NAS access

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:41

Hi guys, HELP! PLEASE....
I get the feeling this should be easy but I'm completely confused. From what I've read I've managed to enter the login fields for my NAS but then there is no way that I can see to OK that info and I don't believe it has taken the login data from the fields. Whilst I have a diploma in programming, I know very little about networking. I realise the need to mount a media source but I'm totally unfamiliar with the tools and protocols so all the acronyms cause even more confusion. What I can tell you is that I have a U4 connected via an ethernet cable via a Netgear Powerline utility back to my Optus router. I have a Netgear NAS which has the SMB configured to see my PC. So do I need to specifically configure it to see the U4? What steps do I need to set up the U4? I really need step by step instructions so I can understand what and why. I'm also wrestling with the remote due to lack of familiarity and no consistency in the controls from level to level.

prl · Post by **prl** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:03

Please use paragraphs. Enter two newlines in a row to get a paragraph.

Screens that have a HELP button hint icon at the bottom right will display a help screen when you press the HELP button on the remote. Setup screens, though, don't generally have help screens. The help screen has its own help screen if you press HELP in a help screen.

Live TV, timeshifted live TV and recording/media playback also have help screens, though there's nowhere to display the button hint icon.

It would help if you said more about how you are trying to set up access to your NAS on the Beyonwiz. It sounds like you're using MENU>Setup>Network>Mount manager>Add new network mount point. When it works cleanly, it's usually easier to use MENU>Setup>Network>Network browser. Using the latter will pre-fill most of the setup fields with sensible values.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:32

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:41
Hi guys, HELP! PLEASE....
I get the feeling this should be easy but I'm completely confused. From what I've read I've managed to enter the login fields for my NAS but then there is no way that I can see to OK that info and I don't believe it has taken the login data from the fields. Whilst I have a diploma in programming, I know very little about networking. I realise the need to mount a media source but I'm totally unfamiliar with the tools and protocols so all the acronyms cause even more confusion. What I can tell you is that I have a U4 connected via an ethernet cable via a Netgear Powerline utility back to my Optus router. I have a Netgear NAS which has the SMB configured to see my PC. So do I need to specifically configure it to see the U4? What steps do I need to set up the U4? I really need step by step instructions so I can understand what and why. I'm also wrestling with the remote due to lack of familiarity and no consistency in the controls from level to level.

Generally, passwords are recommended for all network access but they are not mandatory. Windows users sometimes have trouble accessing the Wiz if no passwords are set. The network setup software is a bit flaky but I assume you found the network browser: Menu>>Setup>>Network>>Network Browser.

The first time you access one of the listed IPs it will ask if you want to enter a username and password. If you do, it will drop back to the list and you have to open that item a second time. Answer no only if no passwords are set for the NAS/Wiz.

You then see a list of the available shares. If you select a folder, it populates the screen with the details of that share. You can finetune the local share name before you save if you wish. You then save it and it should be mounted after several seconds - as easy as that!

IanSav · Post by **IanSav** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:35

Hi Prl,

prl wrote: ↑
Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:03
... Setup screens, though, don't generally have help screens. ...

That is soon to change!

Regards,
Ian.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 18:49

Hi Guys,
I used the "Menu>>Setup>>Network>>Network Browser" then entered the username and password for my NAS and hit OK. I checked and it had mounted it. So then I went to media but no listing of any folders under the NAS. I figure I've totally screwed up whatever I did. All i want to do is to have access to record and playback from my NAS as well as the internal HDD. When I went to check the configuration on the NAS it had lost it's IP address. I rebooted it and re scanned and it found it. I'll try some of the suggestions and see if I can manage to get right this time

Grumpy_Geoff · Post by **Grumpy_Geoff** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 19:38

In the media listing, using YELLOW/Location should list your network shares.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 16:14

Further to mounting the NAS using autofs, and hitting the yellow button for location the list does contain my NAS. However, when I go to Media scroll down and select NAS then hit the OK it says the directory Media/autofs/NAS does not exist. So no access. This suggests to me that either the process has not completed correctly or I've done something wrong or there are more steps required. How can this thing be so difficult? It's making me feel like a complete fool and I'm beginning to wonder if any of this actually worth the grief. I understand Linux based systems can be difficult and I have to say I never really took to the parent language Unix, but this is totally user unfriendly. I would guess this is also a product of the way the GUI is set up. Having studied programming I appreciate the different way programmers are required to think but I'm still having no end of grief. I'm rapidly coming to hate this machine even though it's the best I've owned.

Grumpy_Geoff · Post by **Grumpy_Geoff** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 19:30

Delete your "NAS" share - MENU>>Setup>>Network>>Mount Manager>>Mountpoints management. Select the share>>YELLOW/Delete mount>>yes. Wait on first popup, then OK or let second popup timeout. EXIT back to live TV, and then reboot.

After the reboot, create the share again.
Browse for network shares to mount - MENU>>Setup>>Network>>Network browser. Wait for the network search to complete. Select your server, provide user/password if needed, the server should expand and available shares should then be shown (if it doesn't expand, select it, OK). Select the server share to be mounted>>OK. Another chance at password, then the Mounts editor screen is presented with mount details populated. At this point in time, don't change 'Local share name'. GREEN/Save, reply yes to save mount. First popup, then OK on second popup (don't press EXIT). Job done.
Go the the media listing, YELLOW/Location - does your share work?

