Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
Reply

Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Flash7Gordon
Guide

Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Hi,  My usb sharing on the nighthawk has always been very reliable.  We have lots of pc's, macs and whatever and it always worked very well.   With the mac  I would mount smb://readyshare and it always worked.  But since I did that nighthawk software upgrade encouraged around the beginning of September 2019, can't get the nighthawk usb drive on my mac and it doesn't mount on my windows machines either.   I can't think of anything else that changed.   It's the same usb drive and I don't think there have been any other network changes (comcast or the ethernet connectibility).   We have power cycled the nighthawk several times.  On a Windows 7 file manager it shows "Network Infrastructure" where it used to show the Readyshare mount.   When you click on it, it takes you to the routerlogin.net login screen in a browser.  Anyone else having this problem?

Message 1 of 9

Accepted Solutions
IrvSp
Master

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Don't have my R7000 or R8000 connected anymore, went to a different vendor once they dropped DLNA that I use from those models.

 

I am suggesting that they no longer SHARE the USB drive, that is all?

 

It is KNOWN and documented that they have removed 'function' from the USB drive related to how the f/w will work with it.

 

From the README on the last F/W

=======

Please note that starting with this firmware release (V1.0.9.88),  iTunesServer, Kwilt Photosharing, Time Machine Backup, TiVo support for media sharing, and the Downloader feature (which was in beta) are no longer supported. If you want to continue using these features, do not update the firmware.

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Supports NETGEAR Armor
  • Removes the following features: iTunes Server, Downloader, Time Machine, Kwilt, TiVo, and DLNA

==============

 

Here is what you said:

 

=============

We have lots of pc's, macs and whatever and it always worked very well. With the mac I would mount smb://readyshare and it always worked. But since I did that nighthawk software upgrade encouraged around the beginning of September 2019, can't get the nighthawk usb drive on my mac and it doesn't mount on my windows machines either.

=============

Not knowing what it is that you used it with or how? I don't use MAC's, but Windows has some similar commands, like NET USE. I suspect (can't verify) that DLNA also included the Samba Server, hence your problem.

 

My suggestion to go back in F/W still holds, or get a router from a vendor that still supports Samba/DLNA.

View solution in original post

Message 4 of 9

All Replies
IrvSp
Master

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

You might be using an R8000 or R7000. Check the f/w version, and then go to Support, put you router model in and then hit enter and select downloads. Click on your f/w versions (might need to open prior versions to see it) and then READ the RELEASE NOTES. If DLNA has been removed, that is the reason.

 

Only recourse is to backlevel firmware than still had DLNA in it (and set AUTO-UPDATE to disabled).

Message 2 of 9
Flash7Gordon
Guide

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Hi,

 

      So you are saying there is a known problem with the usb drives on the latest release of the Nighthawk R7000?    

Message 3 of 9
IrvSp
Master

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Don't have my R7000 or R8000 connected anymore, went to a different vendor once they dropped DLNA that I use from those models.

 

I am suggesting that they no longer SHARE the USB drive, that is all?

 

It is KNOWN and documented that they have removed 'function' from the USB drive related to how the f/w will work with it.

 

From the README on the last F/W

=======

Please note that starting with this firmware release (V1.0.9.88),  iTunesServer, Kwilt Photosharing, Time Machine Backup, TiVo support for media sharing, and the Downloader feature (which was in beta) are no longer supported. If you want to continue using these features, do not update the firmware.

New Features and Enhancements:

  • Supports NETGEAR Armor
  • Removes the following features: iTunes Server, Downloader, Time Machine, Kwilt, TiVo, and DLNA

==============

 

Here is what you said:

 

=============

We have lots of pc's, macs and whatever and it always worked very well. With the mac I would mount smb://readyshare and it always worked. But since I did that nighthawk software upgrade encouraged around the beginning of September 2019, can't get the nighthawk usb drive on my mac and it doesn't mount on my windows machines either.

=============

Not knowing what it is that you used it with or how? I don't use MAC's, but Windows has some similar commands, like NET USE. I suspect (can't verify) that DLNA also included the Samba Server, hence your problem.

 

My suggestion to go back in F/W still holds, or get a router from a vendor that still supports Samba/DLNA.

Message 4 of 9
Flash7Gordon
Guide

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Thanks,  wow that seems like a pretty fundamental feature to just drop, but it's their company and their decision.

Message 5 of 9
IrvSp
Master

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working


@Flash7Gordon wrote:

Thanks,  wow that seems like a pretty fundamental feature to just drop, but it's their company and their decision.


You can look at it that way. Not me!!! I got screwed as my $200+ 18 month old router is now not doing WHAT I WANT and WHY I PURCHASED IT!

 

How could any company do that not expect people to be upset? Suppose GM sold you a car and then the locks but said they'd sell you an electronic replacement?

 

Look what they 'added', Armour, a Security app built into the router f/w. First month (or maybe 90 days, not sure) FREE I recall, after that, $79 a year. Common thinking is they needed the RAM space to do that so they removed functions.

 

They should be SUED!!! Even boxes in the retail chain still have those features on it... If nothing else they should be releasing TWO sets of f/w, one with Armour and the excluded features and another with the features and no Armour.

 

You've chose to accept the change, I did not. Still angry that I have 2 boxes sitting here I'll not use. Would LOVE to sell them back to NG!!!

 

No other router vendor has REMOVED features. Yes, some have gone the extre revenue router of including Security in the firmware, but ONLY on NEW ROUTER models and those same removed features are or may not be on them. Different story, you bought it as it was, and something that was DOWNGRADED later at the whim of the vendor to add a money stream.

Message 6 of 9
myersw
Master

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

@IrvSp 

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

I love the way NG just dropped features folks were depending on. Things like backing up their MAC's. Watch videos, nope. Not anymore. Features that were on the box when sold and I suspect there are boxes on shelves that still list these features. 

 

What a crappy company to pull wanted/needed features, just to put on a new money grab. Horrible company. Not the Netgear I remember. Especially bad when you can get the same features plus security, like Armor, free on the completion. 

 

Message 7 of 9
Flash7Gordon
Guide

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Hi,  My Nighthawk R7000 Firmware version is V1.0.9.88_10.2.88 and it is trying to get me to install Armor  like people are talking about above.  BUT, there is some really bad information being disseminated here.   I just plugged a different thumb drive into the NightHawk usb port and it started working on at least one windows machine as a mount point so NetGear isn't de-supporting usb sharing.   I did some research and there are some cases where a new firmware release knocks down existing usb sharing so bad on NetGear.    But these knock down problems are  just an individual transition problem, it doesn't mean that usb sharing is not supported.  Again in my case I just put a different thumb drive in  ( a larger SanDisk) and it started working right from there on at least windows machines connected directly to the Nighthawk.   I somehow got machines connected only to my Comcast router to see the Nighhawk shared usb drive and that isn't working but it may come.  I take back the "solved" I gave out above.  Can a Netgear employee weigh in on this please!

Message 8 of 9
Flash7Gordon
Guide

Re: Since latest Nighthawk release shared usb drive not working

Wanted to add one thing about trying to recover the old usb drive if it stops working during your firmware upgrade.   The readyshare module of the nighthawk admin app recommends safe removal of the usb drive.   I ignored that because in our location the drive gets used less than 1% of the time for read or write.  I lost some files on the "old" usb drive so I recommend safe removal of the usb drive using the Readyshare module.

Message 9 of 9
Top Contributors
Discussion stats
  • 8 replies
  • 2797 views
  • 2 kudos
  • 3 in conversation
Announcements

Orbi WiFi 7