The NAS shared folder stops being reachable after a certain period.
The NAS shared folder stops being reachable after a certain period.
Hello everyone,
I tried to locate a discussion about my specific issue but found none. I decided to create my own thread in the hope of getting assistance.
As mentioned in the title: on my company's Synology NAS Cluster (DS1817 - DSM 7.2.1-69057 Update 6) shared folders became unavailable after a certain time. The duration varied from days to hours, depending on subnet traffic. It seems folders were reachable from another subnet not located at the same physical site as the NAS, while those in the same location couldn't access them. After switching between passive and active hosts, access was restored.
The network layout appears like this:
Subnet 1 – Users on Site 1 where the NAS is installed
Subnet 2 – Location of the NAS' IP address
Subnet 3 – Users on Site 2 who can still reach the NAS when Subnet 1 users cannot
This issue seems new and possibly linked to an unexpected shutdown or the DSM Update, though it likely stems from a network problem that’s hard to trace.
Do you have any experience with this situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The error messages indicate possible issues such as file corruption from an unexpected shutdown, physical damage to the NAS, or changes made during a reset. It suggests checking network connections, ports, and IP settings, ensuring they match static or dynamic addresses. Reviewing all device IPs and subnet masks is recommended. Creating a detailed network diagram with device names, MAC addresses, and IPs can aid in identifying the problem. Understanding the overall network layout may reveal what went wrong.
Thank you for your prompt response. The only message I received was: "The path is not available. Cannot access X:\Path\to\folder. The file is currently not available on this computer." (Translated from German) When searched online, the only suggestion was that the offline cache might be corrupted. However, it seems unlikely if this issue exists across all devices in the subnet, or at least I assume so.
I have checked all switches and routers within every subnet for any discrepancies, but none were found. I can also reach the webUI from any location, even when shared folders are not accessible.
I assumed physical damage or corrupted files are improbable, since it functions correctly from another subnet.
For a broader understanding:
Site 1 includes these subnets: 1 (for devices not yet moved to new subnets), 30 (NAS and Servers), 41&46 (User access via Ethernet and WiFi), 42 (Test subnet I set up to verify folder availability).
Site 2 has similar subnets but with different names (50, 61&66).
The two sites are linked by a bridge in another subnet (155). All routing is handled by D-Link 3130 switches, while users connect to 1510 and 1210 switches.
Site 1 users are routed from 41 or 46 to 30, then access the NAS folders.
Site 2 users are routed from 61 or 66 to 155, then to 30.
If it operates from any spot it’s unlikely there’s a problem with the NAS. I’ll assume the NAS configuration is quite basic, such as being limited to one subnet where all traffic goes through the router or default gateway.
The most effective approach would be to perform ping and tracert tests from different locations. If your router is capable, you can instruct it to send pings using source addresses across various subnets.
The important step is identifying what changes cause issues compared to working setups, and checking other devices on the same subnets. It would be unusual if only the NAS is affected.
I will attempt those methods promptly whenever the issue reappears, thank you.
Testing too thoroughly each time is difficult because the shared folders are essential for daily operations and must be accessible quickly, which complicates troubleshooting.
I had the chance to pause before proceeding and observed a few additional points:
While the folders stayed reachable for short periods in another subnet, that access disappeared after some time.
I was unable to locate any folders on that specific cluster. Servers in the same subnet as the NAS appear consistently available.
It seems the NAS might be the root cause. Are there any steps I can take to verify if settings or files were affected? The only clue I found is the cluster's health status, which always reports as Healthy.
If you lose connection from devices in the same subnet, it suggests the NAS itself may be the issue. It would be unusual for all devices to fail simultaneously, but the cause likely depends on the problem. You can eliminate network problems by executing a ping command. Try connecting to the NAS IP address from various machines on different subnets and maintain a steady ping session. This can be set up as a background task in Windows Command Prompt without interrupting other operations. When the issue arises, inspect those machines. If the problem persists, you have more time to investigate other devices. If these steps work, you may suspect the NAS. I wouldn't assume the file system is affected; instead, consider a session table that manages open sessions and prevents new files from being opened. It's challenging to understand the OS behavior of a specific NAS without further details. You should verify the firmware version and check for any reported issues or updates. If the firmware is recent, you might revert to an older version.
I had a continuous ping running on 2 machines. 1 in the usual subnet and 1 in the test subnet and both worked the whole time. Only the smb-connections seem to be affected.
I suspect that somehow the smb connections don't get closed properly and "overflow" for a lack of better term. I will keep an eye on the smbstatus of the NAS and try to get some kind of information out of it. (I'm relatively new to Samba, so I don't know if that makes sense)
There is an even newer version of the DSM for the NAS that I will also apply sometime soon, maybe that will fix it by itself.
The issue with the shared folders not becoming accessible immediately is accurate. The duration varies, often from days to hours, depending on subnet traffic levels. Regarding notifications, it's unclear how updates or alerts are provided when a shared folder becomes unavailable.
As far as I understand, they don’t become available again by themselves. I initiate a switchover between active and passive servers, which temporarily resolves the issue. As mentioned, I can’t afford to wait a long time before people become frustrated because they can’t work, and I can’t recreate the error whenever needed, so I’m unable to wait for the weekend or the end of the regular working day.