If the share works, and you want to rename it, go to Mountpoints management and change 'Local share name'. GREEN/Save. Again, don't press EXIT, let the prompts time out or press OK. Then reboot before doing anything else.

Likely the reason you get 'directory Media/autofs/NAS does not exist' is because the share details in these two files no longer match -
/etc/auto.network
/etc/enigma2/automounts.xml

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 14:48

Thanks Grumpy_Geoff.
Having mounted and demouted 3 times before, I followed you instruction to the letter. This time It appeared to not want to mount so I checked the NAS and it had lost it's IP address yet again. There appears to be something in this Beyonwiz process that keeps stripping the IP address from the NAS and I need to reboot it. It's a very slow process but it does re find it's address. So now another attempt. Yes it mounts just like the 1st 3 times and NO it doesn't work. From the Media screen I select my NAS and press the OK button and get the missing file error again
Your comment -- "Likely the reason you get 'directory Media/autofs/NAS does not exist' is because the share details in these two files no longer match - /etc/auto.network /etc/enigma2/automounts.xml" So how can this be verified and resolved? Additionally, why is this process killing the NAS address? Something appears to be very wrong with this unit. It also loses sound when I attempt to upscale yet it's connected via an HDCP 2.2 pass through in my Yamaha Receiver and then into an HDCP 2.2 input on my 4K Panasonic Smart TV. I'm beginning to think either I'm an idiot or this particular U4 is simply not playing by the rules.

Grumpy_Geoff · Post by **Grumpy_Geoff** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 15:52

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Thu Jun 28, 2018 14:48
... so I checked the NAS and it had lost it's IP address yet again.

Do you mean from the details in 'Mountpoints management'?

Moparmartin wrote: There appears to be something in this Beyonwiz process that keeps stripping the IP address from the NAS and I need to reboot it.

Reboot what exactly? The NAS or the U4?
Are both your NAS and U4 assigned fixed IP addresses by your router (IP address reservation/assignment by MAC address).

Moparmartin wrote: because the share details in these two files no longer match - /etc/auto.network /etc/enigma2/automounts.xml" So how can this be verified and resolved?

Look at the content of both.
Have a look through this "Broken/Orphaned Mountpoints (U4)" topic.
If using the command line is too advanced, then use File Commander to copy the files to a USB drive and use a computer to look at them both. If you need instructions on using File Commander to copy files from the internal flash storage to a USB drive, then look half-way down this post to see some info; viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12535#p167688

Moparmartin wrote: It also loses sound when I attempt to upscale yet it's connected via an HDCP 2.2 pass through in my Yamaha Receiver and then into an HDCP 2.2 input on my 4K Panasonic Smart TV. I'm beginning to think either I'm an idiot or this particular U4 is simply not playing by the rules.

Why not just set your HDMI mode to 1080p and let your (receiver or) TV do that?
You didn't answer the questions in reply to your original post - viewtopic.php?f=16&t=12583&p=168554#p168567

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 15:55

Just something for you to note about one little quirk of the user interface.

After you have created the mount point, the U4 will pop up an information window to acknowledge that the mount was created. This window has a little countdown in it. If you were to press EXIT at this point, then the mount point will not be created properly. You either need to press OK, or wait for the countdown to finish.

This weird behaviour has been discussed recently in the forums with a view to change it so that you don't get unpredictable reversions to your settings.

I'm not sure if you had been pressing EXIT or OK after creating the mount, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

There are some replies to your original 4k sound issue thread, so you can post about that issue over there.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 22:08

OK, so it's the NAS that is being stripped of it's IP address and of course at that point the U4 can't see it. My solution was to reboot the NAS because it was the device with the issue. I thought the IP addresses were static and they are for the most part, but I'm not certain that that is absolute. Not sure what question I didn't answer. Also when I do anything with a "computerised" device, I watch and take note. I saw the count down and assumed I needed to wait. My natural instinct tells me to use an "enter" button and if that fails, then I look for and exit. It's just the way I think. Maybe if you know the equipment I have it might help. I have Optus Cable internet which I've had since before ADSL was available. I spent 18 years as an Admin person in the HQ Engineering Department of Telecom Australia and took an active interest. I have a Netgear NAS and run my internet via a Netgear Powerline utility from my PC in my Study (with the NAS) to my Audio Visual equipment in my Lounge room. I'm not sure but I think the stripping of the IP address from the NAS is happening when I demount the the NAS from the U4.

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Thu Jun 28, 2018 22:12

I thought you meant that the IP address on your mount point configuration was going missing. Are you saying that the NAS literally doesn't have an IP address any more and your PC or other devices can't even access it any more?

