Nighthawk D7000 DNLA NAS Media Server storage sharing issues

[ljnova]

This is a message to the Netgear engineers regarding the Nighthawk D7000.

First of all, Netgear has finally got it right. This modem router is designed for cord cutters and watchers of streaming media, and for hard core gamers. Connection is stable, robust, and reliable. All my devices including my gaming consoles work without any major issue.

However there is one problem that I have reported to Netgear customer service in which needs to addressed in regards to the DNLA media server issue.

I was told by Netgear's customer service that each of the D7000's two USB 3.0 ports can support up to 4 terabyte storage without issue. Turns out that is not the case. The D7000 as of right now cannot read two 4TB USB HDDs connected to it at the same time. It will not even boot up if two of them are connected to it. If you have one connected, it will still not boot up.

By computer, if you access the drives via shared storage, you can see the folders and contents in them.

I was told by one REP that in order for me to use the D7000's full DNLA server capability to read from my USB HDD's, I had to partition the 4TB drives to two partions. Even after I did that, the D7000 still could not read the entire contents of the drives via DNLA by my TV. The modem router would see all of the folders, but not all of the video contents in them. 

So then the rep suggested I turn on UPnP which I honestly didn't feel comfortable doing becuase I have read many bulletins discussing that feature to be a critical security vulnerability that Netgear has not fixed. I did activate UPnP, and the D7000 was able to access more of the drive and folder contents, but again, NOT ALL.

This is a driver or firmware issue that needs to be fixed and addressed for the D7000.

I'm letting everyone be aware of this issue before you decide to purchase this unit.

[ElaineM]

Hi @ljnova,

Thank you for the feedback. Kindly, answer additional questions below to be attached on your follow up case with the engineering.

1. When the two 4TB are connected to the USB ports, router will not boot up?

2. What is the current fw of your D7000?

3. What is the file format of your HDDs?

4. What is the file format of the videos that are not seen by the DLNA?

5. What is the size of the video file?

6. What is the brand of your 4TB drives?

Regards,

[ljnova]

1. When the two 4TB are connected to the USB ports, router will not boot up?

NO It will not boot up whether 1 or 2 $TB drives are connected.

2. What is the current fw of your D7000?

the latest one, version 18

3. What is the file format of your HDDs?

NTFS files format

4. What is the file format of the videos that are not seen by the DLNA?

the videos are mpg, mp4, AVI, and mov. They can be seen and read by the DNLA. However, NOT ALL of the files within the drive can been seen and accessed. 

5. What is the size of the video file?

In one drive, I have over 1,500 videos. In another I have close to 7,000 full length movie some files as large as 2 gigabytes.

6. What is the brand of your 4TB drives?

Seagate

[ljnova]

Please report this to engineering. FIX THE DNLA ISSUE

[ElaineM]

@ljnova Rest assured that this will be forwarded to the engineering department for further testing. By the way, how do you get the router to boot up when an HD is plugged into the USB port and see some files? Also, I would like to verify if you can see ALL files from a computer. As I was reviewing your case, looks like that you are only unable to see ALL files through the TV. If this is the case, did you try checking if you can see ALL files from your HD when connected to the TV?

Thank you!

[ljnova]

The D7000 will NOT boot up if a hard disk of a certain size is connected to it via USB. I can see all of the files via computer. DNLA cannot. The TV's USB port cannot power a portable hard disk.

[ljnova]

After the D7000 is booted up and running, I connect my hard disk to the USB port.

[ljnova]

I've done every single test. This is a FIRMWARE issue with the D7000.

[ElaineM]

@ljnova thank you for the confirmation. Will forward this to engineering and give you an update as soon as I hear back.

Regards,

[extreme79]

I'm a little bit disappointed.

D7000 Media server / DLNA is very poor. I have many movies in my portable usb drive in many files format, avi, mp4, mkv.. but I'm unable to see files via dlna.

If I attach the hdd to the tv, I'm able to see all the movies without issues.

With my old router, Asus RT-N66U all works.. with the new one I'm unable to use the media server function.

I'm thinking to sell the D7000 and turn back to asus.

There are new fw available in the next few weeks? Beta Fw?

