trouble with SAMBA user authentication

[LeoBloom]

I have a RT-AC66U_B1 with a 2 terabyte HDD connected via USB

I use the HDD as DLNA server, and I VPN (via OpenVPN server set-up) to transfer files occasionally to this HDD

I tried to set up SAMBA with "Allow guest login" off, and I created a username with R/W checked off for all the folders of the connected HDD - whenever I tried to VPN and connect to the HDD (either via android phone or via Windows computer), the username/password combination failed. The only way I can get access to the HDD via VPN is to enable "allow guest login" at which point both android phone and Windows computer work

I flashed the latest Merlin firmware for RT-AC68U - my version ID is 3.0.0.4.386_41634

I did not factory reset after the flash yet

How can I get the username/password authentication to work?

 

[crkpot]

That firmware version is Asus official, not Merlin.

 

[bennor]

I have a RT-AC66U_B1 with a 2 terabyte HDD connected via USB

I flashed the latest Merlin firmware for RT-AC68U - my version ID is 3.0.0.4.386_41634

Which router is experiencing the Samba problem? Your post mentions TWO of them; a RT-AC66U and a RT-AC68U.

Further the firmware you mention for the RT-AC68U is Asus firmware NOT Asus-Merlin firmware. So you're asking in the wrong subforum if using Asus firmware and not the Asus-Merlin firmware. See the subforum for the Asus firmware: https://www.snbforums.com/forums/asuswrt-official.51/ or possibly even the AC router subforum: https://www.snbforums.com/forums/asus-ac-routers-adapters.47/

 

[LeoBloom]

@crkpot
Thank you for pointing out that the firmware installed is still the official Asus - I am not sure why this would be the case as I tried to flash the latest Merlin firmware. Is there any reason the Merlin firmware didn't take hold?

@bennor
I have an RT-AC66U_B1; the Merlin download website states to use the RT-AC68U firmware for this model (if you look at sourceforge link). As I asked crkpot above, is there any reason my Merlin firmware flash didn't take? It seemed to have completed successfully

 

[djs5916]

You might want to turn on "SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support" in Windows>Control Panel>Programs and Features>Turn Windows Features on or off:

Some of the older authentication protocols are regarded as security concerns and are turned off by default in Windows, having been superceded by SMB 2.0 around 2008.
Both server and client should be talking the same protocol. You can enable both clients in Windows since Vista. Hopefully that will fix the authentication problems.

Hope this helps,
Dave

 

[bennor]

I have an RT-AC66U_B1; the Merlin download website states to use the RT-AC68U firmware for this model (if you look at sourceforge link). As I asked crkpot above, is there any reason my Merlin firmware flash didn't take? It seemed to have completed successfully

Could be any number of reasons why a firmware update flash didn't take. The Asus-Merlin website is a bit confusing with respect to the RT-AC66U. On the main web page it lists the RT-AC66U as a no longer supported model with the last stable Merlin firmware being 380.70. Yet on the downloads page it lists the RT-AC66U and the RT-AC66U_B1. And as you indicated the B1 version indicates to use the RT-AC68U firmware (latest: RT-AC68U_386.1_0.zip) where as the non B1 RT-AC66U indicates to use the RT-AC66U_380.70_0.zip firmware file.

One suggestion. Backup/export your settings and JFFS (if being used). Then do a hard factory reset on the on the RT-AC66U_B1. Asus describes how to do a hard factory reset on that model here: https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1039077

Boot the router after factory reset and proceed far enough through initial setup to get to the administration interface where you can flash/upload firmware. Upload/flash the Asus-Merlin RT-AC68U_386.1_0 firmware file and let the router reboot. After reboot and the router stabilizes, perform another hard factory reset. Then try accessing the router's administration page once it boots up and stabilizes and see if the Asus-Merlin firmware update took. I suppose one could try using the Asus Rescue Mode (if one's router supports the rescue mode software tool) if they continue to have issues flashing the firmware and see if that works.

And as the previous poster indicated, if using Windows, make sure SMB1.0/CIFS is enabled in Windows. Microsoft disables this setting in new Windows 10 installs and through recent patch updates to Windows 10.

Edit to add: May want to see the main 386.1 thread, if you haven't already, were there may be more from others who use the AC66U_B1 and issues they are having. Like this post: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-386-1-is-now-available.69783/post-658552

 

[LeoBloom]

@djs5916 I'd like to avoid enabling SMB1 if possible given supposed security issues (I'm not too familiar with them but if SMB2 can work would be better)

@bennor I was able to flash successfully - thank you for your help

 

[ahecht]

Do you actually have a RT-AC66U_B1, or do you have a RT-AC66U H/W ver. B1. Those are two completely separate routers. The RT-AC66U_B1 will have a USB 3 port on the front and a USB 2 port on the back, the RT-AC66U H/W ver. B1 will have two USB 2 ports on the back.

 

[LeoBloom]

Do you actually have a RT-AC66U_B1, or do you have a RT-AC66U H/W ver. B1. Those are two completely separate routers. The RT-AC66U_B1 will have a USB 3 port on the front and a USB 2 port on the back, the RT-AC66U H/W ver. B1 will have two USB 2 ports on the back.

I have the _B1 - one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0

 

[djs5916]

As far as I can tell, Asus firmware is still on Samba V1 protocols, so enabling SMB1.0/CIFS in Windows is mandatory for router related services to talk with Windows clients.

Sorry for the news and I too would like to avoid using less secure protocols however both client and server have to talk the same language!

 

[RMerlin]

Asuswrt-Merlin has supported SMB2 for years.

 

[djs5916]

[Hardware] ASUS routers and SMB v1.0 - ASUS | DSLReports Forums

Forum discussion: I ran into some issues several months back with Win10 and using a Flash Drive on a USB port on my router as shared drive space. It's a Netgear and using ReadyShare to set up a USB drive was relatively easy. Worked great with Win7 however Win10 by d

www.dslreports.com

Glad that Merlin is V2 compliant! Looks like Asus might still be on V1 however...
Thanks for the reply. Looks like an upgrade to Merlin is on the cards!
Best wishes.

 

[RMerlin]

Asus added SMBv2 support to the stock firmware a year or two ago. It's not user-configurable however.