If that is the case, then that REALLY shouldn't have happened. There should be no way for the U4 to have caused that short of the NAS having a few nasty bugs.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:26

Yep. That is exactly what happened. The first time I checked via the "Net Genie" utility and the NAS was gone. I then pressed the power button on the NAS twice and got a message on the front panel saying No IP address. That's when I rebooted the NAS and it recovered it's address. This has happened every time I demount the NAS from the U4 so I think that is cause for believing there is a correlation of cause and effect. I'm also wondering about the up scale sound loss in that resetting back to 1080p doesn't get the sound back. I recovered it the first time by re scanning the channels and the second time by rebooting the U4. It worries me that it gets locked into this no sound condition, almost like a program in a continual loop. I'm just hoping it's not a more serious fault in the unit. I'll be buying that new HDMI cable today to check if that's the upscale issue.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 16:22

I upgraded to a 4K HDMI cable running from the U4 to the Receiver then tried the up scale to 4K but the sound still vanishes. I'm really beginning to think this U4 is faulty. Whilst I can mount my NAS, I have no access to the directories so it's non functional. Basically this U4 has two advertised options that don't function. Cannot use the NAS or the 4K. What options do I have at this point?

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:32

These are two different issues and I don't dismiss the possibility that the U4 is faulty. But, I've never heard of a Wiz causing another device to lose its IP address.

The only way I could think of that happening is if the U4 is the master browser. From personal experience, the best approach is to setup your router to allocate fixed IP addresses to the MAC ID of each device and let the router be the master browser. Hopefully, this is what you have already.

I recently had an issue with a Windows host file reusing an IP address and that caused the U4 to answer the PC when I was addressing the T3. The point here being it was not the U4 at fault - it was the PC.

Once a device is visible and login credentials provided the software works to allow shares. Often, when things don't work we reinstall the firmware and do not restore settings to be sure a corrupt setting isn't the underlying problem.

Sorry I can't help with the sound issue. I'd do a clean firmware install and immediately setup the NAS if in your shoes. Also, setup the router to allocate IP addresses to MAC IDs too if you can.
Cheers,
Paul

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:39

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:32
The only way I could think of that happening is if the U4 is the master browser. From personal experience, the best approach is to setup your router to allocate fixed IP addresses to the MAC ID of each device and let the router be the master browser. Hopefully, this is what you have already.

While your suggestion regarding MAC address and fixed IP assignments is generally a good one, the IP address won't have anything to do with master browser functionality.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:59

MrQuade wrote: ↑
Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:39

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Fri Jun 29, 2018 18:32
The only way I could think of that happening is if the U4 is the master browser. From personal experience, the best approach is to setup your router to allocate fixed IP addresses to the MAC ID of each device and let the router be the master browser. Hopefully, this is what you have already.
While your suggestion regarding MAC address and fixed IP assignments is generally a good one, the IP address won't have anything to do with master browser functionality.

True. I have found though that the router will take over the role if the wizzes are cycled off at any point and it's a lot better at it too.

IanSav · Post by **IanSav** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 00:01

Hi,

Network applications and protocols can't make a device loose its IP address. The only way I have seen for one device to potentially force another device to loose its IP address if for *BOTH* devices to try and use the *SAME* IP address. Given that this scenario is incorrect and very undesirable the results can often be very unpredictable.

What is happening here sounds very much like a broken network layout. Adding networked devices to a broken network is usually always going to end in tears. Make sure your network is correctly configured and the likelihood is that the problem will go away.

Regards,
Ian.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 23:43

Well I've listened and attempted to follow instructions but am now at the turning point. Nobody can tell me why I can't connect to my NAS nor can anyone tell me why I cannot get sound with an up scale to 4K. Beyonwiz should have a support team. My latest attempt to personalise my U4 has been an unmitigated disaster. I tried the EPGRefresh plugin, which should have been a walk in the park. The result was no access to anything! My remote no longer functioned. I tried every button and found the exit opened the menu. That's when I uninstalled the plugin. I am now totally outraged by this U4. Nobody should be subjected to such a user unfriendly device. It does not connect to my NAS as advertised nor does it up scale to 4K as advertised and now the first plug in I use, renders my remote useless. This is an outrage and totally unacceptable. How do I get this fixed? Maybe I should begin legal proceedings against Beyonwiz. Something is terribly wrong, so how do I get it resolved? I'm over it so whatever it takes, I'm going there. I don't wish to swear but I'm at my limit. Grrrrrrr! Grrrrrrr! I hate this Beyonwiz!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! F##@%^&##!

Gully · Post by **Gully** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 00:18

Beyonwiz does have a support team in their office but they also have us with some pretty intimate knowledge of the products.

While I can see you have been really frustrated what has been happening is not typical, including EPGRefresh.

If you were happy to keep trying I am sure we can sort this out, but let's focus on one issue at a time please.

Seeing as this topic is about NAS access let's focus on that.

Before starting, you said you have removed EPGRefresh, are there any other plug ins that you have removed or added from the default setup?

And what version firmware is currently running on the U4?

Regarding networking, have you got your Optus router running DHCP and providing static IPs to each device on your network?

This needs to be clear as well as any sharing permissions on your NAS before setting up the networking on the U4 where you might need to run the network wizard if the above results in any changes before going into the network browser.

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 00:23

We understand you are frustrated, but there is no need to panic yet. The issues you are having are utterly unique, and no other user has reported anything like it to date. There is something definitely going wrong, but it is very hard to diagnose using limited information.

