Built-In Media Server On/Off Functionality

Hello. This is a general question that may benefit some folks.

When the built-in media server is enabled, does the access permissions of that share become available for all users to see or does it affect only the user’s own share. Nevermind Twonky and all those other servers, this only is regarding the unit’s built in server when shares are created.

Example:

A share is created for Person H. The media server us subsequently enabled and some video loaded to that share. Does person B, Person D and Person K have access in addition to the owner of the share (Person H)?

Twonky IS the built in media server.

the media server has access to all shares you’ve enabled, but it has no effect on network share permissions.

he server isn’t labelled as such, so it would certainly help users if it were. It would be crystal clear.

So, in essence, with the server running every user can view everyone else’s streamable media content (both local and remote {correct anywhere this is incorrect} ). This affects both the primary server switch on the dashboard and the individual serving switches in the user profiles.

Example: Main switch on, individual switch on = everyone can see the drive’s full streamable content.

Example 2: Main switch on, individual switch off = = everyone can see the drive’s full streamable content.

Example 3: Main switch off, user switch is off = no access to any streamable content.

Example 4: Main switch off, user switch is on = user access to own share’s streamable content.

What would be very helpful as a follow-up is how this affect media streamers such as a Roku, particularly when it should only be accessing content from a specific local share and not another user’s.

he server isn’t labelled as such, so it would certainly help users if it were. It would be crystal clear.

It’s made crystal clear in Chapter 12 of the User Manual:

“The WD My Cloud device uses TwonkyMedia as its DLNA media server. It streams your music, photos and videos to compatible devices in your home.”

What would be very helpful as a follow-up is how this affect media streamers such as a Roku, particularly when it should only be accessing content from a specific local share and not another user’s.

Roku is a media player. It will connect to a DLNA media server using its Media Player app.

DLNA does not respect access controls. That’s a feature of the DLNA specification.

As for the enables in the Dashboard, there are two types:

  1. Settings|Media|DLNA Media Server|Media Streaming turns on the Twonky Media Server. You need this to serve ANY media.

  2. Shares||Share Profile|Media Serving enables serving of media content in that share.

So, to take your four cases:

Example: Main switch on, individual switch on = everyone can see the drive’s full streamable content.

Not quite: everyone can see the content in whichever individual shares have Media Serving enabled

Example 2: Main switch on, individual switch off = = everyone can see the drive’s full streamable content.

No: since no individual shares have media serving disabled, the media server should not be sharing them

Example 3: Main switch off, user switch is off = no access to any streamable content.

Correct

Example 4: Main switch off, user switch is on = user access to own share’s streamable content.

No. Since the ‘Main switch’ is off’, the Twonky media server is not running, so no content will be served.

This might help:

http://community.wd.com/t5/My-Cloud/FAQ-Twonky-DLNA-Media-Server-Setup-amp-Use/td-p/858810

<edit: ah, I see you’ve found it>