Setting up my WD TV Live to connect my home network

Community Archives WD TV Live Networking
1

Hi all,

After I set up network for my WD TV Live, I still not be able to get it connect to my network. I checked every information: IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS several times. They are all correct but it just can not connect to my network. I am using window 7, motorola modem and Dlinks router. Any suggestion?  Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

2

Welcome to the forum.

Does *ANYTHING* on the network work?   Any of the other internet-applications on the Live like YouTube?   … or is it just that it can’t connect to your server?

3

hi TonyPh,

Thank you for quick reply. It just can not connect to my server. When I try to test the connection, it says IP address is not correct.

4

What are you putting in for IP address?   

Also, On your PC, enter this command and post the results:

ipconfig /all

5

TonyPh12345 wrote:

What are you putting in for IP address?   

 

Also, On your PC, enter this command and post the results:

 

ipconfig /all

 

 

It is of cause my IP address. How can I get that? By logging in to my router’s web configuration. It lists all the information there. I just use that information to set up the network for my WD TV Live. I just type in the command you gave me and use those results to set up but it did not work either. I gave the same error message “the ip address is incorrect…”.  Iam am sorry but those are sensitive information so I do not want to post them in here.

6

No, you can’t do that. Your WD must have it’s OWN ip address. You can’t use the one your PC or ROUTER are using…

7

TonyPh12345 wrote:
No, you can’t do that. Your WD must have it’s OWN ip address. You can’t use the one your PC or ROUTER are using…

Ok, I’ve got that. BUt how can I get the ip address of my WD?

I searched the forum and found this guide: http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3806/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzA0MDQxMDUxL3NpZC90Z1NubkZzaw%3D%3D

So there are two ways to set up a network for my WD: wired  network setup and wireless network set up. My questions are:

1- If I choose wired network set up, then after I am done with it, does my WD have to connect to the router all the time in order to connect to my home network?

2-If I choose wireless network set up, do I need to have the USB wireless card (the device in the picture that is plugged in the USB port) in order to get it to set my the network for my WD?

Thanks.

8

Yes and yes.

9

Thank you, TonyPh12345. Oh by the way, if I transfer files from my PC to the external HD that attached to my WD, will that use up my internet bandwidth? I want to know it because I am using Comcast and they limit my Internet bandwidth to just 250GB/per month.

10

No.

11

There is the WAN (wide area network) which is your internet connection. And then there is your LAN (local area network) which is your own private home network. You only use your internet connection (and your download quota) when one of your computers or devices on your network connects to other devices on the internet. Your private home network traffic is of course not metered since its only yours and it works regardless of an active internet connection e.g. you can transfer files through your network even if your internet is down. Your modem gets an IP address from your ISP (internet service provider) and this address maybe static or dynamic (changes from time to time). This address is visible to every website/server you connect to on the internet (unless you use a proxy or a VPN). Your router allows you to share that IP address among the devices on your home network. Every device on your home network must have their own unique private IP addresses usually in the range 192.168.xx.xx. The private IP addresses are not directly accessible from the outside (internet). The private IP addresses of the devices on your network are assigned either manually by you or automatically by the router’s DHCP. If you use the router to assign the IPs all devices must be set to automatically obtain an IP address. DHCP also provides all other info such as default gateway, subnet mask etc. Through your router’s interface, you can also make the assigned private IP addresses static. There is one more thing that is called a workgroup in home networks. All decives on the network that are supposed to connect to each other must be on the same workgroup. Workgroup name is usually MSHOME or WORKGROUP. The default on WDTV Live is WORKGROUP. If your PC’s workgroup is different you have to make sure they match. I am not familiar with Win 7 but workgroup (or homegroup) info along with the computer name should be somewhere under system or network properties. By the way, I think you have to have Win 7 Home Premium Edition or higher to have a home network.

12

Hi contagious,

Thank you very much for such a comprehensive answer. I am clear now. Have a good day.

Hi TonyPh12345,

Thank you for your help. I will order an USB wireless card today. I thought that it already pre-installed in the WD TV Live. I am wondering if the WD TV Live Plus & WD TV Live Hub have it pre-installed or not?

Thanks.

13

No, none of them have wireless built-in.

MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE the device you choose is on this list:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3805/session/L3RpbWUvMTMwNDA4MDkzMy9zaWQvNXhqYVBIc2s%3D#wireless

Pay VERY CLOSE attention to the Version/Revision column.

14

Hi TonyPh,

I’ve got that. Thank you.

I thought I am clear but actually I am still confused about this. Since you said transfer files from my PC to the HD that acttached to my WD does not use up my internet bandwidth. That means that I do not need to have wireless internet connection for my WD in order to transfer files from my PC to my WD. Is that right? If so, then how can I configure my WD so that I can wirelessly transfer files from my PC to my WD?  Thanks.

15

You need a wireless LAN running in your house in order to use Wireless LAN on the WD.

16

TonyPh12345 wrote:

You need a wireless LAN running in your house in order to use Wireless LAN on the WD.

 

Thank you again for your help.

So I need to set up a LAN using my PC (window 7) then I can use the wireless LAN on my WD to transfer the files. Now come is my question: will my WD need a USB wireless card anyway? I mean I do not care about Internet. I just want to wirelessly transfer files from my PC to my WD.

17

The wireless USB card connects the WD to your wireless home network so yes, you need it.

I’ll warn you the process of copying video files (especially HD files) wirelessly to the drive connected to the WDTV is a slow and unreliable process.   I tried it and gave up.   If you do attempt it, I suggest using a program such as robocopy.

18

janry wrote:

The wireless USB card connects the WD to your wireless home network so yes, you need it.

 

I’ll warn you the process of copying video files (especially HD files) wirelessly to the drive connected to the WDTV is a slow and unreliable process.   I tried it and gave up.   If you do attempt it, I suggest using a program such as robocopy.

Hi janry,

Thank you for your help.  I assume it will be slow but how slow is that? Have you ever tried to time it? Just saying about how long it will take to transfer a 1gb file?

I am sorry. I do not mean to ask so many questions , but I just want to find out if it is worth the effort.

19

Hi guys,

OK, so I had my USB wireless card today. Bought it from meritline and it took 10 days to ship to my house.:cry::cry::cry:. It is a D-Link Wireless 150 USB Adapter and it works just fine with my wd tv live. I am able to connect to my network just fine. The only prolem it that the video files in my shared folder will not be seen by wd tv live. I created a share folder following all steps in this guide:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3787/related/1/session/L2F2LzIvdGltZS8xMzA1MTY3NTY5L3NpZC9OU2hSN0t0aw%3D%3D

But my wd tv live can only see that folder but the video files in there. Am I missing something? Thanks.

20

Hi everyone,

OK, I managed to get it work. My PC and WD TV live can “see” each other just fine now. I can play my videos in my PC using the WD and vice versa. I can transfer file between the two devices just file, but the speed is so slow (around 2mb/s) but I knew that is a known issue for everyone else.

One thing I am just not clear about is that my WD can only see and play the videos when they are placed in the folder:

C:\User\Public

I think this is the default folder that created by window 7 that are shared for all users. But I wonder if I can create a folder in destop and share it to all users and make my WD to be able to access that folder just as it does with the C:\User\Public folder? I tried that but it did not work for me. I gave it all the previleges but the WD can only see that folder but NOT the contents in that folder. Any idea why? 

Thanks.