I need to connect my MBL directly to my PC via wired Ethernet connection. I do no have access to a router, switch or hub. I have being able to do this successfully in the past on Windows 8. However, I am on Windows 7 now. After several hours I have at least gain access to the Dashboard, and I have being able to switch the connection from Public to Work (believe, this is hard on Win7!). I have already rebooted my laptop, my MBL, reconnected, disabled/enabled the network device and so on and so forth. But, whenever I try to directly access my files on it, I get this error:
169.254.x.x addresses are seen when the computer expects to find a DHCP server and does not. A search on that range yields all sorts of answers, but it comes down to, “Something is messed up.” In a small network, a router usually provides DHCP service.
Are you connecting ONLY the PC and the MBL? Your screen shot shows more devices. The following assumes NO Internet connection and no other devices on the wired ethernet. This is the most Local of Local Area Networks. If I am misunderstanding your intentions, please say so. I will try to devise an appropriate response.
If you connecting just the PC and MBL directly together, set both to use Static IP. The screenshot attached is from an MBL Duo, but I assume a single drive MBL is similar.
Note that only the IP address and Netmask are required. Set the IP to 192.168.1.2 and Netmask to 255.255.255.0
Click on Save.
In Network and Sharing in Windows 7, click on Local Area Connection. Click on the Properties button in Local Area Connection Status. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4, and click Properties button. Click on “Use the following IP address:” For IP address enter 192.168.1.1 and for Subnet mask enter 255.255.255.0 . Click OK back out to Network and Sharing.
I have not gone all the way through with this, but what I am able to find says that this should work. 192.168.x.x are valid private addresses. 169.254.x.x are not.
Thanks! I will try this solution when I’m back home later today, but it seems promising. On my screenshot, in fact, there’s a wifi connection active as well, but I do not need that necessarily, I can have just one connection and it’s fine.
Another question, if I set the IP to static on the MBL, when I am back home (I am traveling), if my router can’t connect to the MBL with static IP, how do I go back to DHCP? I would prefer not having to reset.
By the way, the image you attached to your post is broken, it seems.
It’s funny because on Win8 it connected automatically, without any need of configuration. And what is really strange is the fact that even in Win7 I can conect to the Dashboard and to the media server even with this messed up IP address. Any idea why?
Thanks again for your help, I will test the solution later today and get back here to say if it works.
Sorry about the images. I’m not sure what is going on there. They are just screen captures of the LAN configuration page of the MBL, and the IP Version 4 Properties box in Windows 7.
Changing back to DHCP is simple, at least as long as you can get to the Dashboard. Just click back to it. It is quicker than going to Static: nothing to enter. Actually, the router can still connect to a Static IP. It is better if the Static address is outside the range allowed for DHCP, just to avoid potential conflicts. The only thing is, if you want to connect to the Internet, you need to specify the router address as the Default Gateway, and find out your DNS server addresses from the router and enter them in the MBL. If you don’t need the direct connection to the NAS, it would be easier just to switch back to DHCP.
I don’t think your wireless connection will interfere. I would not worry about it unless some some of complaint arises.
I have not had any experience with Win 8. It is interesting that it makes the direct connection without any hang ups. It does seem a bit odd that you can get to the Dashboard. Perhaps it is being addressed by name (\MyBookLive), instead of by IP. That would be an interesting thing to try. Just enter it in your browser address bar.
Just out of curiosity, why are you connecting directly instead of through the router?
Have safe travel. I’ll be happy to discuss things further if they don’t work the way I suggested.
Thanks again for your help. But, I did what you say, and everything is exactly the same as before: dashboard working, media server working, SSH working, but if I try do directly access the files on the MBL, I get the same error message. Except now if I enable the wired device and the wifi, I cannot browse the internet. I think windows in choosing the LAN Network as its preferred network connection or something.
\MyBookLive doesn’t seem to work either.
I cannot use the router because since I am travelling, they wouldn’t allow me to plug some weird device on their router, be that at my guest house (the old lady is sort of a b…) or at the university I’m visiting (it would be against IT policy, obviously).
Now I am using CFTP to get to the files, it’s working, but it’s slower and it’s not the same in terms of functionality. It’s amazing how everything else works fine except the most simple and fundamental aspect. Win7 works in mysterious ways.
This is kind of baffling. I do understand your situation and limitations now a little better. I may have to try a direct connection myself to analyse further. I’m a little surprised that the limited wired setup also takes out wifi, but then I deal almost entirely with wired situations. I only occasionally have access to wireless devices. I would have assumed that the ethernet and wifi were two different connections, with different settings, but maybe not. I expected the wired connection to be restricted because it has no DNS entries. But your wireless says that DHCP and Autoconfig are enabled.
Ah! I just noticed that the IP address I suggested you use for the wired connection is the same as the Default Gateway, the DHCP server, and the DNS on the wireless. That is likely causing conflict, so moving the wired connection to something different, anything but those listed, could help. For example, 192.168.1.10. If the MBL is set for 192.168.1.2 it does not seem that it should cause trouble. Suggesting 192.168.1.1 was probably not that smart considering that’s what routers typically take in that range.
I’m glad you put all those details up. I had not really grasped the conditions you are trying to function with. The above at least seems to make sense. I hope that it actually does!