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 have Windows 10 Home Single Language License 64 bit. I need to backup data from my PC to NAS. I connected NAS via LAN port ot Router.
My questions are -
1. Cannot browse the source path. NAS hangs and need to pull power cable and re plug in, but typing source path works!!!
When I try to create a backup Job from Remote to Local backup i.e. PC to NAS backup, I need to enter IP address of PC. After that if I try to browse the path of source. It gives option 'connect as' to which I connect using login credentials i.e. User Name and Password that is used ot log in to Windows PC. After login in, when I click on either C drive or E Derive folder, NAS hangs and tries to connect unsuccesfully to admin page. Nothing works, I need to remove the power plug and then reconnect it to make it work. Please can someone explain why this happens.
The solution is to type the path in the source box with forward slashes. Test the connection and it works.
Please explain why I am not able to connect via browse. Drives are shared, folders are shared and read/write permissions are set to 'Everyone'. I removed sharing and re shared them, restarted PC, temporarily disabled firewall and real time scanning of MvAfee total security, still nothing happens. PC was connected to router via Eifi. Changed from Wifi to LAN, added IP address and DNS etries. Folders on NAS has SMB enabled. Still nothing works. This never happens in my old NAS with Windows 10 Pro and Quick Heal.
2. When a Backup job is run for the first time, does it uses internet to transfer data?
I went ahead and created a backup job which has one folder (which has sub folders) of about 70 GB and scheduled every hour. For the first backup job, whole folder was copied. The transfer speed was 4 - 4.5 MB and takes long time to backup. Surprisingly, I see wifi LED blinking. In 'Network and Internet Options' there is an option to see 'Data Usage', I was surprised to see 113 GB under title SMB.Of course there were other jobs that were completed and so 113 GB might be used. But is the data transferred through Internet? I did not sync using ReadyCloud App though the app was running. That folder was not synced.
I also found out that it also had about 10 GB used by explorer.exe . So just being in the list may not indicate use of internet. What creates doubt is slow transfer speed and constant blinking of wifi LED. There were no other PCs. Mobiles connected to Wifi would constantly pull data for about 6.5 hours. Please can somebody clarify?
Re: Questions regarding ReadyNAS OS connect to Windows 10 via SMB
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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 🙂
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.
