WDTV HD Live + Linksys E3000 Router + Win 7 x64 = Having Problems

Well, not to get too OT here, but you guys are *kids* (MY first computer was the Trash-80, in 1978).

Finally, I got my “fix”!

After two months of waiting for “fixes” and getting a run-around from WD and Cisco/Linksys folks about my previosly talked about problem of not seeing any network shares with the E3000 model, I found a perfect fix:

I returned my E3000 (Target has a 90 day return period) and got myself a Netgear WNDR3700 Dual-Band Router.

Within 10 minutes of installation, EVERYTHING was working.  All I had to do was to update the router firmware, setup the SSID / passwords, choose 2.4mhz band for PC/Data and 5mhz for TV Stream, reboot windows 7, unplug WDTV Live and everything works like a charm.

I streamed a BlueRay “rip” in 1080 without one hickup or flicker for 2+hours.

Bye bye Linksys, and hello Netgear!

Glad you got it working – at least one vote for the Netgear folks .

If/when I replace my own router I’ll definitely consider one.

Right i have read through this thread.

I am in a similar situation.  This issue seems to come with high end Cisco gear!

I have a WRT610N which I instaleld to upgrade my belkin network to gigabit.

My network consists of 2 PC (one w7, one vista) connecting to the router, a WHS connecting to the router, and the WDTV conecting to the router.

MEdia sharing works perfectly.

Youtube and internet on WDTv works perfectly.

Network shares do not.  The only machine listed in the network shares is the router, the other PCs do not appear.

It must be some setting or other stopping other PCs appearing to the WDTV, swap the routers around and there they are.

Please someone give me some idea of where to start, and if anyone has an e3000 or a wrt610n working please post screenshots of your router settings so i can adjust mine to ones that work.

Please!

It sounds like the 610 is acting as the MASTER BROWSER and is not allowing the other PCs to join the workgroup. 

That seems bad.

Also, go twiddle the “Network Isolation” setting in the router configuration; that can prevent some devices from seeing each other.

All the PCs appear to be part of the work groups as file sharing and file playback across the network excluding the WDTV Live seem to work and function fine.

Simply that box can’t see anything but the router under network shares, but works perfectly fine under media streaming.

It is most perplexing.

I can’t find any ‘network isolation’ settings, I wonder what else they may be termed as.

Thanks for replying either way Tony, any more suggestions would be most welcome.

It’s probably in the Advanced Wireless Configuration pages, and it’s actually called “AP Isolation.”

Also, I’m assuming your 610’s firmware is current?

AP isolation is set to disabled for both of my wireless channels, but I should re-iterate, all connection to the router, all 4 connections, 2 pcs 1 server and the wdtv are by network cabling.  The only thing which uses my wireless is an iPhone.

The router firmware is up to date yes.

Any other suggestions?

Go do this:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Networking/How-to-run-WIRESHARK/m-p/33862/highlight/true#M3080

I’ll take a look at the output and see where the issue is.

Once you’re done, PM me and I’ll give you instructions on how to get me the data.

Tony thx I have followed your instructions and got the file

Seems to be some red lines associated with my WDTV live

I can Pm you a rpaidshare upload of it if you wish

Received.   We’ll work the rest of this out via PM’s. 

By the way, don’t worry about the red lines.   Wireshark will say that it’s a Checksum Error; but usually, it’s the result of the Wireshark PC doing Checksum offload.  In other words, it’s probably normal.

Thx Tony

PMed you the relevant details and ftped the file.

I’d like to post a big thank you to Tony for helping me get sorted.

It appears the WRT610N has a habit of making itself the ‘master browser’ and when it manages to achieve this status it prevents the WDTV from seeing other network attached computers, and thus you can’t see network shares.  Yet it still allows media streaming.

I shall discuss with linksys/cisco as to why this will be the case with their equipment.

To sort the issue, one enters the router admin panels, and browses to

Storage

administration

workgroup name

Then you change the workgroup name to one other than your main network, say testgroup, then reboot a computer on your network, which will claim master browser status.  Then reboot the wdtv live, and it’ll remain on the main workgroup, bypass the wrt610n which will no longer be master browser, and suddenyl all the other PCs on your network should be available once again.

If Linksys come up with any settings which should allow the wrt610n to be master browser whilst still allowing the wdtv live to see the rest of the network I shall post back here.

Thnaks again Tony.

I read through this entire post.  I am having the same problem with my WDTV HD Live Plus and E3000 Router, except that I am using Windows Vista (32 Bit).  I tried this solution last night without luck.  I powered off the router as well which maybe I wasn’t supposed to do?  I read in a forum on CIsco’s site that the firewall can also cause problems with this, so I turned off all firewalls without luck.  At one point, I was able to get passed the “Unable to connect” error with the router, but then it said there is no meida on this share - which makes sense given it is the router I was accessing.

Another point - I am able to access media on my PC (through media servers), but I cannot access any shared external drives, which is where all of my photos and videos are stored.

I appreciate any thoughts, clarifications or suggestions about this issue.  I am past the time window to return my E3000 (which I bought for this very purpose) and would rather not have to replace it.  Thanks so much!

If you power off your router, how are you able to connect between the PC and the WDTV?    Are they connected together in some way that does NOT use the router/switch?

Sorry - I basically rebooted it by powering off, then back on, in case changing the workgroup name required it to allow the PC to establish itself as the master browser as described in the post above.  When I re-read the original post, it said only to reboot the PC and the WDTV HD Live unit.  Thanks.

Gotcha.   So, now what you’d need to do to track this down is, on your PC issue the command 

net view 

in a CMD window.

Note the list of names.

Then, issue the command

nbtstat -a [name] for EACH of the names from step one.

You should find that ONE of the names for EACH WORKGROUP should list a line that says __MSBROWSE__ in it, and the workgroup that system is in will also be displayed.

If you don’t, then that’s a problem…  One system MUST have the role of Master Browser.

OK - Not much of a computer person, but I tried the “net view” command in both a CMD window and in the run box. When I run it in the CMD window at the C:\ prompt, it says “There are no entries in the list.”  When I run it from the “run” window, a DOS screen flashes and disappears.  Not sure what I am missing.  Thanks.

You didn’t miss anything.   That’s the PC’s way of saying it doesn’t see any other SMB / CIFS devices on your network. 

Make sure you have NETWORK DISCOVERY enabled in the Network and Sharing Center.

HikariKisugi wrote:

It appears the WRT610N has a habit of making itself the ‘master browser’ and when it manages to achieve this status it prevents the WDTV from seeing other network attached computers, and thus you can’t see network shares.  Yet it still allows media streaming.

 

To sort the issue, one enters the router admin panels, and browses to

Storage

administration

workgroup name

 

Then you change the workgroup name to one other than your main network, say testgroup, then reboot a computer on your network, which will claim master browser status.  Then reboot the wdtv live, and it’ll remain on the main workgroup, bypass the wrt610n which will no longer be master browser, and suddenyl all the other PCs on your network should be available once again.

 

—problem fixed—