SMB 2 and 3 not working. Only SMB 1 works. S2 with 15.11 on Mac OS

I will do that, but the limited hours and lack of email support means I have to sit and wait for the chat queue to get to me. As this is a widely known issue (just Google it or read the threads in this community) I was hoping someone had an answer by now, or that your own tech support had created a FAQ on it. This, along with the long standing update failure (the built in app update always fails necessitating downloading of the software every time - confirmed by your tech support 6 months ago as an ongoing) on Macs is suggesting a lack of support. So I am less enthused or hopeful about support being much use. Let’s see what they say. I will report back here.

Hi @nodric
I understand, but a few posts here and there on the internet do not necessarily constitute an issue that we need to address - especially when it’s not uncommon for such reports being related to software updates on third-party products. For what it’s worth, we did not re-invent the wheel - we use the Samba implementation of SMB that comes with the Linux kernel. The same implementation has no issues with other NAS drives (I, for example, use a Raspberry Pi as a NAS, and see no such issue).

I’m not sure which threads you have been looking at, but I believe the Best Answer on the following thread may be of help:

• Sonos Connect can no longer play music after Synology SMB update

If these steps do not help, getting in touch would be the best recourse.

If you start a chat and are unable to get through to an agent, the chat is assigned to a case and enters a queue to be addressed by an agent via email in time - this replaces email-only support, through which you would not receive help from our automated assistant - not that the assistant would be able to help you in this particular case, but that wouldn’t normally yet be determined at this stage.

Being able to update the app on macOS is unrelated, but it is something we are looking into - as it can only truly be tested when we release an update, however, it has so far been problematic to resolve. In addition, the percentage of our users that use desktop apps is tiny, so the priority is somewhat lower than you might hope - not great for you, I understand, but an unfortunate reality of the economics of maintaining multiple apps for multiple operating systems.

I understand your frustration, but I hope this goes some way to help.

Even if it’s an issue that has evidently been acknowledged, and is 100% reproducible? 

While playback is absolutely fine at SMB2 I still have to limit the FreshTomato f/w on my Netgear R7000 to SMB1 to carry out a full indexing/reindexing. Interestingly I can remove and re-add one of the smaller shares without causing Sonos to have indigestion. 

It’s more than a few posts but, I read your answer as this:

1. It’s not a Sonos issue, it’s a Synology issue only resolvable by downgrading their firmware/software that affects their implementation of Samba SMB.
2. Desktop users are not really important to Sonos so they can sing.

My reference to the second issue was to show how slow Sonos are in addressing real identifiable and repeatable issues. Your response is we are niche so the issue will remain and maybe will be forgotten. I am paraphrasing of course. They were not your words. FYI - This sucks as customer service and suggests that the desktop support for your platform is falling away and unless we want to operate our systems using IOS or Android we should probably look for a different streaming solution? Yes, that’s a question.

A really good vendor would work with Apple to resolve why your update process violates the OS and is prevented from installing. It is a security issue from what I can determine.

FYI I use the desktop app on my office Macs to listen to music when working. The desktop app is also easier to use for people with sight impairment and other limitations. Why not just discontinue it if it is so insignificant? Another question. If it is important then why not fix the issue? Another question.

On the Synology issue a quality vendor would reach out to their techs and investigate the issue and solve it, or at least understand it to give better responses to us annoying afterthoughts (customers). The definition of a customer? “They give you money”. They only give you money while you deliver a perceived value. Once the perception of value wains, so does your reason to exist. You have a job because I, and many like me, give you money. 

Solution

I will return the NAS to Amazon now I know Synologies SMB implementation is flawed.

Tertiary Solution

I will stop using the desktop app and look at other streaming solutions in the medium term.

No, I am a customer who needs support and now I am being told it is a Synology issue. I just spoke to them and now understand why it does not work. I will reply in the appropriate threaded reply above. On the other issue I think being told you are low priority speaks volumes to the way customers are viewed. Am I not allowed to express my dissatisfaction? Do we just roll over and accept whatever response we’re given? Did we not pay $1000s for the gear?

Hi @nodric 

The update issue with macOS only affects the update process from within the app. As this can be easily circumvented by simply downloading the new installation file from our website, the issue as a whole is not considered vitally urgent - the app itself works as intended once installed. As I mentioned, we have been working on it the whole time, but perhaps with less staff that with other issues currently being worked on. To me, this does not mean that we are telling macOS users to “go sing”- we are telling them to please go to our downloads page to perform the update.

Are they talking about connections from S1 systems, or from S2 systems? S1 does not utilise SMBv2/3 as the Linux kernel it uses does not support SMBv2/3, and this is not going to change, due to those older, S1-only components not having the internal resources to run a newer Linux kernel. S2, on the other hand, does support SMBv2/3 which is why S2 systems can connect to various other NAS solutions without issue, despite them also disabling SMBv1 support. If you can verify that they were referring to connections from S2 systems, I would be happy to relay this response to my colleagues.

Hi @nodric 

Thank you - I will forward this on.

@Corry P 

You volunteered the information that:

(of which I happen to be one such individual)

Can you say how tiny is the percentage of users who still use a local music library?

I would assume, the relatively small is becoming relatively smaller.

Just a random thought - In the final iteration of local Sonos Music Library on my system, I recall it didn’t require SMB share(s) to be setup, as the players accessed the ‘SonosLibraryService’ on a Windows device. I couldn’t find much info on the service/protocol. I’m wondering if this is an option to avoid SMB/NTLM? Could this service be adapted/extended to non Windows devices in the same way as other Music Services?

It’s a background Windows service based on HTTP. Porting that to anywhere else would probably be a load of work.

IMO if Sonos made DLNA work properly that could be a viable alternative, with widespread support already built into routers, NASes, etc. I have a WiiM device, able to access a copy of my music library off a repurposed router using DLNA, and it works fine.

Porting the SonosLibraryService is trivial if the target platform can run .NET, which most can these days. Decompiling it is easy, then recompiling it for the target .NET would be straightforward. The only tricky bit is setup, ie telling the underlying Sonos household about a new instance.