Beyonwiz T3 - Answer to: "playing files on home network "

[MarkR]

OK, so after three emails and two phone calls back and forth with the Help Desk (thanx, Jai!!), if you want to play files on your home computer on your T3 through your home network, here's how to do it:

Go into Menu>Setup>Network>Mounts Manager and then click on "Add new Network Mountpoint". Use the following settings, but note my points along the way:

Mount Using: "FSTAB (mount at boot)" (ie hit right arrow once);
Active: Enabled (shows switch as blue when enabled)(ie hit right arrow once);
Local share name: This is the name that will show in the T3 menu(s): you can name it whatever you want, eg "Rumplestiltskin". Note that you can bring up a QWERTY keyboard by pressing the TEXT button at the bottom of the remote.
Mount Type: CIFS share
Server IP: This will be the local IP address of your PC: the easiest way for me to find mine was to open Trend Micro, and get it to show my Network Map. Use the number pad.
Server Share: OK, so this is where it gets tricky. You have to use the "share name" of the folder, NOT its path! I'm using Windows 7, so to find this, I opened Windows Explorer and navigated to the folder I want to share from the root of the hard drive (C:\), NOT using any of the shortcuts. Then right-click > Properties > Sharing tab > Advanced Sharing button. Make sure the "Share this folder" box is ticked. The "share name" is right there. Type only this as the name of the "server share".
Use as HDD replacement: Disable (ie default setting)
Mount Options: rw, utf8 (ie default setting)
Username: Enter your PC Username here (ie whatever's set on your laptop, assuming you have users and passwords set up).
Password: Enter your PC password here (ditto).

Press green button to save, then red button to exit. You will get a message telling you your mount is active ... BUT: go down one to the "Manage Mounts" menu, and check the icon to the left of your new entry: if it has a green ball in it, you're good to go; if it has a red ball with a white X in it, it's NOT "mounted": something's wrong and you'll have to re-check your settings.

There are two ways to access your 'mounted' drive: the nicest is via the "Media" button: click "Locations" (the yellow button), and your "Rumplestiltskin" will appear. The other way is Menu > Sources which shows a view much more like Windows Explorer.

Enjoy!

MarkR

[basiltas]

We wasted HOURS going through these settings over and over again. However, it turned out that because we had put the username and password for the server share in another of the Beyonwiz T3 functions, and did not notice that the slider on the Mount Manager entry page went further down, we didn't see that the username and password had to be added at the bottom of the details for the mount. Fixed that, discovered that we had also put in the ip for the Beyonwiz instead of the server, and suddenly, the gate was open! Great, but easy enough to miss.

[itstonyb]

hi Mark
I am using Win 10 and the share options are different as there is no sharing tab under properties for me to set my share folder.

[Gully]

I am using Win 10 and the share options are different as there is no sharing tab under properties for me to set my share folder.

What version of Windows 10 are you using?

I'm using Windows 10 Pro and there is definitely a sharing tab.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

... I'm using Windows 10 Pro and there is definitely a sharing tab.

Same, same Windows 10 Home

[itstonyb]

Ok found the share tab.

I am trying to share a drive on my pc labelled G:
My pc is named "main" and the share name on share tab shows as "\\Main\g"
I have checked that the drive is shared in windows file manager.

I type \\Main\g into the server share field on the T2 but when I try to find the location using the Media button I keep getting the error: "Directory/media/autofs/main/ does not exist

Also, when I use the mount type FSTAB I get the red x on the mount but if I change to AUTOFS I get the green tick, however neither work as the above error keeps occurring.

I will add that my Synology NAS is successfully mounted using the AUTOFS mount type, however I cannot get the PC drive to mount.

Thanks in advance

[MrQuade]

I type \\Main\g into the server share field on the T2 but when I try to find the location using the Media button I keep getting the error: "Directory/media/autofs/main/ does not exist

It looks like the problem that you are experiencing there is that you are entering the PC name into the share field. You shouldn't need to do this, as the PC name is already specified in another field. You just need to enter the share name,

The easiest way to connect to a Windows PC is to "Turn off password protected sharing" on the PC. Windows has a problem with allowing non-Windows devices to enumerate its shares which makes it a pain to simply browse for shares from the T2.
Once that is done and the T2 is able to auto-discover the PCs network shares, all you need to do is select the share from the Network browser and select all the default options as an AutoFS mount.

