MacOS – App that scans local network for shared folders

macosNetworksoftware-recommendation

I'm looking for an application that can scan my local network and report any shared folders it finds. I've tried iStumbler, but it only gives you information on machines that are sharing with Bonjour. Anything out there that looks harder, ie. shows samba, nfs, etc?

on edit

The real issue here is that I have an external disk drive connected to my router, and I would like to make sure that the samba share I've created on it is working. Basically I want a port scanner that is user-friendly and will give lots of information about what is really being exposed on the network.

Best Answer

Finder by default will show shared folders for most services.

For an more in depth look at what a machine is running you can always port scan the heck out of it. Then connecting is as easy as memorizing proper instructions over telnet or plugging into Finders 'Connect to Server' dialog.

nmap (really sudo nmap) is one of the fastest, most informative port scanning tools out there. It spanks the pants off any GUI for speed and service comprehension. Try something like the the following.

# [target ip] = Ip of the host to scan
sudo nmap -PN -n -sV --version-all [target ip]

Considerations

For the partition, in its entirety, at the server you grant read and write privileges to everyone:

may be comparable to guest access, which does not require authentication.

Consider the following possibilities:

some communication, or attempted communication, by Windows 7 may be anonymous, without authentication (whether/how such communications would be logged by the server in a non-Server build of the OS, I don't know)
writes, or attempted writes, by Windows 7 are inappropriate for something at/around the root of the partition.

Suggestions

Increase the verbosity of logging for SMB

This may be easier to achieve with a Server build of the OS.

Diagnosis at the server when the client perceives a problem

Enable the stackshot daemon then use the key chord for sysdiagnose

Preparation: enable the daemon

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.stackshot.plist

When the problem occurs: use the key chord for sysdiagnose.

For at least ten seconds after the chord, touch nothing.

After Finder brings to front the result of sysdiagnose: decompress the archive, consider the files that comprise the diagnosis.

References

stackshot(1) OS X Manual Page

sysdiagnose(1) OS X Manual Page

MacOS – User management for an AFP share

My recommendation for best practices would be to use Server.app ($20 on the App Store) to perform file sharing. The benefit of using Server.app is that it supports more advanced file sharing configuration. For example: you can set ACLs (Access Control Lists - a list of permissions) on different folders for the group access that you want in System Preference -> Sharing. However, by default those ACEs (Access Control Entry - a single permissions entry in an ACL) will not support permissions inheritance. Permissions inheritance keeps file permissions in the share point set correctly (so that the entire group continues to have read/write access). The absence of inheritance becomes problematic when one user of the group has written a file to the share, and another user attempts to modify it - by default, the ACL that specifies read/write at the root of the share will not have inherited permissions to descendant files/folders

The best way to manage the permissions on a share point is usually to do it by creating groups. That way, you can set the permissions on share points to allow group access to the folder/share. This makes it easy to provide users access to that share in the future, as you'd simply add them into the group. For example: most "normal" users (including the "admin" users) should be part of a group that's allowed access to the general-use shares (or all shares, as you've mentioned). Your "admin" users will be part of a group that has access to the other "restricted" share points. Setting each of those groups up as an entry (ACE) in Server.app -> File Sharing will allow permissions inheritance to occur.

If you really want to use the System Preferences -> File Sharing setup to serve files, I'd recommend using System Preferences -> Users & Groups to create groups to control access. However, be aware that you will likely run into permissions problems somewhere down the road.

Although you can use chmod on the command line to specify ACLs that do support inheritance, it's a little bit cumbersome for some users.