I know there are a ton of posts about this issue (network shares not being accessable). Theres been some talk about changing settings and most recently (that I know of) the issue of master browsers. I would like to share my experience.
I originally had bought a Linksys E2500, and while that worked like a charm for network shares, it was hit or miss on being able to use netflix, ect because of DNS errors and whatnot. Then I came into a Cisco Valet Plus for free and hooked it up. Now Netflix, ect worked great, but my network shares disappeared. After trying out all the other fixes mentioned on this board, I happened to do a google search on my issue and one popped up that was relavent. It mentioned flashing the router from the official firmware to DDWRT, a custom firmware. I flashed the Valet Plus with DDWRT, and almost unbelieveably, everything works as it should, and as a bonus I have some advanced features that were not available before to me on my router.
On a side note, I did try using a custom firmware (WDlxTV) on the streamer. It worked better, but still had some issues with network shares, namely accessing network shares more than once. Also, I’ve had issues with the purple screen which was fixed in the official firmware, but not on the custom which was a dealbreaker (my wife hates it).
End of story, I wonder if many of the problems people are having with network shares, ect are due to router incompatibilities?
I am currently experiencing the exact same thing with my Network Shares. I can get them working one day and come back the next and can’t access them again. I could usually get them to come back by unplugging it and plugging it in again and then turning the unit off by remote and back on again and get them working again, but apparently no longer. The other day I had to actually restore to factory specs and they worked fine again, but only until the next day when they went out again. Does anyone have a solution to this as I am going crazy dealing with this and the wife being mad because she can’t access our media. I am beginnning to think like you guys that it is a network setup situation. Does anyone have a general spec as to what settings the router should be set at and same with the players. I have been looking into static IP’s thinking maybe they are changing each time and then it can’t find the router or vice versa. I barely know anything about this so I hope that doesn’t sound stupid. I am using a Time Warner Motorola SBV5121 modem (which I am thinking about upgrading to a Motorola SB6141), a Netgear 3400 router at the moment ( I am going to be hooking up a new Apple Airport Extreme this weekend and see if anything changes there), a My Book Live Duo 6TB, and 3 WDTV Live Plus players. Any help on this would be immensely appreciated!!
I also forgot to add that to get the ethernet to all 3 players, I am using 4 WD Live Wires (2 sets) to get it to them. Could they maybe be the problem as well? I am going to be wiring the whole house with Cat6 cable soon, but got those to get it up and running temporarily. I don’t think they are the problem as this was the setup I was using before when it worked much better than it is now, but that was a Live Plus update or two ago as well as a My Book Live Duo update or two ago as well. I am leaning towards router settings at the moment. The thing that really gets me is I started out with one player and two externals hooked to it and it worked beautifully. The problems reared when I got the bright idea of a central NAS and players at each tv. Ah, life used to be so much simpler!
Yes, I am using one hooked to my router and the other 3 are as you said remotes that are at each tv to get the internet to the players. I just meant I bought 2 sets of them as they come in pairs. Is that correct and could they be causing this as well? I thought about making up an ethernet cable and running it to the closest tv from the router and seeing if it changes how long the player stays connected or any other characteristics. I am hooking up the apple router today and am also purchasing a new Motorola Gigabit modem today (SB6141) since ours is about 8 years old now and not gigabit (not sure if that will change much, but it sounds good!). Are there certain settings I should make sure and setup when setting all this up that will possibly help resolve this problem? I am by no means an IT guy, but I know JUST enough to get myself into trouble Just a little more info, we don’t have a desktop at all, my wife and I both just use our Macbook Pro laptops over WiFi and then we have the NAS and the 3 Plus’s and a wireless printer ( all of which works fine other than the players). It’s hard trying to figure this issue out as there are SOOO many using Windows and not nearly as many using Macs. I am really to the point that I am thinking it is definitely a handshaking problem between the network and the players. The only thing we can use the players for is Netflix at the moment which seems to work fine as well. It all comes down to my media, which by the way is all .mp4 or .m4v, but probably 90% .mp4. I got the shares to come back on one player yesterday by manually setting an IP. I tried playing one tv show and it froze up at around a minute and a half and would stop. I would play it again and it would make it maybe another 5 to 10 seconds and same thing again. That has only been the case for that particular try, before that when it was connected by just automatically setting itself up, the movies would play fine as long as the Network Shares were available, but like I said they would be gone again tomorrow after sitting idle. One other thing is that I can access the NAS on either of our Macs over WiFi and play our media no problem, which is what we have been doing lately and just hooking them up to our tv via HDMI and using mirroring. Sorry for the novel, just wanted you to know all the issues. If there is anything else I may not have listed let me know and I’ll post it. Any ideas are greatly, greatly appreciated!