[itstonyb]

That's great, by turning off password protected sharing in the Network and Sharing Centre/Change advanced sharing settings that worked a treat. Thanks for your help.

[Frankyg]

Hey,

Great easy to follow steps here, helped me get my Windows 10 PC media available from my T2.

Having a bit of an issue with the folders that I've shared. I've shared a 'Media' folder which the T2 sees no problem. I can also navigate around the folders that sit under "Media'; 4K, Movies, TV etc... When I select 'TV' for example, the folder opens but the T2 can't enumerate the contents. Same for the other folders - except the 4K folder!

I'm not that worried about being able to access the 4k folder from the T2 as I won't be playing 4k files over wifi. I would like to have access to the other folders that sit under my Media folder though. Do I have to create mount points for each folder that I wan't access to? Any other steps that I need to do?

Thanks for any pointers....

[Tezac002]

Beyonwiz,

I am having difficulty with the ability of seeing the contents of any folders that I have shared with my Beyonwiz T3 and Windows 10. I had no problems with sharing and seeing the content of my shared folders prior to the connection of NBN (National Broadband Network). I have rechecked all of the folder sharing settings as they were before I had trouble and I have now and all is okay. The settings that I used are displayed below:


• Go to Network and Sharing Centre or whatever it is now called Windows 10 and then to Advanced Sharing and make sure Turn on Network Discovery is selected
• Turn on the File and Printer Sharing
• Turn on sharing so anyone with network access to read and write in the public folders
• File sharing connections enable file sharing for devices that use 40 or 56 bit encryption etc.
• Turn off password protected sharing.
I have tried numerous times to check that. All the settings required for sharing folders are okay and I still cannot see the contents of the shared folders on my PC.

If anybody has any solutions that they can suggest to me to fix the problem. I would be very grateful if you from them.

I was trying to close this question on the forum, but I was having trouble working out how to post it. Any advice about posting forums in the future would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Regards,

Tezac 002

[MrQuade]

I have tried numerous times to check that. All the settings required for sharing folders are okay and I still cannot see the contents of the shared folders on my PC.

What exactly do you mean when you say "I still cannot see the contents of the shared folders on my PC."?

Are you able to see the PC when you browse for it using the T3's network browser?
When you click on the PC in the Wiz's network browser, can you see the shared folders?
Can you mount the shared folders successfully?

If all those steps were successful, are you opening the mounted share in the Wiz's Media Player, and no files are showing?
Do you see any error messages?

One thing you should consider is making sure that you are running the latest beta firmware (series 17.5). This version contains a variety of networking and security improvements.

[Tezac002]

You have understood exactly what I was saying. When I try to open any of the mounted folders with Whiz's media player, it shows that the directory where the folders containing my movies ect. are not visible.
I have checked all the settings on the computer to see if there is anything that I cannot find that is wrong, it has got me stumped. I rebooted the Beyonwiz T3 back to factory settings is still no better. It just seems very strange that everything worked okay prior to changing my Internet service provider which now is an optical line instead of the old copper pulse network. I will update to the latest firmware if required. Otherwise, any other ideas? Getting desperate for more ideas.

Did you get your Beyonwiz to share folders properly?

[Grumpy_Geoff]

"I had no problems with sharing and seeing the content of my shared folders prior to the connection of NBN (National Broadband Network)."
So, if it was okay before you connected up to the NBN -
Are you using a new (modem/)router, with a new IP address range for your LAN? Do you have your T3 set to get its IP address via DHCP?

As a test, can your T3 get to the internet - say YouTube, or online firmware update check? Does the T3's network browser (MENU>Setup>Network>Network browser) find any shares on your network?

[Paul_oz53]

Actually, we had recently had some grief with not being able to access files in folders on our Windows machines (we have a LOT of files on the PCs).

