Can't access network share feature consistently

Community Archives WD TV Live Networking
41

pepa_u is right I think, it is an issue of master browser fight on the network.

I also had network shares either empty or only showing some of the computers on the net.

I tweaked the browser service on laptops to avoid them being masters, and choosen a wired pc (most often on) to be a privileged master.

Now I see all computers and shares consistently.

Here’s the hack, requires use of regedit.exe :

Go to :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters

For laptops or “less available” computers change keys to :

IsDomainMaster: FALSE

MaintainServerList: No

For a  NAS, Server, or any “more often available” computer : (set on only ONE computer)

IsDomainMaster: TRUE

MaintainServerList: Yes

Leave the others as is, that is :

IsDomainMaster: FALSE

MaintainServerList: Auto

Reboot all computers …

Hope it will fix your issues.

Btw, it is a Windows issue, not a WD one…

It happens VERY often on home networks because there’s no server or master browser with a higher priority. (usually the latest win version)

When all computers are running the same os version, they “fight” to be the master as they all have the save priority.

It happens every 12 min on each host.

42

Funny, I’ve found that restarting my router solves it for a while too.

43

I started with the WDTV Live back in November and have had similar problems from the start - contacted WD - they did not seem to think it was a problem or have an answer…

Wireless connection to network: OK

Network Shares: Can’t move passed that screen for a while - eventually it works.

I bought several of these which I use to display random photos from the same computer on multiple screens in a room…

My setups are like this:  Computer with photos in a folder connected with Ethernet to a DLink wireless router… Buffalo Wireless USB dongle in WDTVLIVE connecting to the Dlink via wireless…  at first I thought it was a router issue… I was wrong.

I found a ‘work-around’ that seems to work for me every time, however it is hardly a solution… and I believe it has something to do with netBIOS or something on the Windows system (or perhaps other OSs too).  Basically it will EVENTUALLY see the folders on the network share, but it can take up to 15 minutes, I’ve seen.

BUT if I use a laptop, and connect wirelessly to the same router, and then navigate to the files on the computer with the photos (ie, the computer name is PhotoPC, so I network to \PhotoPC and then to the folder containing the photos) - I can immediately go over to the WDTVLIVE, press the right-arrow button and the network share works like it is supposed to.

Once the laptop “initiates” the sharing process (for lack of a better understanding of what is going on, or the right tech. terms) it seems to continue to work all evening.

I have spoken with some friends about the issue and we all speculate that it may have to do with the netBios or WINS broadcast-interval  - the WD has to sit around wating for the next broadcast.    - I do not fully understand the how or what is involved with netBIOS, but that I believe is the krux of this situation.

J

44

Read killertoffy’s post above for a fix to the netbios / samba / local master browser issue you’re experiencing.

I’d came to the same conclusion a while back and Googled the answer.  So far, it seems to work.

In my case, it was my wife’s Vista laptop fighting for control with my Vista desktop PC that has all the network shares.

Now, the laptop can’t interfere and the WD TV sees the network shares every time, so it doesn’t matter what machine gets turned on first.

FWIW, I don’t think this is really WD’s fault.  My XBMC box had the exact same network share issue.  If your network isn’t set up right or suffers from this Windows bug, it’s not WD’s job to fix it.

45

I did the following per the last few posts in this thread:

Rebooted router - this by itself has not improved my issue.

Then -

Set just my desktop PC to be master browse via the reg keys above (True/Yes) and changed my laptop, and another work laptop to False/No, and my server to False/Auto. I then powered down the router, all machines, and the WD Live device. Powered everything back on in this order:

Router

Desktop (hard wired, master browser)

Server (hard wired)

WD Live unit

After about 5 minutes, just my desktop PC showed up on the WD network device list. I then powered up my laptop, and the other work laptop. Still just the one desktop. I then connected from my laptop to \server and opened the shared folder. Can access there without issue. Still nothing but the desktop PC shows up.

I’d be happy to deal with a workaround, but I can’t seem to find one that works.

