31 replies to this topic

[tasman27]

Well, I deleted all WD programs and software from the PC. Took a few tries but it's all gone. Restored the PC back 2 days before I started playing with this drive. Rebooted several times after each process, so it should be clean.

 

Plugged the drive into the power and let it sit for a minute. Then plugged the USB into the Linksys USB port. So far I have a steady light on the unit, but no show in the Network or the router. My Irish luck has somehow left me tonight.....

 

Should I plug it into the PC to see what else I can do? I know there are several WD files on the unit that were there when I originally connected it. Some is software to run the drive. Or should I wait to see if the light starts to blink on the front of the unit and then try to see if it's connected?

[Tomk]

Have you tried to follow the linksys guide?  http://www.linksys.c...ticleNum=139961

[tasman27]

No..was not aware of it but will do it right now! Maybe this will answer some questions about the drive!

 

Thanks,

 

Taz

[tasman27]

Apparently we have found a potential issue. I followed your instructions and now the drive is asking for a password to 'unlock the drive'. I'm typing it in but it says it's invalid. I know this was the PW as I typed in a hint for it. If I enter it wrong 5x, the drive will be erased automatically. file:///F:/Locale/en_US.lproj/EraseDrive.html

Is this what I want to do? WD says there's no way to recover the PW, only erase and restore the WD drive data from their website. I do have a backup file on it, but it's no issue to erase it.

 

Do I go ahead and erase the drive?

Edited by tasman27, 23 December 2016 - 12:57 AM.

[tasman27]

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!

 

It works, FINALLY!!!!!

 

Here's what I did to get it done: (Followed a lot of your suggestions, see previous posts!)

 

First, I deleted all the WD software from the PC and rebooted. Then I followed your instructions to try the Linksys guide to determine if the drive was compatible. But, I couldn't open it to see the storage tab as it was now asking for a password that I originally assigned to it when I was setting it up. For some odd reason, it wouldn't accept the PW. According to WD, there's no going back with that. It's know your PW or erase the drive and reset everything.

 

Sooooo...erase and reset it was. I erased the drive and per WD instructions, restored the WD software onto the clean drive. It was a bit daunting as their info was a bit out of date, to say the least. They missed a step of unzipping the downloaded file and double clicking on a DIFFERENT file to open the zip. Then copy or drop & drag the extracted files onto the clean drive. At that point, I ran the SmartWare .exe file in the drive and the Install Wizard started so files can be installed that the drive needs to run. From there it was basically follow the instructions given in the Wizard. Detached the USB from the PC, plugged it into the router and the drive showed up immediately!!!!!

 

I'm a happy camper that we got this drive to work!

 

In the end, I suspect there was something not right on the drive that kept it from connecting to the router. Formatting the drive got rid of it and reinstalling the software got it on the right track.

 

I'd like to commend Terry1966 , Digerato , and Tomk   for all their patience, assistance, and ideas on getting this drive to work. Persistence pays off and with a little knowledge and hard work, anything is possible! You guys are the BEST! WTT is the best site going if you have a PC issue of any kind. I've been here for many years and several PC's and I've yet to go away without a solution to a problem.

 

Thanks again for all you patience and attention to my issue to get it resolved in a short amount of time....you guys ROCK!

 

Y'all have a great holiday season and I'll be hangin' 'round just in case this or something else blows up! LOL

 

Taz

[terry1966]

well done.

 

the best thing about having problems in the first place (besides solving it and learning something) is that in a while you'll also have the mybooklive nas drive back under warranty so you'll then have double the storage space. 

 

have a great christmas and new year.

 

 

ps sounds to me like you encrypted the partition when first formatting the drive and that's then why the router could no longer see/use it.

Edited by terry1966, 23 December 2016 - 06:41 AM.

[Tomk]

Glad to hear you have things sorted.  And before Christmas too!  (It's really a drag when the ghosts of failed drives past, present, and future visit you on Christmas Day).  Now you can relax and enjoy the Holiday Season.

 

Merry Christmas

[Digerati]

Wow, I missed so much overnight just by living in the Central Standard time zone of the US (UTC -6) but I am glad to hear everything is working out. It just didn't make sense that an Ethernet connected NAS drive didn't just work with the router. As noted above, as far as the router is concerned, it should just think it's any ol' Ethernet device such as a computer's NIC, or a smart TV, or Roku, AiO printing device, Blu-ray player or any other "network ready" device.
 
I still don't understand why you are not able to access the page to the USB to Ethernet adapter I linked to above. Note it is NOT the same device Terry was referring to, that is a different adapter for a different purpose.
 
Not that it matters now, but see if you can just copy and paste this url into your browser and get there. If not something in your system is blocking it.
 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166088&cm_re=usb_to_ethernet-_-33-166-088-_-Product

 
I just tried it with IE11, Chrome, Edge, and Pale Moon and got to the "$18.00 Rosewill RNG-406Uv2, 10/100/1000 Mbps, USB 3.0, 1xRJ45 Ethernet Adapter" sold by Newegg. You should be able to too.

