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Questions regarding ReadyNAS OS connect to Windows 10 via SMB
Hello, I am a non-technical end user and I have ReadyNAS RN 212 since few years. Recently I bought another RN 212 for my family friend. It has Samsung 860 Pro compatible SSD 2TB with RAID 1. I h...
Windows not resolving the NAS name properly plagues some ReadyNAS users as well as users of other Linux based NAS. I have yet to figure out why. The only work-around I have found is to insure your NAS always has the same IP (preferably via an address reservation in the router, but using static IP on the NAS if there is no other way) and then put the IP address in the Windows computer's HOSTS file (Google it for instructions on doing so).
As for the backup, you are far better off using a backup product on the Windows computer and just using the NAS as a storage device for the backup. That allows you to utilize the Windows shadow copy capability to back up open files (like an Outlook .pst file). I personally choose Acronic True Image, but there are free options for both file and image backup and even the built-in Windows backup.
Some products may require you to map a Windows drive to a NAS share as the target, others (like Acronis) have direct support for remote shares.
Thank you for your guidance Sandshark
I will google for how to put IP address in windows Host PC as suggested by you. Both NAS and windows do have static IP
Regarding backup, I will try Acronic True Image (It is always on top of reviews.)
I have tried few programs including Microsoft's Synctoy 2.1, a basic but simple progrmas with options I need. It lacks option to schedule. I regularly backup data in 2 SSD and one older HDD. I tried O & O auto backup, but it copies entire path of source to target folders.
For e.g. if I create a backup job for desktop folder in (E:\Desktop Backup O and O), after backup job is run, it will create the path -
E:\Desktop Backup O and O\Users\xxxx\Desktop
(xxxx is user name)
I contacted CC and they said, it is nothing that I can do to change target path as software is designed in this way.
Is it possible that Windows 10 Pro is a better option to be used with NAS with Windows 10 Home single language pack (that comes preinstalled in Laptops and All-In-Ones)?
I am not having any issues with another older NAS RN 212 at office. May be I am using it before Microsoft began blocking of SMB 1.0 / CISF after randsomware attacks.
Even Linux Mint 19 has connectivity ssues with Windows 10 especially after windowa update. Unfortunately I have to keep using windows due to lack of availability of programs.
Thanks again for the help.
WL
WhiteLotus wrote:
I will google for how to put IP address in windows Host PC as suggested by you. Both NAS and windows do have static IP
The first method here will work. Though I do suggest checking if your router supports address reservation (sometimes called ARP binding). If it does, then I'd use that instead of configuring static IP addresses. That's a bit easier if you change to a different IP address space later.
WhiteLotus wrote:
Regarding backup, I will try Acronis True Image (It is always on top of reviews.)
FWIW, I use it myself, and also recommend it. I like the image backup feature, as it allows me to restore the entire PC from bare metal. Note Acronis can make incremental image backups. It gives you full control over what you back up (for both image backups and file backups).
WhiteLotus wrote:
Is it possible that Windows 10 Pro is a better option to be used with NAS with Windows 10 Home single language pack (that comes preinstalled in Laptops and All-In-Ones)?
I am not having any issues with another older NAS RN 212 at office. May be I am using it before Microsoft began blocking of SMB 1.0 / CIFS after ransomware attacks.
Windows 10 Home should also work with no problems. Windows 10 Pro does give you the option of using NFS to access the NAS instead of SMB. But I don't see a big advantage in doing that.
Both RN212s support SMB 3, so I don't think this is linked directly to SMB 1 blocking. It is connected with windows discovery (which also changes from NetBios to WSD when SMB 1 is disabled in the PC). Discovery is working on your office network, but not on the home network. As Sandshark says, we haven't find a surefire way to solve that, and the workarounds are either to use IP addresses or the HOSTS file.
Thank you StephenB for the help.
I can see SMB 1.0 /CISF and it's sub folders unchecked in 'Windows Features' ,but did not see SMB 2.0 / 2.1 or SMB 3.0. Today I had a limited time. I will visit my uncle's home and try it out.
But since creating backup jobs is a one time exercise, we, end users tend not to bother too much :) I will also try Acronis. I do not need full system image backup and at this point, do not prefer it as Windows 10 keeps pushing major releases every six months. So the PC will have many Feature updates after 3 years. It is better to have a clean install and transfer data then to clone a slower-with-age OS with patches upon patches and updates upon updates. So at office, I keep data in NAS as NAS has Linux with B-Tree-FS file system is released as stable file system after 2012 and is known to be good for networking. I take regular backups of NAS on HDD (SSDs if in exFAT needs to be formatted in NTFS to be doscoverable AND recognised i.e. usable by NAS)
I managed to create backup jobs by typing paths with forward slashes. Should Enabling 'NetBIOS over TCI/IP' under WINS tab be helpful in network discovery? ... and is it (comparatively) safe.
'Network and Internet' --> 'Change Adaptor Settings' --> Right Click on Wifi / Ethernet (whichever is active and connected) --> Properties --> Click 'TCI/IPv4' and click Properties --> Under General Click Advanced --> under WINS Tab Select 'Enable NetBIOS over TCI/IP'
Or copy paste this in File Explorer (Windows Explorer)
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
Click on Wifi/Ethernet ...
(I know you do not need the path, but since this is a public forums, it is better to spare extra 5 mins show the path so others who land on this page may find it useful)
Oh and ofcourse, I have enabled Network Discovery under 'Network and Sharing Center' --> Advanced options.
Also first time under Network, NAS is shown in home PC but upon clicking it, I cannot open it. Upon troubleshotting, Windows does not find anything and is unable to find the problem and so the solution. Just close the dialog box and click on NAS drive again and it will open :)
I guess File Explorer needs a cofee to wake up or may be a whiplash :)
Thank you
WhiteLotus wrote:
I can see SMB 1.0 /CIFS and it's sub folders unchecked in 'Windows Features' ,but did not see SMB 2.0 / 2.1 or SMB 3.0. Today I had a limited time. I will visit my uncle's home and try it out.
Since you can access the NAS with SMB, SMB 3 is enabled.
WhiteLotus wrote:
Should Enabling 'NetBIOS over TCP/IP' under WINS tab be helpful in network discovery? ... and is it (comparatively) safe.
It possibly could help, so maybe give it a try. If you do, also enable "legacy windows discovery" on the NAS (system->settings->services->SMB).
Let us know if it makes any difference.
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