I don’t debate it shouldn’t be WD’s responsibility if it’s a network issue on our side, but this is the first device out of dozens (desktops, servers, virtual machines, PDA’s) that I’ve introduced to my network that has had any issue connecting to the network, or accessing available shares.

At bare minimum I would expect WD to help make a recommendation on what’s required for the WD Live unit to see devices & shares. Think I saw somewhere else a suggestion for a feature to plug in a name/ip and share name…which would be fine by me if it worked.

I guess I don’t get why this worked initially for some period of time, and now it doesn’t. Unless there’s something more re: the master browser that I’m missing. Anyone know of a way to simulate the WD’s method of discovering other devices and shares?

BTW: WD responded to my incident, and they’ve informed me they’re forwarding the case to Engineering, and only recommended I make sure the WD Live sharing on network was turned off…which it is.

46

I have the exact same problem. Dropping network shares but having YouTube work perfectly and all. It started after update of the firmware. Before that it was all fine. I am still waiting for a solution. Please post here if you have found one.

47

I am having the same issue. Windows 7 Machine doesn’t show up all the time, sometimes it’s find sometimes it’s not. I’ve had the HD Live since Xmas and was working fine for a couple months. I’m on the .24 firmware and it seems since then that I have not been able to connect always.

I’ve tried multple items found online, including IP reservations and registry tweaks. Nothing has worked. Nothing more annoying then going to watch a movie/tv show and the drive is not found on the WDTV.

48

I was “polishing” my home network yesterday. I did some fine tuning of the SMB server which is running on my network attached storage drive; indeed the problem of missing computers is related to the election of master browser.

The samba server on the NAS is configured to always win the master browser contest. If it succeeds, all computers on my network are nicely visible. However, if I wake up laptop with WIn7 it proclaims itself as the master browser. The followin quote is  from nmbd log (server dealing with the browsing on Linux):

[2010/06/12 09:09:20,  0] source/nmbd/nmbd_incomingdgrams.c:process_local_master_announce(308)  process_local_master_announce: Server WIN-PC at IP 192.168.0.23 is announcing itself as a local master browser for workgroup WORKGROUP and we think we are master. Forcing election.[2010/06/12 09:09:20,  0] source/nmbd/nmbd_become_lmb.c:unbecome_local_master_success(148)  

*****     Samba name server DISKSTATION has stopped being a local master browser for workgroup WORKGROUP on subnet 192.168.0.5     ***** 

This means the end of visibility of other computers, because the WIN-PC knows at that point absolutely nothing about the rest of computers on the network. Neither WD TV Live nor any other computer see it’s neighbours from now on.

I have to run “smbcontrol nmbd force-election” to overthrow the win7 master browser king and establish government of Linux samba to rule from the “diskstation”. From that point all other computers are visible again.

However, this is not the end of story. Even the visible computers may not be accessible because their netbios name (the one in the list for example in Explorer) must be translated into the IP address. That’s job either for general broadcast over the network or lmhosts file (check network properties, WINS server settings, on WIndows) or hosts or wins server. However, WD TV seems to rely only on the translation via broadcast and thus sometimes does not connect to server which it sees. Fortunately, this is not the case on my net too often. One important thing is - force your computers to have the same IP each time they connect to the local network. Do it either by reserving addresses in your WiFi AP or by setting fixed IP if possible. I found out that  changing the IP  given to any computer you wish to access over file sharing is causing only troubles (typically when you bring your laptop home in the evening and connect it to WiFi - it may get a different IP to what it was in the morning = trouble).

49

The problem is that EVEN if you configure your server to ‘win’ the master browser election, the WDTV Live sometimes wins the election regardless (and the trouble starts). I posted the solution here:

http://community.wdc.com/t5/Networking/Solution-to-network-shares-problem/td-p/27062

This is the only solution to ensure your WDTV *NEVER* wins the election.

Another solution is to just install the latest beta FW, that solves your problem as well.

50

Hello there,

I have been having this network share issue since I upgraded the firmware to the latest update on my WD Tv live, WD as addressed this problem in it’s Beta v1.03.22 update released recently, I have applied it and the problem is gone. Its a Beta so please use it at your own risk…Thanks.