If worse comes to worse, I reckon you could arrange a hardware swap with Beyonwiz. They are more than happy to give assistance if you give their support number a call. Remember, this is just a user's forum, and there are very infrequent posts from actual Beyonwiz employees.

Have you attempted a fresh install of firmware as you were advised?

It would be best for you to install a fresh copy of firmware and then take things one step at a time. First thing after the firmware install would be to check the 4K sound issue again. I suspect that this particular issue may be some combination of hardware at play and may not be resolved.

Then I would try the network again. It would help for you to provide some info to us about what subnets and IPs you are using, how you are assigning the IPs, and then an exact series of steps you are taking, to see if the issue can be reproduced.

The latest USB firmware image can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=12456

prl · Post by **prl** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 09:25

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Sat Jun 30, 2018 23:43
I tried the EPGRefresh plugin, which should have been a walk in the park. The result was no access to anything! My remote no longer functioned. I tried every button and found the exit opened the menu. That's when I uninstalled the plugin.

Now that sounds like there might be problems with your firmware that should be fixed by re-installing the firmware from USB.

But as a general observation, there's not really enough in what you posted about your problem with EPGRefresh to allow anyone trying to help to have any idea of exactly what you did to get into that state. A key to help someone fix an issue, or to explain what happened, is to be able to reproduce the problem.

If you haven't looked it already, I suggest you read peteru's How to create good bug reports.

Which firmware version (MENU>Information>About>Revision) are you running, by the way?

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 15:06

OK I've had my hissy fit and am attempting to be totally precise. Let's start at the beginning. I took delivery of this machine about 2 to 3 weeks ago. I followed the the installation instructions to the letter and found some of the steps were automated such as the network setup. The firmware decided it need around 200 updates which I watched as it counted about 900! I figured these were updates within updates but who knows? Is this normal behavior? The result was Version 17.5 revision 20180417 presumably Apr 17th. Since then I looked through the menus to get some familiarity and read most of the manual. THE ONLY changes I made were the resolution and Mounting the NAS. The NAS is seen and I can see the directories but there is no access to the content. I have demounted and remounted at least 3 times using your instructions following them to the letter with the same result. Demounting the NAS also strips the IP address from the NAS which then requires rebooting the NAS to reassign the address. I have tried the resolution up scale about a dozen times with the same sound loss every time. It can be resolved be resetting to 1080p and rebooting the U4. To my knowledge the IP addresses are static. Now I've read the steps to reinstall the firmware and have followed every step making certain to take the best options.
Steps taken:-
Step 1. Reformatted my USB stick to ensure it was completely "clean" and verified that it was running FAT32 an not NTFS.
Step 2. Downloaded the the Firmware zip file and extracted to the USB stick.
Step 3. Turned the power off and also switched it off at the rear and waited a minute or so.
Step 4. I inserted the stick in the front USB port and switched the rear power switch back on
Step 5. The U4 powered up, the USB was flashing indicating it was being read by the U4. which now said "Press Button" which I did.
Step 6. The front screen then said "Initrd" then changed to "kernel" and then "Rootfile sys"
Step 7. The USB kept flashing and I assumed it was running the reinstall of the firmware
Step 8. After approx 2 minutes which I thought was to soon, it again said "Press Button"
Step 9. I then found it was looping every 2 minutes or so back to the "Press Button" stage
Step 10. To break the cycle, when it said press button, I switched it off at the back and then removed the USB while off.
Step 11. Switched the power back on and it booted up & I chose not to restore settings.
Step 12. It went through the same steps as factory reset. Channel scan and Network connection.
Step 13. Tested the 2160 upscale and lost sound.

I don't believe the firmware re installation worked nor do I believe it was of my doing. This machine simply refuses to function correctly. So if you are correct in saying these faults are unknown then we only have two possibilities, ether it's just me screwing up or the unit is not functioning properly. At this point I would ask that we prove it one way or the other so it can be fixed or replaced. What else can I tell you or attempt?

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 16:01

Hi Moparmartin,

The boot loop you encountered is annoying. After the flash [Edit: text reworded] don't press power a second time, let it go to live TV before you remove the USB. Ideally, to unmount the USB stick press BLUE and select the unmount USB option. [End edit] The older machines tell you to remove the USB but not the U4.

If you check Menu > Information > About the line Build should show 20180417. If it does then you have reflashed OK.

I am sorry you still have audio problems but my personal experience is that the guys will try hard to identify a cause and a fix. But, as noted above, problem solving needs clear details of the steps you followed leading up to the problem. Also, each problem is best separated from the other problems as each will have a different solution.

It helps us to use paragraphs in your posts. Press preview to see if it looks readable.

EPGREFRESH is very popular and should work for you now. Also, many users have a NAS working with the U4 so your earlier issues are unexpected. Again, the guys will take the time to try and resolve the problem.

Cheers, Paul

Gully · Post by **Gully** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 16:34

Hi Moparmartin,

When you say to your knowledge the IP addresses are static, can you please tell us how they are being set?

Is it from the router?

What is showing on the NAS and the U4 for network settings? (On the U4, look under Setup > Network > Network Interface

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 17:16

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 01, 2018 16:01
... After the flash and before you press power a second time you have to remove the USB. The older machines tell you to remove the USB but not the U4.

