SME Server 9.2 Samba Reset & Troubleshooting Guide

This guide covers how to reset and troubleshoot Samba on SME Server 9.2 (CentOS 6 / Samba 3.6), especially when modern Windows clients cannot connect.

1. Check Samba Service Status

svstat /service/smbd
svstat /service/nmbd

Expected output should show up instead of normally down.

2. Verify Configuration

config getprop smb status
config getprop smb TCPPorts

Look for:

status = enabled
TCPPorts = 139

3. Check Listening Ports

netstat -tulpn | grep smbd

On SME 9.2, you will usually see port 139 open.
Port 445 can be disabled to avoid failed connections.

4. SMB1 vs SMB2/3 Issue

SME 9.2 only supports SMB1.
Modern Windows disables SMB1 by default, causing connection errors.

Windows Error
“The remote device or resource won’t accept the connection.”

5. Workarounds

Option A: Enable SMB1 on Windows (Quick Fix)

Run in PowerShell as Administrator:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "SMB1Protocol-Client" -NoRestart

Reboot Windows and reconnect.

Option B: Force Samba to Use Port 139 Only (Final Fix)

config setprop smb TCPPorts 139
signal-event post-upgrade
signal-event reboot

After reboot, check with:

netstat -tulpn | grep smbd

You should only see port 139 bound.
This forces Windows to connect over NetBIOS SMB1 and avoids failed connections on port 445.

Option C: Long-Term Solution

Upgrade to SME Server 10.x with Samba 4.x, which supports SMB2/3 natively and works with modern Windows clients.

6. Logs

Check Samba logs for errors:

/var/log/samba/log.smbd
/var/log/samba/log.nmbd

7. Security Note

⚠️ SMB1 is deprecated and insecure.
Only use SMB1 on trusted LANs and never expose it to the internet.
For secure environments, upgrade to SME 10.x.

8. Quick Reference (Commands Only)

# Check services
svstat /service/smbd
svstat /service/nmbd

# Verify SME config
config getprop smb status
config getprop smb TCPPorts

# Enable SMB and force port 139 only
config setprop smb status enabled
config setprop smb TCPPorts 139
signal-event post-upgrade
signal-event reboot

# Check listening ports
netstat -tulpn | grep smbd

# Backup SME DB (optional)
tar -czvf sme-db-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz /var/lib/e-smith/db