How to access N5200 from WinXP

[liquid]

Hi all,

I've just bought an N5200 (this one does not have the 4-port switch) and have what are probably some very basic questions.

My requirement is to access the N5200 through a WinXP Home computer and also potentially through a future set-top media player, so I need advice on how to best set it up with this functionality in mind.

I connected it using its LAN port (the top one of the two) to a Belkin 9230 router which is connected to the WinXP Home computer's network controller. However, I don't know if I should use the LAN or WAN port because I don't know what the difference is. Anyway, the first thing I did was run the Thecus Setup Wizard, which found the N5200 after Zone Alarm Free asked to allow permission. I successfully accessed the Web-based set-up using the default LAN IP 192.168.2.254 and upgraded the firmware to the latest v1.00.05. I created a RAID 5 array using 3x500G Samsung HD501LJ drives, which seems to have been successful as the RAID status indicates 'Healthy'.

The problem now is that I don't know how to access the array from Windows. When I click on My Network Places --> Entire Network --> Microsoft Windows Network, I see a folder labeled 'Mygroup' which seems to have been generated by default by the N5200. Inside the 'Mygroup' folder there is a folder labeled 'N5200', but when I try to open it, Windows displays the following message:

"\\N5200 is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not found."

The Belkin router is my first attempt at anything network related, and unfortunately its ease of installation taught me approximately zero about networking. Needless to say I have no idea what the above message means.

I tried to set up a couple of folders on the N5200 but I don't know what type of folder to set up, or what settings to select, or how to access them from Windows. In fact, I don't even understand any of the terminology.

All I really need is one folder into which I can drag existing files and folders from the Windows computer, and then access them.

I would really appreciate some help with this, otherwise I might be forced to use it as a USB drive only, which would be a shame...

Thank you.

Rob.

[Arctra]

Hi and Welcome!

OK, l don't have much time to write a comprehensive guide for u, but this should help u a bit:

1) Connect you WAN port to the Belkin. This should then make your N5200 accessible on 192.168.1.100

2) Set up a PUBLIC share by logging in via the web interface then going to "Storage" -> "Folder" and then hitting the "Add" button. Name the folder whatever you like (e.g. files), add a description if you like, then set "Browsable" and "Public" to "Yes" and don't set a share folder limit.

Now on your Windows XP box, got to File Explorer, click on the Tools menu then select "Map network drive". Set the drive letter to whatever you like, then in the "Folder" field enter:
\\192.168.1.100\files (assuming the N5200 IP address is 192.168.1.100 and teh share name is "share")

You should now be able to access it as a normal drive on your computer through File Explorer.

Cheers

[liquid]

Thank you for your reply, Arctra.

I did initially connect the N5200's WAN port directly to the Belkin router, but unfortunately Internet Explorer says it can't find the page. When I connect the N5200's WAN port directly to my computer's network controller, I get a message in Windows' notification area indicating that the connection is limited or has no connectivity, and Internet Explorer can't find the page. I can't access the N5200's setup through the WAN port, either through the router or directly connected to my network controller, regardless of what IP I use.

However, as I mentioned in my previous post, I can access the setup through the LAN port, both when connected to the router and directly to my computer. I tried enabling DHCP in the N5200's WAN menu, then connected the N5200's WAN port to the router, and rebooted both the router and the N5200. I then looked at the router's setup and the N5200 is listed under 'LAN > DHCP Client List' as 'N5200' with an IP address of 192.168.2.2. But, the N5200's LCD indicates that the WAN IP is N/A, and the LAN IP is 192.168.2.254. I don't know where the IP 192.168.2.2 comes from, and I don't know why the N5200 is listed under 'LAN' in the router's setup when it's now connected via the WAN port. Anyway, it seems that the router can see the N5200 when connected to the WAN port under DHCP but Internet Explorer and Firefox still can't.

