If you are trying to set up multiple shares where you want some open to everyone and some protected with a username and password, and you don't want to have to map your protected shares as network drives then hopefully this will help.
At first when I set up freenas windows was prompting me for a username and password for my protected shares, and I could get in just fine to my open shares, however after some fiddling around all of a sudden I started getting "you may not have permission. Network path not found" when I was trying to access my protected shares by browsing to them on the network. The only way I could access my protected share was to map it as a network drive and thats not how I wanted to do it.
Turns out the key to the problem is the "Allow Guest Access" check box in the cifs service setup. (when you click the little wrench next to "cifs" under services)
I won't go into how to set everything up, just follow the freenas user guide and you'll be fine. Just set up your open shares with guest as the user and make sure you check "Allow Guest Access" when you're setting up that share. And for protected shares make a username and group of your choice and when you make that share make sure the directory its sharing has permissions for that user and group and of course DO NOT check the "Allow Guest Access" box.
When you are configuring the cifs service (the little wrench next to cifs in services) make sure that you DO NOT check the "Allow Guest Access" box. Anyone on your network will still be able to access your open shares just fine as long as you assigned the guest account and guest group to it in its permissions and as long as you checked "Allow Guest Access" in the SHARE PROPERTIES FOR THAT SHARE WHEN YOU WERE CREATING IT.
What checking the "Allow Guest Access" box in the cifs service configuration will do is cause windows to stop prompting you for a username and password when you try to access the protected shares, and start giving you the error "you may not have permission. Network path not found."
I have no idea what the "Allow Guest Access" check box is for in the cifs service configuration because you don't need it to make open shares. I have recreated the problem three times in a row now just to make sure I wasnt going to be posting garbage. I do know that little puppy cost me about 10 hours of my life though. :)
Hopes this helps someone.
At first when I set up freenas windows was prompting me for a username and password for my protected shares, and I could get in just fine to my open shares, however after some fiddling around all of a sudden I started getting "you may not have permission. Network path not found" when I was trying to access my protected shares by browsing to them on the network. The only way I could access my protected share was to map it as a network drive and thats not how I wanted to do it.
Turns out the key to the problem is the "Allow Guest Access" check box in the cifs service setup. (when you click the little wrench next to "cifs" under services)
I won't go into how to set everything up, just follow the freenas user guide and you'll be fine. Just set up your open shares with guest as the user and make sure you check "Allow Guest Access" when you're setting up that share. And for protected shares make a username and group of your choice and when you make that share make sure the directory its sharing has permissions for that user and group and of course DO NOT check the "Allow Guest Access" box.
When you are configuring the cifs service (the little wrench next to cifs in services) make sure that you DO NOT check the "Allow Guest Access" box. Anyone on your network will still be able to access your open shares just fine as long as you assigned the guest account and guest group to it in its permissions and as long as you checked "Allow Guest Access" in the SHARE PROPERTIES FOR THAT SHARE WHEN YOU WERE CREATING IT.
What checking the "Allow Guest Access" box in the cifs service configuration will do is cause windows to stop prompting you for a username and password when you try to access the protected shares, and start giving you the error "you may not have permission. Network path not found."
I have no idea what the "Allow Guest Access" check box is for in the cifs service configuration because you don't need it to make open shares. I have recreated the problem three times in a row now just to make sure I wasnt going to be posting garbage. I do know that little puppy cost me about 10 hours of my life though. :)
Hopes this helps someone.