Also I forgot about the master browser issue, which was what I was refering to the issue of so many Windows users and not as many Macs. I don’t know how to check what is the master browser to see if this is maybe the issue as well. I know how to get to the commands utility, but not sure what all to enter to check it or if maybe it is the same as what you enter into Windows commands.
Also I forgot about the master browser issue, which was what I was refering to the issue of so many Windows users and not as many Macs. I don’t know how to check what is the master browser to see if this is maybe the issue as well. I know how to get to the commands utility, but not sure what all to enter to check it or if maybe it is the same as what you enter into Windows commands.
Read this excellent post by TonyPh12345 (above) which explains how to find your Master Browser and do some t-shooting around it. A very good one to bookmark.
OK, I think I may have it. I read and read and took some suggestions of each post. I changed the workgroup from WORKGROUP to WORKGROUP-USA on all 3 players and both computers. Then I manually set the IP on all 3 players to 192.168.1.7 & .14 & .21 and so far so good! Now I just have to wait and see if everything stays put for more than a day or two! Pearl, thanks for the reply, but unless I missed something that is for WINDOWS and I am on all OS X. Unless you can use the same commands for Mac as Windows, then that didn’t help me on finding my Master Browser. That’s one of the hardest things on here with some of this stuff is that the majority of people are using Windows and doesn’t apply to me. I will post back and let you know if this held. Thanks again!
Pearl, thanks for the reply, but unless I missed something that is for WINDOWS and I am on all OS X. Unless you can use the same commands for Mac as Windows, then that didn’t help me on finding my Master Browser. That’s one of the hardest things on here with some of this stuff is that the majority of people are using Windows and doesn’t apply to me. I will post back and let you know if this held. Thanks again!
Hmm, didn’t think of that… I don’t get to play around with Apple stuff much these days, but I still have to assume there is some way to detect which machine is the Master Browser since it can be an OSX machine. If you still end up needing to find the MB on you network, here is an option:
If you cannot find any native way via the command utility, you could download Wireshark for OSX. It’s another trick I learned from reading Tony’s posts when I had Master Browser issues. You can use the filter to sort on “Browser”’ and you will see the master browser announcements. It works very well. Here are the links to Wireshark (a killer tool for many reasons) and a link to Tony’s post on how to use the tool from back in 2010. It’ been a tool I have used many times after first finding Tony’s post and playing around with it. The post will explain how to filter and find MB and Workgroup announcements
There are several ways to help control a MB election using a Mac and I am guessing you will know this stuff better than I. Once you figure out which box is the MB, you can fix the election either through the UI in Server Admin, or if that doesn’t work, edit the Samba.conf file. It’s been a long time since I had to do this so I will leave more info to smarter minds than mine when it come to Macs.
Hopefully all your issues are already solved, but I still recomend checking out Wireshark if you get a chance. It comes in handy
Just a little more info, we don’t have a desktop at all, my wife and I both just use our Macbook Pro laptops over WiFi and then we have the NAS and the 3 Plus’s and a wireless printer ( all of which works fine other than the players). It’s hard trying to figure this issue out as there are SOOO many using Windows and not nearly as many using Macs. I am really to the point that I am thinking it is definitely a handshaking problem between the network and the players. The only thing we can use the players for is Netflix at the moment which seems to work fine as well. It all comes down to my media, which by the way is all .mp4 or .m4v, but probably 90% .mp4. I got the shares to come back on one player yesterday by manually setting an IP. I tried playing one tv show and it froze up at around a minute and a half and would stop. I would play it again and it would make it maybe another 5 to 10 seconds and same thing again. That has only been the case for that particular try, before that when it was connected by just automatically setting itself up, the movies would play fine as long as the Network Shares were available, but like I said they would be gone again tomorrow after sitting idle. One other thing is that I can access the NAS on either of our Macs over WiFi and play our media no problem, which is what we have been doing lately and just hooking them up to our tv via HDMI and using mirroring. Sorry for the novel, just wanted you to know all the issues. If there is anything else I may not have listed let me know and I’ll post it. Any ideas are greatly, greatly appreciated!