Custom SMB Share Names

This HOWTO walks you through changing the default share name(s) Volume_1 to one of your choosing (constrained only by smb valid share names).

NOTE - Saving the configuration file in Unix format (LF terminators rather than CRLF) is CRITICAL

• With firmware 1.04 there are reports (see this thread) that uploading a CRLF formatted configuration causes the web server, telnet, and other mechanisms for reconfiguring the unit to fail on reboot; further in these cases the hardware reset procedure did not work either. While other solutions might exist; the only confirmed fix required serial access.

Mac-Users also NOTE:

• With firmware 1.07 and Safari 3.2.1 I also broke my webfrontend when trying to do what's described here, even though my files hat the correct line-ending! Fortunately I had ffp with telnet installed and could recover the webfrontend as described in this post. Didn't try to change the share-name eversince (2009-05-17, c_t).

1. From within the D-Link web admin: Save your Configuration Settings
2. Edit the saved file with a Linux compatible text editor (Like Notepad++ - see warning above)
3. Locate [ Volume_1 ] and replace the Volume_1 string with the new share name for this volume.
   • For example:

     [ Volume_1 ]

     to

     [ media ]

4. Save the file and load it back up onto the DNS-323 (Using 'Load Configuration Settings')
5. Restart the DNS-323 and the new share name will be accessible.

• You're done!

Is this obsolete for newer firmwares?

• My revision B1 with v1.08 firmware DNS-323 produced a binary configuration backup, where the string was impossible to identify…

⇒ The file is GZIP compressed. Add an appropriate file extension (.GZ/.GZIP) and open with an archive utility or gzip command line.

Is it possible to create more shares than just one per volume?

• I have not yet tested this, but it may be possible to create additional shares simply by duplicating the [ Volume_1 ] section and making changes to the paths shown.

Technical Details

• The DNS-323 settings for SMB shares are stored on the actual drive being mapped. With telnet access you can access the file /mnt/HD_a4/.systemfile/.smb.ses stores the relevant details (substitute HD_b4 for Volume_2). This file can be directly edited bypassing the configuration download/upload above. The file will not exist if you have not changed the settings for the default share or created a new share for the volume (default settings are embedded in binary files in the DNS-323 firmware). You can force creation of the file by deleting and recreating the default share (or by adding a new share).

• Rather than renaming the share using the Samba option “browseable = No” seems like a nice approach. Unfortunately; this setting works but “confuses” the web page for configuring shares; YMMV with various extra Samba options in this file.