Need FreeNAS 9 config support for network of Windows and Mac clients

[Bob Parr]

I did a quick browse of relevant topics in the forums, and found none applying to a multi-OS environment, so here I go with a new thread. If I missed something, please let me know.

I have several PCs and MACs that need to connect to my home NAS. I'm running FreeNAS 9.1.1 and I want a very specific setup, that can be explained in the following list of requirements:
*************REQS*************
Minimum 3 users, each user has a PC and a MAC:
Admin
User1
User2

Each user gets their own "home" folder with read/write/execute access to only their designated folder, all have equal read/write/execute access to a "common" folder, and the Admin has access to everything.

Each user (including the Admin) is required to access by loginID/username and password, from whatever computer they sit down and login in to (PC or MAC).
********************************
I have tried using NFS, but that requires access via IP only, and that negates permissions required to access restricted folders.

I have tried using AFP and CIFS (not recommended according to the documentation), and so far that is the only way I can access. However, there seems to be no authentication required despite having setup each dataset with a password, as well as each user account with their own passwords.

I have tried setting up FTP (requiring TLS due to encryption requirement), but none of the clients can connect with any of the programs tried (CyberDuck, FileZilla, FireFTP).

Please, will someone help me understand how to configure my NAS according to the requirements stated above?

Thanks!

 

[cyberjock]

I think you need to do some more reading. What you are wanting to do is less a protocol limitation and more a limitation of your understanding of permissions in FreeBSD. NFS, AFP, and CIFS can all do what you want so long as you have appropriately setup permissions for your files. Remember that the protocols only enforce the permissions you've set on the files(unless you've overrode them with auxiliary settings somewhere). If they are wrong, then the protocol will enforce them wrongly.

As you've read using 2 protocols for sharing the same files is very bad. AFP isn't available in Windows, so you are better off with CIFS since that's compatible with pretty much every OS out there.

 

[Diogenes Platterwort]

Take it from someone who's been there, mixing AFP and CIFS (actually SMB) is a pain.
Go with SMB across the board and you'll be much happier, regardless of what kind of server or NAS you're using. Mac users may claim that it will cause problems, and there are a few minor limitations, but the fact is, using two separate protocols will cause MORE problems.

 

[Bob Parr]

Thank you cyberjock and Diogenes Platterwort. I will continue to read up and see if I can make CIFS work for both. Still struggling to make it work even just for the windows machines, but I'm a noob so I figure this might take awhile. I'll check back in later and post the solution (assuming I can find one) or request more detailed help if I can't make a go of it. :)

v/r,

Bob