NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Can't get Time Machine to work with Nighthawk
Mac OS Mojave 10.14.3
Nighthawk(R) X4S R7800
Router Firmware Version V1.0.2.62 (just updated)
I bought a new 1TB Seagate SSD external HD. I formatted it according to the instructions low...
I purchased a Costco version of the 7900 series which is not listed in any Netgear documentation. Tech Support doesn't even recognize the model number. It's a Nighthawk X6S AC3600, R7960P-100NAS. Firmware automatically updated to V1.0.1.34_1.0.20 when I installed the router with the iPhone app. My external Segate 8TB Time Machine drive was working perfectly with a Time Capsule, but the wifi on the TC was poor, so I wanted to join the modern world and upgrade it. So far, I've spent close to five hours with Tech Support, who take over my computer with Team Viewer, they have no idea how to operate a Mac, and they faff around coming to the same conclusion that I could have told them in 30 seconds, there is a fundamental problem with how they mount the USB drive that is incompatible with Time Machine. This could be SMB, I can't get AFP to work. I tried SMB on Mojave 10.14.4 as well as an older workstation running Mountain Lion 10.8.5. The result is exactly the same, the drive mounts on the desktop but is not visible in the Time Machine menu of selectable drives. It is notable that ReadyShare renames the drive, that is a red flag AFAIC. I'm ready to give up and try another router.
Hi sonorelli,
I had the same issue at the beginning. The solution for me (with the Nighthawk X4S and MacBook Pro Mojave) was to:
1) Activate "Admin Password Protection" for the MacShare option of the router
2) Set read and write permissions for the share only to "admin"
3) Connect to the share with the admin credentials (of the router)
After these changes the USB drive showed up in the time machine menu.
I hope this can help you or other fellows with the same problem further.
Best,
Tixamaster
Running High Sierra with this router running Firmware V1.3.1.64_10.1.36.
I have a USB drive attached to the USB 3 port and can mount the volume via smb://readyshare/USB_Storage
Initially via Command-K (Connect to Server) I enter the admin credentials to log in to the R7000P. So far, so good. However, when I open Time Machine's preferences and click "Select Backup Disk..." first I am presented with the option to choose a disk and I click "USB_Storage. I click "Use Disk" and first get a dialog box saying, "You are attempting to connect to the server "R7000P." I click "connect" and get another login window. I choose "Registered User," enter my credentials to login to the server and it gets rejected as if either the Name or Password is wrong. I can't think of any other credentials that would work here other than the sames ones I used to log in in the first place.
I have changed the password a couple of times after reading on the NETGEAR forum about possible issues with characters, particularly the $ sign. I also shortened the password to see if that was an issue. Nothing has made any difference. I get to that same spot in the seteup and my credentials get rejected.
One other oddity to me is that if I click the shared volume in the Finder's sidebar it opens up with R7000P and readyshare which appear as folders. If i double-click "readyshare" it shows I am connected as admin. If I double-click R7000P it shows: "Connected as: Guest." If I click the "Connect as.." button it then shows as "Not Connected." If I back out of that window and then return it shows me as connected again. I cannot disconnect and cannot connect as admin. This strikes me very odd but perhaps it is expected behaviour. The same behaviour occurs when double-clicking readyshare. I click "Disconnect" it changes to "Not Connected" but if I back out and then return by double-clicking readyshare it shows me again connected as admin.
I have searched everywhere I can think of and tried random suggestions, obviously none of which worked.
I sure hope someone is following this thread and has suggestions because I am baffled by this and frustrated I cannot get Time Machine to work as advertised for this router.
Firmware Version V1.3.1.64_10.1.36
This discribes my situation exactly.
It is frustrating.
I can't find teh MacShare password in the router