I don’t want to confuse Moparmartin at this stage, but I’ve never done it that way Paul on our U4.

Yesterday I simply ignored the second ‘Press button’ displayed on the front panel & the U4 eventually booted up. After it booted up I did the following from LiveTV; 'BLUE button > SimpleUmount’, selected the USB drive, then followed the prompts to unmount & remove the USB drive.

This is the USB update procedure for the U4 as posted on the Beyonwiz website, but I always prefer to use SimpleUmount when unmounting & removing a USB drive.

Perhaps either way works.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 17:32

Fair point Dennis.

I just unplugged the USB drive and it worked fine. Probably timed out while I reached for it. The official procedure being NOT to press the power button at the restart.

Paul

prl · Post by **prl** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 17:33

sub3R wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 01, 2018 17:16

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 01, 2018 16:01
... After the flash and before you press power a second time you have to remove the USB. The older machines tell you to remove the USB but not the U4.
I don’t want to confuse Moparmartin at this stage, but I’ve never done it that way Paul on our U4.

Neither do I, and I wouldn't recommend it.

sub3R wrote: ↑
Sun Jul 01, 2018 17:16
Yesterday I simply ignored the second ‘Press button’ displayed on the front panel & the U4 eventually booted up. After it booted up I did the following from LiveTV; 'BLUE button > SimpleUmount’, selected the USB drive, then followed the prompts to unmount & remove the USB drive.

That's exactly what I do (and I do reflashes from USB a lot on my test U4 because its job is to be broken

).

It would be much better if the message that's shown on the front panel said something like "Press POWER to upgrade", but it doesn't.

If you ignore the "Press button" prompt, it times out and starts a normal reboot.

However the lack of a "Remove USB and press POWER" step at the end of the update (which all the T series models have) means that you can get into a boot loop if you rename the "noforce" file in the installer to "force", but normal upgrades shouldn't require that.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 22:52

So it's now late and I'm on the way to bed and my brain will have to digest all this properly tomorrow. Suffice to say that I appear to be walking into traps. Yes the IP addresses are allocated automatically. I don't see the point of reinventing the wheel when "plug and play" does the job. I also need to reiterate the fact that I had the current firmware and was attempting to overwrite a fresh copy so I can't verify the process by checking the version. I'll try again and avoid the loop sometime tomorrow and get back to you. I'll be looking for a 5 to 10 minute process rather than the 2 minutes. I'm beginning to think I really need a course in the program language and the Wiz OS. My Basic Unix isn't helping nor is having majored in C, (I was too early for C++)

Martin

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 02:16

Hi Martin,

I have less formal IT knowledge than you and have a complex system of 3 Wizzes and 3 PCs that all talk to each other reliably. I share more than a dozen folders with machines that switch on and off as needed.

First, there is probably no need to reinstall the firmware but it won't hurt. It is important for us to know which version of the firmware you are using. The most common mistake newbies to the forum make is to say they have "the latest version" of the firmware. You probably do but let's remove all doubt. You might be surprised by the number of times the firmware was actually out of date.

The "plug and play" approach to networking has a hidden trap - you set it up today and get it working but you restart a device and its IP address changes. This results in something no longer being found.

Over time, I learned the hard way that it really is worth the effort to set fixed IPs via the router if you can and leave the devices in DHCP discovery mode. You can set a fixed IP in the U4 but your problem is the disappearing NAS. You will be best served if it has a static address too. You don't have to bother with all your other devices though. Only those that you want the U4 to see and vice versa.

There's much less chance your NAS will lose it's IP address if you set it up that way. I have not had a problem with any devices disappearing since I changed to router allocated IPs. If we can eliminate the IP address problem then we can investigate why your shares don't show themselves if that's still a problem.

Cheers, Paul

PS As sub3R pointed out, if you reflash wait for it to reboot before unmounting the USB stick.

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24

So here is today's report. Without spelling out each step, I re installed the firmware as per instructed. Pressed the button when prompted, left the USB in ignoring the 2nd prompt and waited for the U4 to boot. Scanned the services and set the network connection. Pressed the power to shut down, switched off at the back and removed the USB stick. Restarted and checked the up scale by setting the resolution to 2160 and it lost sound again. No Change. I checked the the U4 and the address is set by DHCP and I cannot comprehend the steps required to make it static. However, It has actually remained static since being connected. Also checked my NAS and it had yet again lost it's address. Rebooted and entered the admin page under Shares it says my media folders are all set with SMB, NFS & DLNA so I figure the U4 should see it but no such luck. I was looking for address info and the NAS suddenly lost it's address again and dropped out. Maybe there is an issue with the NAS? Moving on to the router which is a Netgear CG3000 V2 TAUS. I read heaps on the Netgear site and got nowhere. I navigated to the Advanced ---> Advanced setup ---> Static Routes and it didn't exist, making it difficult to set static addresses! I just can't win. I struggle with lack of knowledge beyond the very basics making it hard to take all your advice so I've been doing a lot of resaerch. After all the efforts to resolve the issues with this U4, nothing has changed at all so I'm feeling a bit defeated.
I see there must be an issue with the NAS losing it's address but that never happened prior to hooking up the U4, though it's probably just circumstantial. Besides, the U4 sees the NAS and when mounted it can see the folders, just no access to the content within the folders. That doesn't suggest its the NAS failing at that point, but I'm probably wrong with that too.
I don't see any progress or even the elimination of possibilities. We have all wasted countless hours and I thank you guys for the assistance but I'm coming to believe this U4 cannot be fixed by me, even with your assistance. Unless anyone has some other possible solution, I'd like to contact Beyonwiz and request a replacement. Is that possible and if so, what is the process?

