Connecting to SMB Servers with Extender HD200: invalid directory

[jwillsey]

Hello,

Just hooked up my HD200 and want to let it scan my video/picture/audio libraries on my server, which is password protected based on directory/share.

When browsing to my server, I just get "invalid Directory"

Is there away to manually add my smb paths with user/pass so that the extender can browse them?

[stanger89]

Last I heard, there's no way to specify user/pass for share access.

[gripworks]

For me at least this makes it so this box can't work as a stand-alone player.

[stanger89]

Me too, pretty much. Though it doesn't bother me much because I just run it in Extender mode all the time anyway.

[ojosch]

I have this same problem. So I removed the password from my main media server and I still get "invalid directory" when I try to access it from the HD200. For the first 2 or 3 times I tried it, I could see my shares on the HD200, but when I went inside any of them them, I just got the "invalid directory", but now this last couple of times I've been trying, I can't even see any of my shares anymore on either of 3 different computers on my network. I've power-cycled the HD200 3 times and still can't even see any shares at all. Frustrating...

[stanger89]

I think you need to give access to "Guest" with no password (I got it working for one share, but don't really remember how anymore).

[Narflex]

There'll be a new firmware update soon which adds support for password protected SMB shares on the HD200 (it already works in testing; I just used it). It'll also be added to the main SageTV Media Center product in the near future; but only for Mac/Linux servers.

[ojosch]

Well, I set up my guest user accounts, no password, on my main 2 Windows machines I store stuff on, and I've always had a guest user account set to browseable with no password on my Linux box, and the HD200 STILL does not even see those machines at all. It originally could at least see the machines before for the first couple times after initial hookup, but always said "Invalid Directory" when you tried to go into it. But now you can't even see the other machines. All of my other boxes can see all of the other shares of all the other computers but those computers can't see the HD200, and the HD200 can't see any of those other machines. My workgroup is set correctly, and I get DHCP connectivity from my Linux server, (since I get my IP and could download the firmware update fine), so I know all is healthy on my network. This is all in standalone mode. Now, when I change to Sage Extender mode, and try to discover network shares from the media center option in there, I can at least see the other computers from there but if I try to go into any of those shares it still says "Invalid Directory". I'm trying very hard to have patience with this but it is frustrating. Now today, I just realized that the HD200 I got now wont play a mt2s file that it played just fine yesterday. I'm starting to see some real bugs in the firmware beginning to shine through now. Sometimes under certain conditions, the device become non-responsive, and the only fix is to power-cycle the unit. Ok, I'm taking a deeep breath now and hoping that I'm just not doing something right

[bigbill]

Once you enabled guest, did you also add the guest account as Read to the ACL's on the files and folders? I never use the guest account in the real world, so I am not sure if the guest account has any rights on the file system, I would suspect it doesn't so right clicking on the folder and adding the guess account for Read might help.
Also, check the permissions on the share itself, it usually defaults to everyone fullcontrol, but maybe it got changed. -Bill

[ojosch]

I don't even see how guest account matters or not, since that user is not even logged on to most the time. Am I supposed to log onto 'Guest' and then 'Switch User' to my normal user (which has admin rights)? I just don't really get it. Any machine on my network can now browse and have read/write access to all shares on my home network (all boxes including 4 Windows boxes and an SMB Linux box) and I can share without having to enter any passwords whatsoever, but I still cannot even see those shares with this HD200 hud. Not sure what to make of it, but I need standalone mode in order to read regular DVD iso files, because they said that extender mode wont let you do this. I hope they hire more developers over there so they can make this thing flawless or at least make it do what it was advertised to do without locking up. I'd even pay extra money to get the software cleaned up and optimized quickly. I also wish the media center interface in extender mode was a little more intuitive because my wife doesn't like the new way of surfing for music. She wants me to hook up the old Z500 Zensonic again now. I also wish I had the option to switch from thumbnail view to plain pictureless list view to surf all my music and other media. But this is for another thread. I didn't mean to veer off topic.

But seriously, if SageTV wanted me to do testing for them and provide feedback on how to improve the firmware, I would be happy to donate time. I am a software QA tester for a living so I think I could offer some useful feedback. At any rate, I can't wait til they get the bugs all worked out. I realized that they had to get the unit out so it can start earning money to fund further refinement.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by ojosch

I don't even see how guest account matters or not, since that user is not even logged on to most the time. Am I supposed to log onto 'Guest' and then 'Switch User' to my normal user (which has admin rights)? I just don't really get it.

No, you need to have your SMB shares setup to allow access by a Guest account with no password. The HD200 use the "Guest"/no_password logon to attempt to browse shares.

Any machine on my network can now browse and have read/write access to all shares on my home network (all boxes including 4 Windows boxes and an SMB Linux box) and I can share without having to enter any passwords whatsoever, but I still cannot even see those shares with this HD200 hud.

Sounds like you've got all your machines setup with the right user/pass to browse your CIFS shares. My network is like that too. I had to change the permission of one of my shares to allow Guest logon to get the HD200 to import it.

