Connecting NAS to blue curve

[dstl]

How can I connect my NAS to blue curve to have access to my home network?

[shaw-tony]

@dstl, unfortunately, this is not supported. Generally, you should be able to connect to the NAS through an ethernet connection.

[gabemastey]

Not that helpful Tony. The bluecurve modem has 2 ethernet ports on the back. Why couldn't an NAS device be attached to these? i've attached my Apple TV without issue. Now I'm trying with my Synology DS413j NAS,, but no luck so far. Please include any relevant shaw technical articles or other resources in your response. Thanks.

[rstra]

The NAS can be connected to one of the Ethernet ports on the modem, mine is and works just fine.

[XHP]

Not sure if this is fixed.  I had difficulty to access my Synology 218j after I linked it to either of 2 ether net ports on the back of Shaw Blue Curve.

1. Synology DS apps on my some mobile device still work with Synology ID in home (not tried when out from home).  Meanwhile, on some mobile devices in home, I had to input 218j's IP (instead of Synology ID) to access 218j.

2. On PCs (no matter running Win10 or Ubuntu), I couldn't access 218j by either a. DSM interface in browser or by b. 218j's IP such as \\192.168.0.XX.  The error message run as "refused to connect".

Searched online, I tried many ways, none worked.  I even completely turned off Win10's firewall and Blue Curve's firewall, still no luck.  Seems that Blue Curve, as a switch or router, blocks terminals from seeing each other (but why Synology mobile apps work is a mystery).

At the end of the day, I had to take out the Airport Extreme and attach back to Blue Curve, then connect 218j to Airport Extreme.  Everything back to normal.  Blue Curve very likely is the cause.

[mdk]

@XHP -- The error message run as "refused to connect".

Can you "ping" the "private" IP-address that the BlueCurve has assigned to your NAS? If so, the NAS is "reachable" on your private network.

I think that "refused" is the important word -- if you did not specify the correct ID & password, then the NAS "refused" to allow a successful connection.  Or, the NAS could be configured to access connections only from a small range of IP-addresses, and the IP-address of your 2 computers is not within that range.

> I even completely turned off Win10's firewall and Blue Curve's firewall, still no luck.  

As expected.

The Windows 10 firewall is designed to block "unsolicited" IP-packets being sent *TO* your computer, not to block IP-packets *FROM* your computer to any foreign IP-address.

The BlueCurve's firewall is designed similarly -- to block "unsolicited" IP-packets originating on the Internet from reaching any of the computers on your "private" network.  This is where "port-forwarding" on the BlueCurve is used to "poke-a-hole" to allow foreign-sourced traffic to connect to a specific port on one of your private computers.

[XHP]

@mdk First of all, I really appreciate your so detailed input to this post.  I should have described with a little more information.

=> Before 5th. of August, I was using a basic Shaw plan whose router was old and I used an Apple Airport Extreme Router to extend WiFi turning Shaw router's WiFi off, NAS has a fixed IP 192.168.0.10 (fixed in NAS, not designated in Shaw router) as hooked with Airport Extreme LAN port.  I usually access NAS via browser and mapped NAS's share folders to local PC, everything worked.  

=> From 5 of August, I upgraded to Shaw's gig plan who sent this Blue Curve Router which has only 2 LAN ports, fine because NAS is the only device needs LAN in my home.  I put Apple Router into closet and changed Blue Curve Router's LAN IP pool from 10.0.0.X to 192.168.0.X, plugged NAS to Blue Curve Router's LAN port.  I didn't changed any setting except old Shaw Router is replaced.  Then the NAS is neither accessible by browser nor by \\192.168.0.10 .  I then took Apple router out and connect NAS to it then connect Apple router to Blue Curve's LAN, Blue Curve does DHCP while Apple router doesn't (I actually want to put Blue Curve to bridge mode, that is another question I will address later). For a while, NAS back to normal - accessible by browser and \\192.168.0.10 in "this computer", I thought the problem is gone and replied in this post.

=> Just now, the problem is back.  It seems my add-a-router "solution" doesn't work (I guess Blue Curve Router is still the Big Brother because it is doing DHCP).  I pinged 192.168.0.10 (my NAS), no issue at all.  I can even see NAS in "this computer".  Please ignore the interface is in Chinese, sorry about that.

NAS can be seen

I tried \\192.168.0.10, occasionally I was prompted to input credentials.  I keyed in, it is not accessible.