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:48

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
I was looking for address info and the NAS suddenly lost it's address again and dropped out. Maybe there is an issue with the NAS? Moving on to the router which is a Netgear CG3000 V2 TAUS. I read heaps on the Netgear site and got nowhere. I navigated to the Advanced ---> Advanced setup ---> Static Routes and it didn't exist, making it difficult to set static addresses!

You need the DHCP page in the router, not static routes. What you are looking for is a Static IP address which is assigned by the router's DHCP server. It may be called something different in your particular router, which is unhelpful for you.

I did a little bit of poking around for some info on the router, and couldn't come up with much. Being an ISP-issued router, you often end up with limited information and not very-great features unfortunately.
What I did find was a few links to people complaining about the terrible DHCP server and inability to make settings stick. Here is an example which sounded similar to the symptoms that you are seeing:
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2372402

Based on this, I suspect that your issue is rooted in the router, rather than the NAS or U4.

It is possible to set the static IP address in the NAS's own setup screens, and the same goes for the U4. This is not *as* ideal as setting the static address in the router, but is one way to tackle the issue of a misbehaving DHCP server.

From a support post I found here, it sounds like the router assigns addresses in the 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.209 range. If you want to set static addresses in your NAS and U4, then it would be best to give them addresses that are outside of that range. Say, 192.168.0.210 and 192.168.0.211 for example.
In the U4 and NAS, you would set their IP, then their subnet mask will be 255.255.255.0, their gateway and DNS server will be the router's address (I'm not sure what that is).

The lack of sound output with 2160p output resolution is still a mystery to me though.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 17:35

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
So here is today's report. Without spelling out each step, I re installed the firmware as per instructed. Pressed the button when prompted, left the USB in ignoring the 2nd prompt and waited for the U4 to boot. Scanned the services and set the network connection. Pressed the power to shut down, switched off at the back and removed the USB stick. Restarted and checked the up scale by setting the resolution to 2160 and it lost sound again. No Change.

Martin,

Sorry to hear your sound woes continue. I'll leave it to others to comment on this. My interest is because I intend upgrading to a UHD TV soon and I will have to get my system working too.

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
I checked the the U4 and the address is set by DHCP and I cannot comprehend the steps required to make it static. However, It has actually remained static since being connected.

It involves turning off DHCP on the U4 and you need some details from your router setup to manually set the parameters on the U4. It's better done via the router so I won't tell you how to do it that way. If it's remained static then it is not important right now. It's actually the NAS which seems to have the IP address problem.

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
Also checked my NAS and it had yet again lost it's address. Rebooted and entered the admin page under Shares it says my media folders are all set with SMB, NFS & DLNA so I figure the U4 should see it but no such luck. I was looking for address info and the NAS suddenly lost it's address again and dropped out. Maybe there is an issue with the NAS?

It certainly seems so. If you can set a static IP for the NAS in the router, that will (hopefully stabilise) your NAS. If it does not improve, sorry to say, it may be something with the NAS.

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
...I see there must be an issue with the NAS losing it's address but that never happened prior to hooking up the U4, though it's probably just circumstantial...

I agree. I don't think the U4 has any effect on the NAS IP address.

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
Moving on to the router which is a Netgear CG3000 V2 TAUS. I read heaps on the Netgear site and got nowhere. I navigated to the Advanced ---> Advanced setup ---> Static Routes and it didn't exist, making it difficult to set static addresses! I just can't win. I struggle with lack of knowledge beyond the very basics making it hard to take all your advice so I've been doing a lot of resaerch. After all the efforts to resolve the issues with this U4, nothing has changed at all so I'm feeling a bit defeated.

I found the attached instructions in a version of the Netgear manuals for a similar model to yours. Yours appears to be a special model for Optus. I installed one like it recently for my mate when he got Optus NBN. I haven't checked if this menu is available though.

The address range it uses is 192.168.0.xxx. If you know the MAC address of the NAS, all you need do is enter the MAC address and the IP address you want to set in the router table and save the settings. You should pick a number like MrQuade suggests, say 192.168.0.210

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
Besides, the U4 sees the NAS and when mounted it can see the folders, just no access to the content within the folders. That doesn't suggest its the NAS failing at that point, but I'm probably wrong with that too.

No, you're not wrong. If the U4 can see the actual folders but not their content then that's a problem. But I want to be sure that you are looking in the right place for the content. Content doesn't show in the network browser. You have to open the content in the media list and this takes a few steps.

Once a NAS folder is mounted, the icon next to the folder will show as green in the Network Browser.
You press Exit three or four times to get to LiveTV.
Now, press Media to see your last opened media folder.
Press the YELLOW key (location).
In the list which appears should be the NAS folder you shared.
Select it and press OK.
Now you should see the content.

