How to get around max connections limit in Web UI for SMB

[The-Traveler]

I deployed a small usb stick in an office for the local multi-function printer to deposit Faxes and Scans to. Currently there are 25 or so devices accessing the share, but the limit on the web UI can only take 10.

I know that I can change it in /tmp/etc/smb.conf but is there a way I can set it permanently to 30 or so, so that the setting survives reboots? I'm guessing /tmp/etc/smb.conf is re-created on reboot.

I need all 30 to have a mapped network drive, it won't affect performance since no one will actually read or write to this file 99.9999% of the time, but I can't have dropped connections.

Thanks guys!

 

[RMerlin]

Time to consider a NAS with so many clients. Look at a WD MyCloud if you want a basic, inexpensive network-attached disk.

 

[The-Traveler]

Please can you just help me hack it!

 

[Jack Yaz]

Please can you just help me hack it!

Look into smb.postconf

More info can be found on the User Scripts section of the Wiki

 

[pete y testing]

but the limit on the web UI can only take 10.

its limited for a reason and i expect that reason if you allow more it would effect the performance of other functions within the router , as suggested prob time to look at a more professional way to run your business and network other than hacking design specs

 

[The-Traveler]

The settings are there to try and balance the multitude of functions this little router can perform reliably. If I choose to turn off most things and operate one feature outside of its typical limitations, that is perfectly fine and should be encouraged. This is an open source platform and the whole purpose of the effort is to allow more features than are typically enabled by the manufacturer. Therefore, your warnings which I'm sure mean well, come off entirely condescending.

 

[RMerlin]

The problem is, none of us knows what would be the impact of bypassing this limitation. There might be buffers in the firmware that could be too small to contain a much longer list of usernames, for instance.

You can always override the smb.conf content with a postconf script as suggested by Jack if you still want to increase that limit, however be prepared to potentially face issues beyond just poor general performance due to the hardware itself.

I've always believed in using the right tool for the right job. I've never been a big fan of USB sharing through a router, due to both performance and security reasons. That's why I will always recommend a NAS instead, as IMHO it's a much better solution overall.

 

[scooby]

@RMerlin : If I'm diplomatic, i'll say maybe you're tired But from someone who has extended the usage and frontiers of asus routers, your response in #7 comes across as being, forgive me, superior although I am confident that that is not what you mean.
OP has already said:" I need all 30 to have a mapped network drive, it won't affect performance since no one will actually read or write to this file 99.9999% of the time, but I can't have dropped connections. "
Open source has always been about removing the limitations manufacturers place on their products. You have done it and you were lauded for it.
Now you're saying the opposite.
To Others: Please don't flame me. My router is currently messing me up and I am looking for help. Not a fight. Please.

 

[scooby]

now I suppose I will be ignored.

 

[thelonelycoder]

now I suppose I will be ignored.

RMerlin meant the connected user table, not the actual usage. OP wants all of the users connected to the share.
His tinkering may have unknown side effects with so many users.

 

[Jack Yaz]

I'd like to state that increasing the limit will have unknown side effects, and that I don't support or recommend making the change. I was simply stating how to achieve what OP was asking.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I'd like to state that increasing the limit will have unknown side effects, and that I don't support or recommend making the change. I was simply stating how to achieve what OP was asking.

With all our wisdom we've progressed from "might", "may have" to "will have".
We _might_ ignore future support questions by OP in the Samba area...

 

[scooby]

time to delete post ...

