NAS Visibility Inconsistency

[racingtortoise]

I have a simple but infuriating issue I’ve failed to resolve – namely that I cannot see NASs in Windows File Manager (nor any software that wishes to use a NAS network location).

I’d very much appreciate a suggested list of items to check.

Here are some details:
• I’m on a lan that is mixed wired and wireless using Devolo plugs. There are two pcs, “PC1” and “PC2”, and two Asustor 604s “NAS1” and “NAS2”. The are 4 Devolos on the lan. PC1 and NAS1 are co-sited and wired into an ethernet switch, which also has a wired connection to a Devolo. PC2 is connected wirelessly. NAS2 is wired to a Devolo.
• Software on the PCs and the NASs is up to date. NAS2 has Twonky installed.
• In Windows File Manager, PC1 can see both NASs as network devices. However, PC2 can see the Twonky server but neither of the NASs (as network devices) - in fact there are no network devices in the FM window..
• All PCs are members of the same workgroup as NAS2.
• On PC2, Network discovery is on.
• Giving PC2 a wired (rather than wireless) connection to a Devolo does not resolve the anomaly.
• On PC2, NAS2 can be accessed from a browser using its name or the IP address. Twonky can also be accessed.
• There appears nothing to limit access to NAS2 from PC2 after simple checks in the firewall etc.

The fact that PC1 can see both NASs as network devices and PC2 cannot suggests there is something in the PC2 configuration that is causing the issue. The issue means that applications on PC2 cannot access either NAS as network locations (which causes the real problem).

At the risk of egg on face, can anyone suggest further investigations please?

[snapshot]

Have you tried to map a share from either NAS as a network drive on PC2? I've had a similar problem and it was a credentials issue which was fixed by entering the user ID & password for the NAS when prompted for credentials when mapping the share.

[racingtortoise]

I've checked and had no Windows credentials, but have set one up now using the administrator username and password. (The other PC on the network had credential set, so I was ...hopeful.) Then restarted the PC (PC2) and....no change. It didn't ask for the credentials before, and still doesn't.

Trying to map a network drive / location doesn't work either. Firstly I can't do it by navigating (as the NAS doesn't appear), and secondly, attempting to enter the name directly, it doesn't get recognised by Windows.

[racingtortoise]

A further update after some extra attempts, - YES!, I can now map a network drive but only by typing in the path directly. However, the server still isn't showing as a device under "Network" in File manager. (The Twonky server DOES show - and always has done.)

[snapshot]

Try enabling WS-Discovery in the NAS's SMB service. Note that you may have to scroll down to see it as it's the last item in the list.

If it's not that then I'd like to see the SMB configuration on both NAS and on both PCs.

[racingtortoise]

Late posting this, but an offline discussion last evening suggested the same step (checking and enabling SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support in Windows features).

In short, it wasn't configured and installing it seems to have resolved the issue. Many thanks to all who contributed.

[ilike2burnthing]

SMB 1.0 is disabled by default because it's very insecure. It's only available to provide legacy support for old devices. If you can use another solution (e.g. that by snapshot), I'd use that instead.

[snapshot]

As ilike2burnthing says, SMB1 is disabled for good reasons and enabling it is only masking the problem, not fixing it.
Please check that the highest and lowest SMB version setting in the NAS's SMB service are set to 3 and 2 respectively and that WS discovery is set.

[CPU]

It's nothing you're doing it's their software. I have a brand new AS1104T I'm playing with running 4.2.5.RN33
and the only way to get it to show in the network browser is to uncheck "Enable WS-Discovery" apply and the recheck the setting and hit apply, then instantly its showing in the network browser.

I am probably ready to send this thing back and build me a true NAS setup because I've already been dealing with inconsistencies in my RAID volumes not running at similar speeds.

The box was inexpensive and I should have guessed it wasn't going to meet my expectations.