I have a IBM server with Redhat 7.1, quite literally "out of the box". And have been working to get it up and running on my network. I have received all the necessary addresses from my IT dept, have installed all the programs available on Redhat (install option Custom system, and selected Everything to be installed).

I have used SWAT and Robert Eckstein's Using Samba book to set up Samba.

I got right up to the point where I can see the linux server on the network, but had to use the above book's fault tree to try to find the reason for the following error from Windows 95:

C:\>net use e: \\linux1\public

Error 59: An unexpected network error has occurred. Quit all running
programs, restart your computer, and then try again. If the problem persists,
contact your network administrator.

"net view \\linux1" gives the same error, when a "net view" does list it.

I have run through all the checks recommended in the book-
"pings" work fine from both machines, daemons are bound to ports OK, checked smbd with telnet, no errors with testparm, "smbclient -L" works for both the linux1 server and the Windows machine, "smbclient 'server\directory'" gives access to the shared server directory, "nmblookup -S" finds the right Windows machine, "nmblookup -B" works for the server, ....

then the problem occurs - the above error, and nmblookup -S linux1 gives back a message 'failed to find name' linux1'.

I have set up LMHOSTS (and removed the .SAM from the Windows files) on both machines, the HOSTS files too to be abosolutely sure...

And now I am out of ideas...can anybody help me? Is there something that I need to fix in my network setup or SMB files?

Just in case anybody looks at this question...

I stumbled on the reason for this error (with some nudging and suggestions from some FAR more capable Linux folks) in my firewall settings on the Linux server - the message obviously was the "closest" message that Windows / DOS could find.

Redhat installs a medium level firewall that allows pings etc, but not necessarily TCP connections. I changed the settings to allow access, with passwords of course, and the problem was gone...

Thank you very much, ive been having the exact came problem and then i shut down ipchains AND IT WORKED perfectly.

Glad to help! It is great to be able to give something back after all the help that I have received!

Tah
LD