Not sure what to make of it, but I need standalone mode in order to read regular DVD iso files, because they said that extender mode wont let you do this. I hope they hire more developers over there so they can make this thing flawless or at least make it do what it was advertised to do without locking up.

Have you updated the firmware to the latest beta? Sounds like not, my HD200 is quite solid.

I also wish I had the option to switch from thumbnail view to plain pictureless list view to surf all my music and other media. But this is for another thread. I didn't mean to veer off topic.

You should be able to do that by selecting Options from that view.

But seriously, if SageTV wanted me to do testing for them and provide feedback on how to improve the firmware, I would be happy to donate time. I am a software QA tester for a living so I think I could offer some useful feedback. At any rate, I can't wait til they get the bugs all worked out. I realized that they had to get the unit out so it can start earning money to fund further refinement.

If you find problems that don't have solutions on the forum, I suggest you report them to SageTV directly, they'll most likely be quite interested to hear about them and fix them.

[ojosch]

Well, thanks for the suggestions. I will try most of them perhaps tonight. I did just happen to load the beta firmware last night for kicks. Now I can at least see all my network shares again from the HD200, but I still just get "invalid directory" when I try to access any of them. I have guest account turned on, on my SageTV server (runs Vista) and I still just get "invalid directory". Tonight I will try turning on guest accounts on my other XP boxes and see if it can connect to any of them. Perhaps the Vista box has some thing that is causing problems (I'm not as familiar with Vista - this is my first Vista box I ever built). I have UAC turned off, and like I said, I can connect from other boxes just fine, but I don't know if they are connecting as 'guest' or not. Tonight I'm going to look more into that. I'll try and force it to login as guest from another XP box and see if I can connect to the Vista box that way) I usually know quite a bit about this kind of stuff so I am kind of puzzled right now that you guys don't seem to have any problems, yet I can't seem to get mine to work at all. It kind of makes me feel a bit stupid right now. Oh well, it aint the first time. It's probably just some stupid thing that I'm not thinking of. Heck, I'm usually pretty brain dead by the time evening hits so I wouldn't be surprised if it's just some stupid thing I'm stumbling right across.

[ojosch]

No, still no luck. I have turned on guest accounts with no password on 2 of my 4 XP boxes (the ones I normally leave on) and my 1 Vista HTPC box and no luck. I still get "Invalid Directory" on the shares that I can see. I give up. Could the Extender be stuck in some state where it can't refresh network shares? I can see my workgroup just fine on the Extender, so then when I click on it, I can see my Linux webserver SMB share, and my Vista share but I don't even see a share there for either of the XP boxes which the Vista box and the other boxes can all see and read/write to without problem. It's like the Extender is not refreshing and can't see the current shares? I updated the firmware to the Beta release the night before last. I've tried hitting the "Refresh" button and it doesn't do anything.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by ojosch

No, still no luck. I have turned on guest accounts with no password on 2 of my 4 XP boxes (the ones I normally leave on) and my 1 Vista HTPC box and no luck. I still get "Invalid Directory" on the shares that I can see. I give up. Could the Extender be stuck in some state where it can't refresh network shares? I can see my workgroup just fine on the Extender, so then when I click on it, I can see my Linux webserver SMB share, and my Vista share but I don't even see a share there for either of the XP boxes which the Vista box and the other boxes can all see and read/write to without problem. It's like the Extender is not refreshing and can't see the current shares? I updated the firmware to the Beta release the night before last. I've tried hitting the "Refresh" button and it doesn't do anything.

Make sure you updated to the beta firmware, not just the latest firmware.

Or just wait:

Originally Posted by Narflex

There'll be a new firmware update soon which adds support for password protected SMB shares on the HD200 (it already works in testing; I just used it). It'll also be added to the main SageTV Media Center product in the near future; but only for Mac/Linux servers.

Gerry

[ojosch]

Yeah, I entered the 4-digit code to enable the beta download

[gripworks]

I turned on guest access and voila, the HD200 could see all my smb shares. However I would definitely prefer to have password access enabled.

[rswoods]

Originally Posted by gripworks

I turned on guest access and voila, the HD200 could see all my smb shares. However I would definitely prefer to have password access enabled.

Agreed. Hopefully it's coming soon.

[jcaesar625]

I am also having problems connecting to my SMB drives. I have enabled the guest account in Vista, and I have setup the shares for guest access. I have also installed the beta firmware. I just receive "Invalid Folder". I do notice at the top of the screen it Says "Network Workgroup", should it actually state the name of my workgroup there? I have changed the workgroup name to my actual workgroup name in the settings, but it doesn't seem to reflect it on this screen.

[gplasky]

Yes. Configure the Workgroup name in the settings.

Gerry

[Shield]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Yes. Configure the Workgroup name in the settings.

Gerry

I have, and it still reads "Network workgroup". Of course I run a 2003 domain at home, so who knows.

I wonder once the username/password is enabled if I'll be able to enter in domain\username / password to get it to work.