Using external HD on network

[Denti]

For over two years I have been watching video files stored on external HDs that are attached via USB to my laptop, which is wired to my network. No problems. I simply set the drive to be shared on the network and it appears in network shares when I select my laptop.

But suddenly, and without having done anything new, that drive stopped appearing. It’s on the network still. I can access it from another computer in the house. It even shows up under media servers on the WDTV. But it will not show up in network shares. I can see my laptop and the user folder, and I can view videos that have been added to the shared folder there, but the entire HD is inaccessible.

This is really annoying and I can’t figure out how to fix it. To make things worse i spoke to customer support and while the first person tried to help me, the second claimed that the WDTV is and always has been unable to play files that are not in the networked computer’s shared folder. I found this shocking, since I had been doing it for years, and that’s why I even bought the thing in the first place.

So: what might have gone wrong? Or, is it true that my former ability to play files from an external HD attached to my networked laptop was just a fluke, and I won’t be able to repeat it? If so, is this also true of the newer models of the device?

[pearl]

Denti wrote:
… So: what might have gone wrong? Or, is it true that my former ability to play files from an external HD attached to my networked laptop was just a fluke, and I won’t be able to repeat it? If so, is this also true of the newer models of the device?

Not sure what changed, but you certainly should be able to see any shares that area available on your network (same network that your WD Live is on). Though I dont have the same gen 1 Live as you do, I do have a LivePlus which is pretty similar. When you choose a network remote network device to access, AFAIK you should see a list of available shares on that computer.

Sounds to me like you and the tech misunderstood each other. Yes, you have to share the network drive on your PC for the WD Live to see the media. It’s not a specific directory though, you can share out any drive or directory on the computer. When it’s shared, your WD should see it as a resource that it can attach to.

Check the USB drive you have attached to your computer and make sure that it is set up as a share, and that the permisions are set correctly.

-P

[Denti]

Sorry for not being clear. I actually do have a WDTV Live Plus.

I want to stress that my drive is accessible on the network. I can see it and access it from another computer on the network. Just not on the WDTV Live Plus.

Also, there was definitely no misunderstanding with the tech support. I even called back and asked again.

There’s another odd detail that might help explain what’s wrong: I created a new folder on my desktop and set it up to be shared on the network. I can see this new folder on the WDTV Live Plus. But whatever media files I put in the folder do not show up. These same media files DO show up when I put them in the laptop’s public shared folder.

So strange.

[jubei04]

Hi Denti, please check your private messages. 

[pearl]

Okay, so If I understand correctly from the info you posted, from the LivePlus, you can see shares on both computer’s local hard drive and the USB drive, but you can only access files in the one share that is the “public share” that windows sets up. Is that correct?

If so, I am guessing that it has something to do with file system permissions. Possibly share persmissions, but if you can get to all of the shares just not the files in them, file system makes more sense. Check to see which users have access to those files inside the shared directories. Since you can access the default “public share”, make sure that that the new share (on your desktop) has the same share permissions, and then the same file system permissions.

Again, this should work and you go bad info if the tech told you that you could only access from the “public” folder in Windows. My livePlus accesses many shares on a file server that are on multiple different drives.

You are right, so strange.

[Denti]

Not exactly.

In LivePlus I can only see what is on the laptop’s internal HD. However, I can only access the files that are in the laptop’s public folder.

I cannot see any of the externally attached HDs. They don’t even show up. (But they ARE onthe network, and I can see and access them from another computer.)

I have checked and re-checked all the sharing permissions. Everything is set to be shared and permissions are set to “everyone.”

[Denti]

Update: I unplugged both my modem and my router for about 5 minutes because my wife was having trouble accessing our wifi on her ipad. After plugging it back in I can now see the drive on LivePlus. Strange. I had unplugged both modem and router before. Can’t say why it’s working now.

What bugs me the most, though, is that tech support would deny that this kind of HD access is even possible…

[mike27oct]

Denti >>>> What bugs me the most, though, is that tech support would deny that this kind of HD access is even possible…

It really seems like a misunderstanding on the support person’s part.  If you ever need WD tech support again, (or anyone else’s for that matter) and are getting “nowhere”, ask to speak to someone in Level 2 support, and don’t take no for an answer.  The first line of any tech support is pretty lame and mostly helps with the basics it seems.