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:24
I don't see any progress or even the elimination of possibilities. We have all wasted countless hours and I thank you guys for the assistance but I'm coming to believe this U4 cannot be fixed by me, even with your assistance. Unless anyone has some other possible solution, I'd like to contact Beyonwiz and request a replacement. Is that possible and if so, what is the process?

Yes, you can contact Beyonwiz and request a replacement - it's a right you have as a consumer. Personally, I'm not confident that your U4 is actually defective and that swapping it for another will change things, especially the sound issue. I'd certainly suggest you try and sort out the networking issue now. If it is the router DHCP at fault, this may clear up that aspect and reduce your problem to the sound issue.

Regards, Paul

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 18:49

Thanks very much everyone and I will have another go tomorrow morning. I can't do it now as I have car club committee meeting tonight. Your comments are giving some more hope of resolving the NAS issue. The sound problem is very annoying but I can live without 4K up scale from the U4. In reality the 1080p is pretty good. I'll report back.

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 20:47

MrQuade wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 15:48
... Here is an example which sounded similar to the symptoms that you are seeing:
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2372402

I have a different modem/router to that but that topic indicates something similar to what I found with my recent modem/router.

I found I couldn’t reserve IP addresses outside of the DHCP pool range where I had allocated the static IP addresses on my previous modem/router.

If the IP addresses were reserved anywhere near the bottom of the DHCP pool range another device could be allocated that same IP address by the router if the original device that had the reserved IP address was switched off (yes, even though it was reserved). To solve this I allocated the reserved IP addresses very high up in the DHCP pool range.

This modem/router also only has a maximum lease time of 21 days (I think the default was 1 day from memory).

Martin is using a different router to mine but it may have similar restrictions.

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 21:29

sub3R wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 20:47
Martin is using a different router to mine but it may have similar restrictions.

There was one post that I saw that mentioned that this night be the case for this router as well, so it might be a concern here.

peteru · Post by **peteru** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 23:14

Moparmartin wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 18:49
Your comments are giving some more hope of resolving the NAS issue. The sound problem is very annoying but I can live without 4K up scale from the U4. In reality the 1080p is pretty good. I'll report back.

I've been skimming this thread, but here's my practical advice...

First, I don't think you have a faulty Beyonwiz. From everything I have seen, you just happen to be in an unlucky position where you are connecting your Beyonwiz to several things that are "marginal". (Yes, I know you probably don't want to hear that, but sometimes the path of least pain is to accept the painful truth at the start and then work on a remedy, rather than live in denial and suffer indefinitely.

)

If your primary use for the U4 is to watch Australian free to air TV, then leave the U4 output set to 1080p. Leave the upscaling and also any associated motion interpolation to your TV. You'll get good results without pushing the HDMI connections to their limit. Depending on how good your TV is, you may even get better results than letting the U4 do the job. I think your audio issues could be caused by equipment incompatibility, but in complex systems, such issues are very hard to nail down. A lot of the time it is more productive to find a combination of settings that work, rather than persisting with things you know don't work. There have been known issues with audio compatibility with 4k and/or HDR configurations but so far the jury is out on where the problem lies. I could probably get to the bottom of it, but I don't have the equipment to reproduce the issues. From what I hear, these issues seem to be more or less limited to only the most expensive TV sets on the market, such as flagship 65" + OLED TVs. I don't have the funds to get one to debug the issue.

Your networking problems are definitely caused by a misconfiguration of your network. I think IanSav was on the right track with his diagnosis. IP addressing conflict (although it could also be a faulty Ethernet port on a switch). The most likely scenario is that your NAS has a static IP address assigned, but that IP address is within the range that your router uses to assign DHCP managed IP addresses. As a result you are getting IP conflicts and the NAS drops off the network as a result. You really need to sort out your home network first.

There may also be some permission/security issues. Almost every vendor has updated the way they handle security over the last few years and as a result old insecure configurations just don't work anymore. Ensure that your NAS software is up to date and make sure that all access to the NAS is done using a username and a password. There are hundreds if not thousands of users out there that have their Beyonwiz connecting to their networks and NAS units without issues.

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:56

MrQuade wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 02, 2018 21:29
There was one post that I saw that mentioned that this night be the case for this router as well, so it might be a concern here.

Yes, I would still recommend to try & reserve/allocate static IP addresses outside above the DHCP pool range, but if Martin’s router has similar restrictions like mine, it won’t allow that.

MrQuade · Post by **MrQuade** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:14

sub3R wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:56
Yes, I would still recommend to try & reserve/allocate static IP addresses outside above the DHCP pool range, but if Martin’s router has similar restrictions like mine, it won’t allow that.

Yes, I was agreeing with your earlier comment that the router may have the same limitations.

Assuming that the router will fill its address pool from lowest to highest IP, then the recommendation to set the static assignment in the upper portion of the range is a sensible idea.

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:54

MrQuade wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:14
Assuming that the router will fill its address pool from lowest to highest IP, ...

That’s the way I expected it to work & that’s how it worked on my previous router.

