "update", so I'm not really concerned about their timing, but I am pleased to have discovered exactly the problem and had my diagnosis confirmed by ASUS. As I said, the likely solution was going to have to come from me, regardless of whatever mailing list I was using. Answering questions and providing explanations will eventually focus the field of inquiry and provide insight. In this case, it was during such a message that I realized that the "Join Domain" step was what damaged the DNS entry.

Thanks for the help,