The T4 network browser would see the shared folder but not open it to expose its contents. I resolved it by setting a password on the Win 7 guest account on the PCs and telling the T4 to log in to each shared folder using that account/password. Instant success in my case.

Previously, I had password protected sharing "off" but I suspect MS changed something in a recent update following the global virus scares that results in that option no longer working as it did.

Note that I am running up to date 17.5 firmware on the T4. Highly recommended.

Paul

[MrQuade]

The T4 network browser would see the shared folder but not open it to expose its contents. I resolved it by setting a password on the Win 7 guest account on the PCs and telling the T4 to log in to each shared folder using that account/password. Instant success in my case.

Ahh thanks. I'd vaguelly remembered someone having a similar issue but couldn't remember who it was. Strange that the problem only hit with the router upgrade, but perhaps that triggered something in Windows at the same time. Maybe it thinks it was switched to a "public network" or something?

[Tezac002]

I am trying to share folders from my PC with my T3. I am having no luck at all. I am running a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit operating system on my PC. My T3 is connected directly to my router I am trying to share folders from my PC on my T3, having no luck at all. I am running a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit operating system on my PC. My T3 is connected directly to my router via cable.

I have tried numerous times and still have the same trouble. On the T3, I go to Set-up, Network, then Mount Manager and scan the network. I can see a folder with my PC Name ect, and another folder labelled Beyonwiz T3 in my Network

After exiting sources, I go to and scan it. I can now see a folder labelled Beyonwiz T3, and a folder labelled PC Name ect, On the folder with the PC name I press ok It and displays the shared folders on my PC. I check there is no red cross (X) on it. To show the contents of each shared folder click ok and no files from my PC. In, I have username and no password, saved settings, but cannot expand the PC list to display shares files. I can display the shared folders, but not the content.
Any ideas? Getting really desperate… Please help me!
Thank You…

[prl]

The user you're authenticating as (or guest if you're not authenticating) needs to have access permission both to the share and to the folders and files being shared.

It sounds like you have permission to connect to the share but not to access the files and folders it contains.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

I am trying to share folders from my PC with my T3. I am having no luck at all. I am running a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit operating system on my PC. My T3 is connected directly to my router
...

This issue happened straight after you got a new router, right?
Can your PC see the T3 and list the recordings in the T3's "Movie" share? Try entering \\beyonwizt3\Movie in File explorer (Windows explorer).

[Paul_oz53]

Tezac002 - what you describe is what I encountered without changing any hardware or ISP. It was working and then it wasn't. You have NO password on the Windows account, as did I previously.

After Wannacry, I discovered MS had amended the network settings - I know not how but probably via an update. Resetting the windows settings didn't restore access. Assuming you have shared folders on the Windows machines correctly, the fix should be easy.

What restored access was giving my 2 Windows machines a password on the guest account. Next, in the Network Browser, I logged in to the PC using guest / password. The network browser should then show the available shares. If drives have gone to standby, they may not show until they are mounted using Mount Manager.

Just now I have confirmed this works for us.

Paul

[Racer67]

How do these instructions vary to share drive content between two Beyonwiz machines?

Now that would be very useful?

I currently run a T3 and a U4.

If we solve this, I would put one with each tv

[MrQuade]

How do these instructions vary to share drive content between two Beyonwiz machines?

Now that would be very useful?

I currently run a T3 and a U4.

If we solve this, I would put one with each tv

The is no issue with sharing between two Beyonwiz units, it will just work as long as your network is properly configured.

The problems here specifically relate to interoperability with Windows. The are no security barriers when sharing files between the movie share on the Beyonwiz machines.

[Paul_oz53]

Sharing between boxes just requires that you mount the movies folder of each box on the other.

Menu > Setup > Network > Network Browser.
Select the Movie folder (no password).
Save.
Follow the prompts to mount the folder.
It can be slow at this step. Wait for it to finish.

When it finishes you can access the folder in Media player under the Yellow button.

The difference with Windows is you may have to set and use a password on the Windows PC to access Windows folders. I do and they work ok.