Win10 offers diagnostic saying something like "this device or resource is not set up to accept connection on 'file and printer sharing (SMB)'".  Like I said I didn't touch any setting in NAS.  This message seems to be the key, the problem is that since I couldn't access NAS's console via browser in PC, I couldn't search in NAS's setting.  Interestingly, on my cellphone, I can use NAS's apps to access share folders and log in via browser, apparently font is to tiny to do settings for NAS (I can if I really have to though).

This is really puzzling.  Shaw's Blue Curve router is smarter and seems too bossy to take away a little too much (I read some posts saying it doesn't allow DNS customization and it is so "smart" that does take a little too much personal information which is price of smart devices).

=> I wanted to put Blue Curve router to "bridge" mode (so Apple Router can do PPPoE dial and DHCP which very likely will help to fix this issue too) but I don't know PPPoE ID and password which my knowledge tells me I need them (I can be wrong Blue Curve router maybe still take care of PPPoE even in bridge mode?). Shaw's online client service does not understand my request.

P.S

=> My "Gig" plan is about running on 600-, acceptable in WiFi but a little far from being Gig.

A long reply, I will continue to try to solve this slightly annoying issue.  Thanks a lot again, @mdk 

[XHP]

Shoot!  After I posted my above post.  The issue is gone again!  This kind of on-and-off is even more annoying than totally off!😀😂

[mdk]

@XHP -- changed Blue Curve Router's LAN IP pool from 10.0.0.X to 192.168.0.X, plugged NAS to Blue Curve Router's LAN port.  I didn't changed any setting except old Shaw Router is replaced.  Then the NAS is neither accessible by browser nor by \\192.168.0.10 . 

Logon to the BlueCurve's web-interface, and look at the DHCP-table, to see what IP-addresses are "active", within the "192.168.0.xxx" private network.

On each computer, check the IP-address that the computer is using. Each IP-address must be within the same "192.168.0.xxx" private network.

Note that typing:  "http://192.168.0.10" into your web-browser tries to use HTTP protocol to connect to the web-server inside the NAS, while typing "\\192.68.0.10" tries to use Microsoft Networking protocol to connect to the NAS. Compare to entering into two different doors on a house -- physically, the doors are not identical. One door might be a garage door, wide-enough to drive a vehicle into, and the other door is only wide-enough for one person to enter at a time. Different accessibility -- different "protocol".

> I then took Apple router out and connect NAS to it then connect Apple router to Blue Curve's LAN ...

Now, both the BlueCurve's DHCP-server and the Apple router's DHCP-server are trying to hand-out IP-addresses in the same "192.168.0.xxx" range. Network confusion!  You should have reset the BlueCurve back to its original range of IP-addresses. The Apple router will then be allocated "10.0.0.xxx", and the Apple router will assign "192.168.0.xxx" IP-addresses to any computer/device connected to it.  After you do so, any computer connected to the second Ethernet port on the BlueCurve will not be able to access any computer/device "behind" the Apple router (connected to the first Ethernet port on the BlueCurve).

> occasionally I was prompted to input credentials

Yes, as expected. The ID/password that you enter must be values configured into the NAS. Enter incorrect values, and the "login" will fail, and the device will block your file/folder sharing.

Be sure to power-off/power-on each device (BlueCurve, Apple router, NAS, your computers) after you change the range of IP-addresses handed-out by each DHCP-server.

[XHP]

@mdk Thanks a ton again!!  @mdk I don't wanna take too much your time and effort, your replies are already super helpful.  My post is simply for curiosity and to help if any people else also have similar issues.  So if you are busy, please take your time to read and reply.  Grateful.

0. Please bear in mind that no setting has been changed before and after Blue Curve's arrival.  I have thought about some points you mentioned.

UPDATE, NAS disappeared from "file explorer" and inaccessible again.

1. in Blue Curve, IP pool is from 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.253 which I believe 192.168.0.10 is within the pool, in this case, I also don't think any of my PCs or mobile devices' IP fall out from this private IP pool.  Again, I ping 192.168.0.10 in CMD, the response is like 3ms, quite good.

2. Apple router "Airport 1" in following sceenshot's "Router Mode" is on "Off (Bridge Mode)", so I don't think it also does DHCP to create IP confusion. Apple router "Airport 2" is put on "extend existing WiFi" following default suggested by iOS "Airport Utility" set up process.

AirPort 1's Mode:

3. occasionally I was prompted to input credentials. Before that, I was prompted to do so every time after I reboot or log off from Win 10 - I chose not to let PC remember the credentials.  Now, occasionally I was prompted to input credentials, after I input credentials and enter, "File Explorer" freezes a while and not able to connect error message appears.