Like I said, I can access the N5200's setup via the LAN port and can create folders, but I can't access them using the method I described in my previous post: I get that message telling me that it is not accessible. When I try mapping it to a network drive I get asked for a user name and password, which of course don't exist. Is this because connecting the N5200 to the LAN port just won't allow it to function as a NAS?

Could it be that the WAN port is faulty enough to prevent my computer from accessing the N5200 but still work well enough to allow the router's setup to see it under DHCP? Basically, could the WAN port be faulty, or have I set up something incorrectly? Is connecting it via the WAN port the only way to make it function as a NAS? Also, what's Thecus' technical support like?

Sorry for all the dopey questions, but I'm really stuck here!

Thanks.

[Arctra]

*LOL* Your questions aren't dopey mate, don't worry. I think u'd struggle to find a single one of us on this forum that has not found themselves desperately searching for answers and not knowing what the correct question to ask is.

Alright, so lets get troubleshooting here. First of all I have a couple of questions for you, then I'm going to make a few assumptions and suggestions based on those assumptions that will hopefully get u up and running.

Do you have any data on your N5200 at the moment that you cannot afford to lose? If so, you might want to try back it up elsewhere in case you lose the data during troubleshooting.

Do you have a crossover network cable or a crossover converter? We need to figure out whether there is a problem with ur NAS's network ports or whether it's something else (like your hub/switch/router or your network cables or something).

First thing I'd do is unplug all network cables from the NAS and totally power it down. Now start it up again, still without having any network cables plugged into it. Does the LCD show the LAN IP to be 192.168.1.100, some other IP, or still N/a? If it's N/a then try and set the address manually using the toggle buttons under the LCD. Instructions on how to do this are in the N5200 FAQ under section 1, point number 7 (get FAQ from CD or Thecus website).

If the NAS shows IP addresses for the LAN and WAN then it's looking good. Now, plug a crossover cable into the WAN port and into your PC. Try and connect to the WAN IP address in a web browser. You should hopefully be able to connect and log into the web config page. If not, then try moving the crossover cable across to the LAN socket and point your web browser at the LAN IP address. If you can only connect to 1 port and not the other then you have a faulty port and need to get ur NAS replaced. If you can't connect on either port you may need to set your PC's IP address manually to be in the same IP range as your NAS. If you can connect on both port then the problem is not with your NAS, it's with the hub/switch/router or your cables.

If you can connect, but it's with wierd IP addresses, then maybe reset it to factory settings and start over. I think u reset by pressing and holding the power or reset button for 5 seconds or aomething (it's in the manual).

You might want to consider reading up on some basic networking articles and guides to get up to scratch with networking. Just google something like "Begginers home networking" and you'll find lots on info. Here's a place to start www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1427.

Let me know how u go and I'll see if I can help u more.

Cheers

[liquid]

"Your questions aren't dopey mate, don't worry."

Well, they are if Zone Alarm was the problem all along! LOL [shakes head]

When I first ran the Thecus Setup Wizard, Zone Alarm asked to give permission for a couple of things so I didn't think it was going to get in the way. It turns out it was blocking sharing without telling me about it. I changed a setting in Zone Alarm and can now access the folders on the N5200 without problem. I discovered this after doing as you suggested and connected the N5200 directly to my PC, thus removing the router from the equation. Of course, I'd never heard of a cross-over cable until you mentioned it so I did some googling. I found a wiring diagram and made one from a spare patch cable. I connected it between the LAN port and the second embedded network controller just to also eliminate the first controller as a potential problem. After giving the second controller a static IP I could access the N5200's setup and also ping it, but still couldn't access any folders. I figured if the N5200 wasn't faulty, then the problem has to be Zone Alarm! I've also tried connecting the WAN port to the router and this works fine, too.

Needless to say, checking Zone Alarm should've been the first thing I tried. Rest assured I'm going to give myself a slap and go stand in the corner!

Anyway, Arctra thanks for your assistance with this, I really appreciate it. I've actually learned a bit after all the reading I unnecessarily forced myself to do.

[Arctra]

Great to hear u had a positive outcome! Was happy to help and will happily help again.

Cheers