But on this latest one I have seen it randomly allocate nnn.nnn.n.70 to a not important device that didn’t have a fixed/reserved IP address (the router's DHCP range is nnn.nnn.n.2 to nnn.nnn.n.254). And I only have about 13 devices on the LAN but usually not all at the one time.

I was wondering if it is something like this that is causing Martin's NAS IP address issues, which is why I mentioned it.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:20

MrQuade wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:14

sub3R wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:56
Yes, I would still recommend to try & reserve/allocate static IP addresses outside above the DHCP pool range, but if Martin’s router has similar restrictions like mine, it won’t allow that.
Yes, I was agreeing with your earlier comment that the router may have the same limitations.

Assuming that the router will fill its address pool from lowest to highest IP, then the recommendation to set the static assignment in the upper portion of the range is a sensible idea.

One snippet I read on the Netgear site suggested that the reserved range was 192.168.0.2 to 9. It was unclear whether this meant that range must be used for reserved IPs or was prohibited for manual assignment.

Paul

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 14:13

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:20
One snippet I read on the Netgear site suggested that the reserved range was 192.168.0.2 to 9.

If that is the reserved range for fixed IP addresses then that isn’t much of a range.

The trouble with modem/routers supplied by service providers is the service provider doesn’t include all the options compared to the non-service provider version which uses different firmware. I found that with mine (Telstra Smart Modem which is a Technicolor DJA0230TLS).

The other problem is to try & locate a decent user manual for that particular model. So in a lot of instances trial & error is the only way to see what works best.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:02

sub3R wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 14:13

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:20
One snippet I read on the Netgear site suggested that the reserved range was 192.168.0.2 to 9.
If that is the reserved range for fixed IP addresses then that isn’t much of a range.

The trouble with modem/routers supplied by service providers is the service provider doesn’t include all the options compared to the non-service provider version which uses different firmware. I found that with mine (Telstra Smart Modem which is a Technicolor DJA0230TLS).

The other problem is to try & locate a decent user manual for that particular model. So in a lot of instances trial & error is the only way to see what works best.

Agree on all counts. As I said, very unclear what they meant so it will be trial and error. The really scary thing is that we have fifteen devices connected with reserved IPs! A reserved range of 8 devices would be nowhere near enough.

I was appalled at how difficult it was to get any extra data from Netgear on the Optus modem - just the basic installation guide. Seem to take the "FU, we don't care" attitude. I now know not to ever trust Netgear for well-documented products.

When I set up my mates modem the accompanying install guide was pretty unclear and had us looking for the non-existent connection box. Once I realised that the meaning of "we didn't need to come inside" was that the ADSL line was now VDSL, it took less than ten minutes to get everything working again (i.e. changing the WiFi details).

Blind luck but I'm with TPG and the Archer1600V they supplied appears to be fully functional and is giving very good service out of the box. Setting MAC addresses was quite easy. Speed tests regularly report 43 - 44+ MBps. All my past network issues have disappeared. It's been rock solid.

Grumpy_Geoff · Post by **Grumpy_Geoff** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:37

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:02
...Speed tests regularly report 43 - 44+ MBps.

OT (but since when has that stopped anyone

), do you happen to know how far from the node you are (assuming you're on FttN)?

prl · Post by **prl** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:57

Grumpy_Geoff wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:37
OT (but since when has that stopped anyone ), do you happen to know how far from the node you are (assuming you're on FttN)?

43 - 44+ Mbps (it would be lovely to be able to get 44MBps on FTTN) indicates either a quite long run (~700-1000m) or a dodgy connection if the line is actually shorter.

Paul_oz53 · Post by **Paul_oz53** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 17:18

Grumpy_Geoff wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:37

Paul_oz53 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 03, 2018 15:02
...Speed tests regularly report 43 - 44+ MBps.

OT (but since when has that stopped anyone ), do you happen to know how far from the node you are (assuming you're on FttN)?

We're about 400-450 m from the Node and pay for the 50 Mbps service. Ookla reports 47.05 Mbps Got my b's mixed up with the B's.

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 18:02

In addition to what Paul posted here, the following is under ‘Advanced Settings > LAN IP Setup’ in the Netgear CG3000Dv2 WiFi Cable Modem Router Manual (the same manual as what Paul posted from) which I suspect could be different to the Optus version.

Not a very good image, but it may help Martin.

: LAN-IP_CG3000v2.jpg (63.88 KiB) Viewed 3856 times

Moparmartin · Post by **Moparmartin** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 18:15

OK so I've found the way to make my IP addresses static. Netgear in their wisdom changed the menu and took it out of advanced setup and put it under LAN setup GRRRR Anyway that is now done. Remounted the NAS, entered the login details User name & password (and yes I verified they are correct) got the confirmation of the mount then went to media expanded the NAS the expanded the Share and it tells me the folder does not exist just like before. Just in case you are wondering, yes there are files in that folder/directory. Without understanding what IS actually happening, it tells ME it can't see the directory and therefore thinks it doesn't exist. This makes me wonder if it actually logged in to the NAS. It gave no indication if it did or not so I can only assume..... dumb move. So, is it possible that it's a login issue to the NAS and the U4 just isn't telling me?

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