Networking woes

WD Legacy Products WD TV Live Streaming
1

Hi,

I recently decided to use my long-ago bought WD TV Live box for the bedroom. It is on the most recent software 2.02.32. It was all good until I wanted to browse files on my network.

So, the basics:

the WD connects to my network fine (wired) and sees my router and the internet. i.e. it plays stuff from the net

If I browse to a media server I can play content, i.e I have a synology DS415play on the network and it delivers playback.

If I choose to browse files via windows SMB shares, it sits hunting non-stop, and I never get to see the workgroup PC shares.

My PCs on the network include XPSP3, Win7SP1 and Win8.1, but as I say it never even shows me whats on the network…

I’d really appreciate some help at this point please.

thanks, Lozzy

2

My first guess is that you have no functional master browser on your network.

This is how to find possible problems with the Master Browser on your network, which will affect when and what servers appear on your WDTV Network Shares.

On one of your PCs, open up a “Command” window.

(In Win Vista and Win7, click the Orb, and in the search box, type CMD. An icon will appear above the box that says cmd.exe. Click it, and a Command window will open.)

(In WinXP, Click START, then RUN…, and in the box, type CMD. A Command Window will open.)

In the command window, enter the command “net view,” like this:
…
…
C:\Users\Tony>net view
Server Name Remark

\BIGNAS1 Big Freakin’ NAS Server 1
\MARS
\NEPTUNE
\WDTVLIVE WDTV LIVE
The command completed successfully.

In my example, there are four active devices that Windows has discovered.

Now, for EACH of those, issue the command “nbtstat -a (name)” for example:

C:\Users\Tony>nbtstat -a bignas1

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [10.0.0.157] Scope Id:

NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

Name Type Status

BIGNAS1 00> UNIQUE Registered
BIGNAS1 03> UNIQUE Registered
BIGNAS1 20> UNIQUE Registered
…__MSBROWSE__.01> GROUP Registered
WORKGROUP 1D> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP 1E> GROUP Registered
WORKGROUP 00> GROUP Registered
…

So, we got lucky here, the FIRST system, BIGNAS1, indicates that it is the master browser, since it lists the name …__MSBROWSE__.

You need to find out WHICH system is your master browser. If none of these steps work as described, then the issue is likely on your PC itself, and that will require substantial additional troubleshooting.

3

Great thank you, I found the master browser machine thanks to that. But what next?

Lozzy

4

Well, if the WDTV is in the same workgroup and is getting no response from the master browser, I would presume there is something wrong with the latter.

5

Lozzy_uk wrote:

Great thank you, I found the master browser machine thanks to that. But what next?

 

Lozzy

Use the handy program discussed here to keep tabs on the Master Browser at any time.  I use it daily.

http://scottiestech.info/2009/02/14/how-to-determine-the-master-browser-in-a-windows-workgroup/

What’s next is to find a way to make a different device the master browser – preferably one that is on all the time, like a router or NAS.  My browser is always the master browser unless I have to reboot it, and then I need to check that it is still the master browser.  If not, then turn off devices and start over by turning on my router FIRST.

1 Like
6

Thanks.

It turns out my master was switching around - hence the issue.

Thanks for the Master scanning script - VERY handy

cheers Lozzy

7

Exactly – it was switching around because PCs, etc were being turned off and on.  The only way I know to keep this from happening is never turn off the master PC, but better yet use the solution I mentioned above:  have a router or NAS or other permanently turned on unit be the master browser (but of course, they need to have this capability built-in; some do and some don’t).