Archer C8 - Smart TV is unable to detect the external hard drive connected to my wired access point

[zebrastripes]

Here's a link to a diagram of my setup: http://postimg.org/image/wduao9rqz/

My main modem/router is a TD-W8961ND (192.168.1.1). I have successfully connected a TP-Link Archer C8 (v1) as a wired access point (192.168.1.2), following the instructions found HERE.

I have a Samsung Smart TV (model UN55JU6700) connected by Ethernet cable to the TD-W8961ND, and the TV is successfully connected to the internet.

I have an external hard drive connected to the USB3.0 input of the Archer C8. I have successfully mapped the hard drive, and I can access it wirelessly from my laptop through the 192.168.1.2 address without issue.

My problem is that with this setup my Samsung Smart TV is unable to detect the external hard drive connected to the Archer C8.

I previously had the Archer C8 setup as a wireless bridge (rather than a wired access point) and the Samsung TV WAS able to detect the external hard drive and play media files off of it without issue. The drive showed up as a SOURCE on the TV, that I could select without going through any TWONKY or DLNA server stuff. The drive showed up in the SOURCES list on the TV as “TP-LINK_F292BA” which matched what is shown as the “Network/Media Server Name” within the Archer C8’s settings. I ultimately switched over to the wired access point setup because I was getting random drop outs of the wireless signal from the TD-W8961ND. The wired access point setup seems to have solved that problem, so I’m hoping there’s a way to access the external drive with the Smart TV with the current setup.

I have the USB File Sharing Settings within the Archer C8 setup properly, as demonstrated by the fact that I can access the external hard drive wirelessly from the laptop.

Any ideas why my Smart TV can’t detect the hard drive connected to the Access Point (Archer C8)? Is there a step I’m missing to force the TV to recognize the drive?

 

[Ralston18]

What IP address and subnet mask are assigned to the Samsung Smart TV?

 

[zebrastripes]

What IP address and subnet mask are assigned to the Samsung Smart TV?

Here are the settings on the Samsung TV.

IP Setting: Obtain automatically
IP Address: 192.168.1.107
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS Setting: Enter Manually
DNS Server: 8.8.8.8

 

[Ralston18]

Nothing immediately apparent that I can see.

What options are available via "DNS Setting: Enter Manually"?

I looked that the TV User Guide but did not note the choices. Also saw some references to IP Settings.... do you see those windows/menus?

I did see the "Source" page in the manual but unfortnately do not have a Samsung TV to explore those functions.

My thought would be to assign a static IP to the Samsung TV using an IP address outside of the available DHCP range. Reserve the IP on the TP-Link via the TV's MAC.

That would "stabilize" the TV's network IP address - just one less thing being changed.

 

[zebrastripes]

Nothing immediately apparent that I can see.

What options are available via "DNS Setting: Enter Manually"?

I looked that the TV User Guide but did not note the choices. Also saw some references to IP Settings.... do you see those windows/menus?

I did see the "Source" page in the manual but unfortnately do not have a Samsung TV to explore those functions.

My thought would be to assign a static IP to the Samsung TV using an IP address outside of the available DHCP range. Reserve the IP on the TP-Link via the TV's MAC.

That would "stabilize" the TV's network IP address - just one less thing being changed.

The only option under "DNS Setting: Enter Manually" is to change it to "Obtain automatically," which when selected changes the DNS Server to 192.168.1.1

I did try making the TV's IP address static and reserving it via the MAC but the external hard drive was still not visible. However, I had to keep the TV's IP address within the router's DHCP range though, as that is the only way I'm able to actually reserve the address within the router's software. The TD-W8961ND doesn't allow me to reserve IP addresses outside the DHCP range.

I'm wondering if the issue is related to the fact that the TD-W8961ND is the primary router which is handling the DHCP assignments, but the hard drive is plugged into the Archer C8, which has it's DHCP disabled, as it is being used as an Access Point only. I assume if the external hard drive was plugged into the W8961ND, the TV would be more likely to see it, but there's no USB connection on that router, so it's not an option.

In other words, is the problem related to the fact that the TV is connected to the 192.168.1.1 router, and the hard drive is connected to the 192.168.1.2 router?

 

[Ralston18]

Curious: What happens if DNS Server is set to "Obtain Automatically" and changes to 192.168.1.1 on the TV?

Are these the Archer and TP Link Manuals?

http://www.tp-link.com/resources/document/Archer_C8_V1_UG.pdf

http://www.tp-link.com/Resources/document/TD-W8961ND_V2.0_User_Guide.pdf

I would not expect that the problem is related to the hard drive being physically connected to 192.168.1.2 and the TV being physically connected to 192.168.1.1.

Especially since the laptop can see the external drive. The TP-Link Router should be handling all of the traffic and is able to identify and direct traffic to the external USB drive.

How do the devices appear on the network map?

Any way I am not sure about what the problem may be other than my curiousity regarding "Obtain Automatically". However, I am looking into the "changes" with respect to the USB drive originally being available in "bridge mode" and not working now.

Going to dig into the manuals (trusting that I have the correct manuals) and look at the configuration details.

 

[zebrastripes]

Curious: What happens if DNS Server is set to "Obtain Automatically" and changes to 192.168.1.1 on the TV?

Are these the Archer and TP Link Manuals?

http://www.tp-link.com/resources/document/Archer_C8_V1_UG.pdf

http://www.tp-link.com/Resources/document/TD-W8961ND_V2.0_User_Guide.pdf

I would not expect that the problem is related to the hard drive being physically connected to 192.168.1.2 and the TV being physically connected to 192.168.1.1.

Especially since the laptop can see the external drive. The TP-Link Router should be handling all of the traffic and is able to identify and direct traffic to the external USB drive.

How do the devices appear on the network map?

Any way I am not sure about what the problem may be other than my curiousity regarding "Obtain Automatically". However, I am looking into the "changes" with respect to the USB drive originally being available in "bridge mode" and not working now.

Going to dig into the manuals (trusting that I have the correct manuals) and look at the configuration details.

I have tried configuring the DNS server both manually and automatically and have had no change. Those are the correct manuals, but I have just done some research on the miniDLNA aspect of the router (which isn't really covered in the manual) and I'm starting to think the DLNA folder that the Archer has created on the external hard drive may have become corrupted. I'm just trying to figure out how to force the Archer to rebuild that folder. Hopefully this will resolve the issue. I will update this thread as soon as I figure out if that is what has caused the problem.

 

[zebrastripes]

Thanks for all your help. It turns out the problem was that the .db file in the hidden DLNA folder on the hard drive had somehow disappeared. This folder is called ".TPDLNA" and the missing file was "files.db". I'm not sure if it was somehow related to switching from a wireless bridge to the wired access point that caused the file to be deleted, or if it was a total coincidence that it was lost at exactly the same time I reconfigured the network, but by deleting the old .TPDLNA folder, causing the Archer to rebuild this folder, it has fixed the problem and my Smart TV can once again see this external hard drive!

 

[Ralston18]

Thanks for the update. DLNA - Interesting: certainly not along the path I was taking.....

Will take advantage of your posting to add this link:

http://www.techhive.com/article/2020825/how-to-get-started-with-dlna.html

And there are other similar websites regarding specific manufacturers.

May help someone else either directly or indirectly identify related DLNA problems.