How to enable insecure guest logons in SMB2 and SMB3 to connect to network shares

[STAMINA]

1. Select Start, type gpedit.msc, and select Edit group policy.
2. In the left pane under Local Computer Policy, navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation.
3. Open Enable insecure guest logons, select Enabled, then select OK.

 

[STAMINA]

Hey fellow tech enthusiasts,

I’m at my wit’s end here! I’ve been trying to connect to my local SMB shares for what feels like an eternity, but nothing seems to be working. I’ve got a relatively simple home network setup - one Windows 10 desktop, two laptops (also running Win 10), and a NAS device serving up the shares.

Here are the symptoms:

• My desktop can see the NAS device on the network, but when I try to access the shares, it says “Windows cannot access the file \nas-device\sharename”
• The laptops (both Win 10) can’t even see the NAS device in Network Discovery
• I’ve tried restarting both the NAS and the desktop/laptops multiple times
• All devices are on the same subnet and have static IP addresses assigned

I’ve checked the usual suspects: firewall rules, SMB settings, network adapters… everything looks good. I’ve even tried disabling antivirus software just to rule out any potential conflicts.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of issue? If so, how did you resolve it?

UPDATE: I’ve noticed that if I connect to the NAS shares using a UNC path (e.g., \nas-device\sharename), it works fine. But as soon as I try to access it through Network Discovery or a mapped drive letter, it fails.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: I’ll add some more details - my NAS device is an unmanaged QNAP TS-219P-II, and the desktop/laptops are all connected via Ethernet cables. I’ve also tried disabling IPv6 on both the NAS and the desktop/laptops to see if that made a difference… still no joy.

 

[STAMINA]

Solution Post: Fixing Local SMB Shares Connection Issues - It’s All About Insecure Login!

Posted by: STAMINA

Wow, I’m amazed! After hours of troubleshooting and researching, I finally found the solution to my local SMB shares connection issues.

It turns out that enabling Insecure (but required for backward compatibility) login via the Windows registry is what fixed it for me. Here are the steps:

Warning: Please note that enabling Insecure Login may pose a security risk if you’re connected to the internet or have unknown devices on your network.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows + R and typing regedit

Step 2: Navigate to the following key:



Copy code
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\services\LanManWorkstation\parameters

Step 3: On the right-hand side, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named EnableInsecureGuestAuth

Step 4: Double-click on EnableInsecureGuestAuth and set its Value to 1 (this enables Insecure Login)

That’s it! Save your changes and restart your computer. Now, you should be able to connect to your local SMB shares without any issues.

UPDATE: If you’re using a modern version of Windows 10, you may also need to enable the Client for Microsoft Networks service in Services Manager:

• Press Windows + R and type services.msc
• Scroll down to Client for Microsoft Networks and make sure it’s set to Started

I hope this helps anyone who’s been struggling with similar issues. If you’re still experiencing problems, feel free to share your experience and let’s troubleshoot together!

Microsoft doc for reference.