51

zarash wrote:

Hello there,

 

I have been having this network share issue since I upgraded the firmware to the latest update on my WD Tv live, WD as addressed this problem in it’s Beta v1.03.22 update released recently, I have applied it and the problem is gone. Its a Beta so please use it at your own risk…Thanks.
 
 

Yup either install the beta or this homebrew version of the non-beta:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DF4O4JH5

Both will solve your problems. Keep in mind that the beta has several new bugs, the framerate being stuck to 60 hz being the most obvious and important one.

52

I’ve tried both suggestions now. WD can easily connect to my server and see the folders but I  always get this message:

There is no media in the folder.

Why is that??

53

How many people here are clamoring for a refund of their WDTV Live? I know I am. This POS simply doesn’t work correctly.

I am a network engineer by trade (MCSE NT 4/2000/2003, Cisco Cert. Network Pro). I have more time in this than I do rolling out a server with Exchange and Terminal Services on it for christ’s sake.

I am attempting to use the Media Server mode (that is add an USB drive to the video media library, install all the needed codecs (ffmpeg, divx) this should at the very least allow me to play mkv content on the WDTV Live. Forget the fact that all my DVD’s are ripped to Folder (VOB) and the WDTV won’t pick them up…

54

Jinjuku wrote:

How many people here are clamoring for a refund of their WDTV Live? I know I am. This POS simply doesn’t work correctly.

 

I am a network engineer by trade (MCSE NT 4/2000/2003, Cisco Cert. Network Pro). I have more time in this than I do rolling out a server with Exchange and Terminal Services on it for christ’s sake.

 

I am attempting to use the Media Server mode (that is add an USB drive to the video media library, install all the needed codecs (ffmpeg, divx) this should at the very least allow me to play mkv content on the WDTV Live. Forget the fact that all my DVD’s are ripped to Folder (VOB) and the WDTV won’t pick them up…

I have to smile when people insist on telling us their qualifications and then tell us that they can’t do something. Its like if I can’t do then nobody can. Obviously the POS does work because a number of us use network shares to stream mkv and vob. I can stream perfectly OK (with two units) from a NAS and various computers. I understand that there can be problems and that the unit is definitely not perfect but generally the problems are down to network components and not the WDTV. Good luck in your (complicated) endeavour.

55

I MADE IT WORKE

I installed Cisco Network Magic and that did the trick

56

If you’re having problems getting the Media Server to work, why do you assign blame to the WDTV?  Media Server is software running entirely on your PC.

57

Then tell mee something. Why is it  necessary to install ex. Cisco Network Magic to make it worke. I have tried everything on the server, the second after i installed Cisco it worked :dizzy_face:

58

And there are a ton of people bitching about how it DOESN"T work. Look, I have rolled out 2500 client machine networks with 30 servers at the head end. Designed the full mesh, ospf, networking with everything from Cisco 2500’s to the big 7K series. Terminated T3’s etc.

I had to manually assign the WDTV a static IP, Connect it to direct cable to my laptop (with it’s own static IP) all to get the WDTV Live to FINALLY prompt for a user and pass when connecting to a share.

So why did the WDTV Live see my other Network Shares (My shoretel server, my web box, my company email box, my Virtualization box) but never ONCE prompt for a User/Pass on connecting to any of those shares. Answer that one smart **bleep**.

59

Where is your manneres!!!

You are really clever, I can hear. My wd saw my server and i could connect to it but when connecting to a folder with movies it told me that there was no media in there. Installing Cios solwed that and why?? You must know since you’r so clever.

60

Because from what I am reading there are two network modes this device operates in:

  1. UNC. Why for gods sake didn’t WD engineers put in the ability for explicit UNC paths? That right there has me questioning the product. I have a Windows 7 Ultimate box running Windows Media Center and it see’s all my network shares (the same exact network that the WDTV live is on). Hmmmm. My network setup to blame? No.

  2. Windows Media Server/Extender. It shows up in my network neighboor hood. The WDTV doesn’t enumerated it.