[ljnova]

You are better off getting a NAS. Look for the Seagate Personal Cloud. It's a good one.

[adrenalize]

Having used several Netgear routers with USB and ReadyNAS all have worked adequately (yes - they are not quick, no user access control and proper NAS's are much better) but I have also noticed an issue with the D7000.

I am using the exact same disk, format content etc which works fine on several other netgear routers (D6300, R7000) but on the D7000 there is something a bit odd. I can see most of the movie files via DLNA but they won't play.

I can also see the by the network folder - but again can't play them.

So having a look into the problem a bit more there are a couple of observations:

I use ext4 (well it should be native to a linux box - which is what all these routers are) but unlike all the other routers the file "owner" is "nobody" on the D7000 - so I had to fix the permissions.

The second is large file support. Large files can be copied on - but at a size I'm not quite sure of (somewhere between 2-4GB) the linux OS doesn't support large files - and they can't then be read used etc. Not very good unfortunately.

At a guess the linux OS was not compiled with "large file support" - Netgear probably get a development pack from the chipset manufacturer so may need a fix from them - which may never happen as the electronics industry moves so fast.

This may be your issue if your movie files are quite big.

WMA tag "contributing artist" is also not read correctly from audio files - this is an issue across the whole Netgear router range. 

Other than this the router is pretty stable - hence why I guess there hasn't been a firmware update since mid 2015.

I will try and contact a tech support contact I have, but am frustrated also.

[extreme79]

I'm glad to see that in months and months Netgear was not able to solve ANYTHING.

My D7000 still having that fu**ing issue, I'm fighting with online support that repeatedly ask me my hdd model, ask how many files I have and many other stupid things (already described by me).

The issue is not the HDD. It works perfectly.

Don't mind what type of support you use: usb3 hdd, usb2 hdd, usb2 thumb drive, usb3 thum drive, fat, fat32,exFat,NTFS. NOTHING WORKS as expected. Drive is seen, folders are seen, but ONLY few video files (generally OLD OLD short clips) are visibile from any device you try to use as player (smart TV, PS3, Smartphone, PC).

They have a fu**ing bugged and/or poorly developed media server and now I'm thinking they don't want to fix it: 5 months since I opened the support ticket,

If they solve within june, or in the next weeks I'll solve the issue myself: I'll buy a SOHO NAS and I'll SELL the D7000.

NEVER OTHER SINGLE NETGEAR  PRODUCT AGAIN.

[VE6CGX]

Being 4 TB in HDD size, MBR format is not good.  Try GTP format. Also calling USB port attached storage NAS is wrong. They are attached peripheral devices. Real NAS has own OS and itself is a

system. Synology, QNAP are good examples. Even a smallest 1 bay NAS is better than USB attached HDD in many ways.

[ljnova]

Again, in response to all of you, the built-in DNLA server that all router /modem+routers not just netgear the manufacturers feature is buggy and in many cases inadequate. In turn I gave up and have accepted that none of these manufacturers have any intention of coming through and actually building a robust stable product. Their interest is in making selling a product to make money. They have no interest in actually supporting what they sell.

I HIGHLY recoomend purchasing a seperate NAS device from Synology which are considered the best, Western Digital, or my favorite choice which is Seagate's Personal Cloud. I use my NAS primarily a streaming home video server to my DNLA devices at home to watch movies I legally purchased, ripped and converted. 

[vonponwa]

Same issue for me and it's one that's got me extremely frustrated. None of my video files are particularly large (none over 2GB) but the DLNA indexing never makes it past about halfway through my media files on my 3TB HDD. As such, nothing after a certain point is visible on my TV/device. I've had this router for six months now and none of the firmware updates have addressed the problem. Why oh why can't this be fixed?

[jammerdjc]

I have a WD 1TB drive that is in a SABRENT USB 3.0 docking station.  There are no issues as long as it is plugged into the USB 2.0 port on the back of the router.  However, if you plug it into the 3.0 port the drive will drop out on a regular basis.  I've just resorted to using the 2.0 port for now.  It would be nice if the 3.0 port would work though.  I suspect I'd see better performance.

I just updated to FW V1.0.7.2_1.1.9, but this isn't supposed to have USB or DLNA fixes.