This Tip was developed during the use of V3 firmware. Those who have similer problems with V4 are advised to re-install the firmware again and re-test Networking before implementing this Tip. WINS/DNS are the most common cuases of Networking Problems. There is a list of rare causes that have affected individual users and those can be found nearer the bottom of this Tip.
The Med500 NAS keeps appearing and disappearing as we know. But disappearing from what?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172218So we have two issues, WINS Management problems causing the Med to not appear in the Network Discovery Display, and DNS Management problems causing failed connections with the Med. The WINS problem can also affect connections from Med to PC. The infamous User/Password request should vanish once this Tip is used to fix WINS at the PC end.
Networks can suffer either, or both, of these problems, but it's best to try and fix WINS first, and then add the DNS fix if the WINS fix fails.
The DNS Fix may have problems where the Router dosn't have a Proxy (Caching) DNS Server in the router to help Local DNS resolution. You have one if you get the routers IP in the DNS Server field when using "Get DNS Server Automatically" in your PC's adapter IPV4 settings. If you get your ISP's DNS Server IP, you don't have a Router DNS Proxy enabled. These may not be explicity described as a DNS Proxy. You may a DHCP Client page which will link Mac Number, Name and IP together. An alternative solution can be tried if you don't have a Proxy DNS Server in your router, and is described later.
Windows performs Network Discovery by requesting devices to send their Names, not IP's. Not all routers can pass this request, expecting instead for Network Discovery to request IP's from devices. DNS is then used to identify the IP. So it's possible for WINS to find the Med using Names, and then DNS to fail when you try and connect to it's IP. With Windows you get this error message when that happens:-
Error Code:0x80070035
The network path was not found.
To solve this we must avoid contention with the automatic systems which should be doing the job. Files are used by Microsoft for that very purpose. If Networking was totally reliable those files would never have been created. They have been in use since the start of TCP/IP and Unix. You will find the same files are part of the TCP/IP system of other operating systems. They exist to workaround the very problems we are having with the Med500 and some Networks.
Some have found that once they have a working network as a result of this Tip, the changes can be removed and their network still works. It's as if other components of the WINS/DNS system have been made aware of the Med and can now work without the help of the host files. These components, such as remote DNS servers, may lose that awareness at some point. The Fix will then have to be re-applied.
These instruction are based on Windows 7.
1) Set Manual IP settings in the med500, and PC so that they both have LAN addresses (outside of the DHCP pool). You may have to set the DNS server and Default Gateway values, which for a Router with Proxy DNS Server are the IP of the Modem/Router.
We now need to get the Med500 to always be part of the DNS and Network Discovery information.
2) Update the Network Discovery WINS Lmhosts file.
Open and save the document attached below to your default download folder. This is a new Lmhosts file. Edit the downloaded lmhosts.doc document to match the address you gave your Med500, and save as lmhosts.txt (not .doc!!!). This will be used later so remember where it is.
Open Network and Sharing Center. Select Change adapter settings. Double click on the adpter you are using. Select Properties . Select IPV4 - Properties. Select Advanced - WINS. Select Enable LMhosts Lookup, and press Import LMHOSTS and browse to select lmhosts.txt where you saved it. Also select "Netbios over TCP/IP" if you havn't yet followed the advice in the "Beginners Guide".
Press all the OK's and final Close to exit Adapter Settings. Reboot
Test Workgroup connections from the MED, and NAS connections from the PC. If they fail, move on to the DNS fix, otherwise Goto 5).
3) Modify the default DNS Hosts file (for those with a Router Proxy Server).
Goto Accessories and open Notepad with Administrator Priveledges
Open \Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts from within Notepad.
Copy, and paste the line below to the end of the file.
192.168.2.202 MEDE8ER
Edit to match the IP you gave your Med, and make sure there is a final Carriage Return by pressing Enter after MEDE8ER to create a new blank line.
Save file (ignoring any request to change format to TXT).
Reboot. Test Workgroup connections from the MED, and NAS connections from the PC.
Goto 5
4) Install DNS Proxy Server and modify it's DNS Hosts file (for those without a Router Proxy Server).
Download and install Acrylic DNS Proxy Server on to PC
http://mayakron.altervista.org/support/browse.php?path=Acrylic&name=HomeUse the Start Menu to run the Modify Acrylic Configuration File shortcut.
Follow instruction in file to modify fields. This makes Acrylic aware of the "real" DNS servers.
Use the Start Menu to run the Modify Acylic Host Files shortcut
Copy, and paste the line below to the end of the file.
192.168.2.202 MEDE8ER
Edit to match the IP you gave your Med, and make sure there is a final Carriage Return by pressing Enter after MEDE8ER to create a new blank line.
Save file (ignoring any request to change format to TXT).
Use the Start Menu to run the Start Acrylic DNS Proxy Server shortcut. The server starts, and will start every time the PC boots.
You should also set up your adapter to use 127.0.0.1 as the DNS Server IP.
The Med should continue to use the "real" DNS server.
Reboot. Test Workgroup connections from the MED, and NAS connections from the PC.
Many needing to use Acrylic find that once their network is working they can remove it and change their settings back to use the "real" DNS servers. It's as if Acrylic has forced those servers to recognise the Med when they didn't before.
Those using OSX could try this:-
http://web.me.com/brianwells/main/pdnsd.html5) Post Fix
The Med500 should now be more reliable in both TCP and Network Discovery on the PC.
To check the Med is now in both caches perform the following:-
LMHOSTS/WINS - Run nbtstat -c at the command prompt.
HOSTS/DNS - Run ipconfig /flushdns, followed by, ipconfig /displaydns at the command prompt.
Reliabilty of Network Discovery still seems dependent upon which order the Med500 is turned on WRT the router and PC. Windows 7 has a particuler dislike to non-Windows 7 devices. It can take 15 mins for it acknowledge their presence!
But the DNS fix still works when that fails. So it worth having a Shortcut to \\MEDE8ER on your Desktop. This opens a Network Explorer Window, similer to the normal Windows Explorer Window. It even gets the Med added to the list of Network Devices!
In general, becuase the PC has the Med fixed in it's IP Cache by the fix's above, the Med connects to the PC far more reliably as well!
Rare ProblemsEven after following the above, you may still across some rare problems
1) Networked Folders are visible but can't be opended
Follow this Tip
http://www.mede8erforum.com/index.php/topic,4427.0.html2) Believe it or not, but your Network may not be working becuase your clocks are out of step!
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/68ffbe2a-09a7-4e29-859c-ca1aaf75dcd1Make sure your Med's internet clock is working and in synch with your PC. It everything has stopped working since the end of Summer time, you now know why.
3) Overnight loss of Window 7 sharing
http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums/showthread.php?4095-Windows-7-Lost-Shares-and-Microsoft-6to4-AdaptersThis can be cleaned up as described here:-
http://www.ryanvictory.com/posts/automating-6to4-adapter-removal-in-windows/There is a hotfix which might prevent it happenning again:-
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/980486AddendumHere are the locations of these files in other Operating Systems. It is probably safer to edit these and not replace the Lmhosts with my windows file.
Ubuntu users can find their versions here:-
http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/hardy/man5/hosts.5.htmlhttp://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/hardy/man5/lmhosts.5.htmlOSX users can find their versions here:-
http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man5/hosts.5.htmlhttp://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man5/lmhosts.5.html