Any way, once again I am glad you got it sorted out. Merry Christmas to all!

[tasman27]

UPDATE:

 

While I was exhausted this morning after working on this for about 6 hrs, I decided it was time to get a bit of sleep! Well, while doing that, the drive is still visible to the network, but none of the WD preloaded software will work. Which basically means it's useless as I can't back anything up!

 

So, thinking this is a software issue, I called WD and explained it to them. Apparently I have communication issues as the tech thought I was trying to restore the data from my PC! (sigh, I wish these companies would hire English speaking techs...) After basically explaining it AGAIN, he goes offline and comes back to say that the MyBook drive is not USB compatible or any OTHER ways to be used as a network drive on a router.

 

I plug it in to my PC and all the pre-loaded software appears and it's ready to go as designed. Why was this so complicated??????? I SURRENDER....WD wins! I've spent more time on this than it's worth at this point, especially at this time of year.

 

Even though I can't use the drive as I intended, hopefully I have one coming that will from WD. However it doesn't diminish the effort you all put in to trying to solve the issue. I greatly appreciate it one and all. Lesson learned? Research the drive specs and lit thoroughly before purchasing said drive to be sure it will serve its purpose.

 

But, our record is intact! I still came away with a resolution to the issue and for that I am grateful! I hope anyone reading the thread will take a lesson from it.

 

To all, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for you and your loved ones.

 

Regards,

 

Taz

 

PS:  I'm in the CST time zone as well, I just don't sleep much! and I was able to see the cable url sent. It may be an option now that I'm back to square one, but I want to be sure before spending any more on this. It can wait till Jan for sure now! Also I read somewhere in the WD KB that the drive is Linux-based. Maybe that's why it won't work via USB and it's software?

[Tomk]

I think that WD didn't do anyone any favors by calling the NAS drive and the external storage drive by virtually the same name.  Most people won't notice that My Book Live is different than My Book... especially when they have so many more product names, like Passport and Elements.  I think going with Cloud for the NAS drives makes alot of sense and will help consumers distinguish between the different applications.

 

Just one more thing, Taz,  Most (if not all) NAS drives will connect via ethernet rather than USB.  A USB connected drive should be a red flag if you're looking for a NAS drive.

[Digerati]

Just one more thing, Taz, Most (if not all) NAS drives will connect via Ethernet

I think it is "all". USB does not imply or even suggest "network". "N"AS (network attached storage) does.

I believe even that all those NAS devices that also support wireless still support Ethernet too.

For the record, what I did was turn my trusty old, still faithfully running XP machine into a NAS. I just loaded it up with drives, opened up sharing, then blocked its Internet access in my router to keep it safe from compromise, thus keeping the rest of the world safe from it. It sits in a corner closet in a storeroom in the basement. This way, if bad guy breaks into my house and steals my main computer, he won't see an external drive sitting on my desk and grab it (and my backups) too. Hopefully he won't snoop around the basement too.

[tasman27]

Tomk...you're spot on! That's why I thought the two were the same only with a different way to connect to the router. I felt that the USB would be more reliable and would free up an Ethernet port, should I need one.

 

Digerati....sounds like a great plan if I had an old PC! BTW, you're not related to or work for the Clintons are you?

[Digerati]

Quote

I felt that the USB would be more reliable and would free up an Ethernet port, should I need one.

 

IMO, except for keyboards and mice, USB is the least reliable I/O interface. Forums are flooded with complaints of connectivity issues with external drives and memory sticks.

 

Ethernet has been around a lot longer than USB. And except for increasing bandwidth from 100Mbps to 1000Mbps, it has not changed because it simply works.

 

USB 2.0 came about, not just to increase bandwidth, but to fix connectivity issues with USB1.x. It didn't. Then USB 3.0 tried to fix those same problems and has failed too. Even when the issue is about a connected keyboard or mouse, usually it is with wireless keyboards and mice - the USB dongle adapter, not a direct connected (wired) keyboard or mouse.

 

So I will recommend eSATA or Ethernet connected external drives before USB.

 

Clintons? Ummm, no. Why would you ask that? For the record, I didn't vote for Trump but I sure didn't want her in there either. And all the State Department systems I supported were located in SCIFs in headquarters on military bases, in Embassies, the Pentagon, The White House, and the Harry S Truman Building (State Dept). Definitely NOT anyone's private home server!

 

[tasman27]

Learn something everyday. Since I'm not a computer tech, I'm not extremely knowledgeable in these matters. I know enough just to get into trouble!

 

Thanks for the short course on 'Connectivity"! I'll watch out for it next time I need to purchase any hardware. I was j/k about Clinton's.....couldn't pass it up! LOL

Edited by tasman27, 23 December 2016 - 03:44 PM.

[Digerati]

I was j/k about Clinton's

 

No problem. I've been asked similar things before when folks see I used to support State Department secure networks. She was the Secretary at the time but none of our messages EVER went to, from or through any private server or personal computer.