 

[scooby]

oh.. samba - since omv didn't help much, I've replaced my main pcs with windows. but my zcash ones are still on linux so .. yeah still delete post

 

[pete y testing]

This is an open source platform and the whole purpose of the effort is to allow more features than are typically enabled by the manufacturer.

not exactly correct , its open source because the courts made it so , if the manufactures had their way its would not be so , we are now seeing this with wireless AC

Therefore, your warnings which I'm sure mean well, come off entirely condescending.

perhaps their is a reason for this , expectations vs common sense

again as others have said and suggested the limits are there for a reason , and changing those limits can and do have consequences , you have been told there is no real way to do it permanently or that it would be wise to do so and as stated right tool for the right job

Open source has always been about removing the limitations manufacturers place on their products.

i dont see iit that way , open source meant you could put in place a proper set of code that meant the router could do its best , not over ride what might hurt the router or its performance , merlin by his creed doesnt change the base coding but instead improves it in small positive step while ensuring the stock code remains stable

 

[RMerlin]

@RMerlin : If I'm diplomatic, i'll say maybe you're tired But from someone who has extended the usage and frontiers of asus routers, your response in #7 comes across as being, forgive me, superior although I am confident that that is not what you mean.

I don't think that was the intent behind my post, in fact I even mentioned how the user could achieve it (with a postconf script). However I'm also giving an honest technical opinion, based on past experience both from myself and from other users on these forums. And I mentioned that it might not work properly due to unexpected limitations that would be elsewhere within the code. So rather than have the user possibly spend time trying to make it work, and then come back on the forum disappointed that it didn't work, I'm warning him that it might not necessarily work as expected. This is the responsible thing to do.

Open source has always been about removing the limitations manufacturers place on their products. You have done it and you were lauded for it.
Now you're saying the opposite.

Realize that the firmware code is developed by a whole team of developers (probably 15-20 devs, if not more), and that code isn't documented or commented. I'm just one person, trying to figure out portions of code on his own without any support from the original programmers, that is far too big for one single individual to ever be able to fully understand on his own. I have to decide on which parts of the code I can devote time to understand it. The disk sharing code isn't one of these, because I consider it to be non-essential to a router's primary duties (routing and securing a network).

And also, software limitations are often put in place to be in line with what are at the origin an hardware limitation. The router's USB system has pretty poor performance, as its not designed to prioritize disk traffic.

I've had problems in the past when I've increased some limits that were put in place by Asus, and it turned out those limits were there for a good reason. For example, I once increased the number of allowed MAC addresses on the MAC Filter page, only to be told by users that their router crashed after they went beyond the original limit. It turned out that there was another limitation hardcoded inside the wireless driver, which is closed source and therefore couldn't be changed. That's the kind of unexpected issue I was referring to.

Same thing when I changed the RSSI limits accepted in the Roaming Assistant. Higher values wouldn't work at all, because of things that were hardcoded at the closed source driver level.

 

[scooby]

Yeah, you have a point. You did suggest a solution.
Is there a place where we post requests?
I am going to have to re-enter about 20 lines on the mac filter, dhcp reservation and vpn setup pages. I wish there was a tool to just import these from a csv file or backup and restore just these sections.
When technology works, it is brilliant. when it does not, ah well.. you know the feeling.

 

[Jack Yaz]

Yeah, you have a point. You did suggest a solution.
Is there a place where we post requests?
I am going to have to re-enter about 20 lines on the mac filter, dhcp reservation and vpn setup pages. I wish there was a tool to just import these from a csv file or backup and restore just these sections.
When technology works, it is brilliant. when it does not, ah well.. you know the feeling.

Like john's nvram restore tool you mean? Search is your friend.

 

[The-Traveler]

So I added a /jffs/scripts/smb.postconf and enabled JFFS custom scripts in the Web UI.

This is the script and it doesn't appear to run. Testing on a different router now.

#!/bin/sh
CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "max connections = 10" "max connections = 25" $CONFIG

Any ideas?

EDIT: I'm expecting /etc/smb.conf to be altered.

 

[Jack Yaz]

So I added a /jffs/scripts/smb.postconf and enabled JFFS custom scripts in the Web UI.

This is the script and it doesn't appear to run. Testing on a different router now.

#!/bin/sh
CONFIG=$1
source /usr/sbin/helper.sh
pc_replace "max connections = 10" "max connections = 25" $CONFIG

Any ideas?

EDIT: I'm expecting /etc/smb.conf to be altered.

chmod +x /jffs/scripts/smb.postconf