How to map public NAS directory in Windows 10 Home?

I want to use an Intel Compute Stick attached to a not-so-smart TV as a media player. The content (music, pictures and videos) resides in public directories in a NAS on my WLAN. I can access these directories from an iPad (as guest) without providing login credentials, but when I try to connect to one of these directories in Windows 10 Home on the Compute Stick, it asks for login credentials. How can I connect to the public directories without logging in?
The Compute Stick is currently running WIndows 10 Home 20H2. Should I upgrade it to 21H2? I am nervous about the space required for the update, since the Compute Stick has only 32GB.

rsbrux said:

I want to use an Intel Compute Stick attached to a not-so-smart TV as a media player. The content (music, pictures and videos) resides in public directories in a NAS on my WLAN. I can access these directories from an iPad (as guest) without providing login credentials, but when I try to connect to one of these directories in Windows 10 Home on the Compute Stick, it asks for login credentials. How can I connect to the public directories without logging in?
The Compute Stick is currently running WIndows 10 Home 20H2. Should I upgrade it to 21H2? I am nervous about the space required for the update, since the Compute Stick has only 32GB.

Hi there
@rsbrux

absolutely the best way to play remote media on a "Not so smart TV" - assuming it has at least an available HDMI input is to use an Android device - something like an Amazon fire stick or equivalent.

then as it's android you can install KODI on it (or VLC) -- plenty of instructions on how to do that on the web but for Kodi on a fire stick this is a good guide

How to install Kodi on Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV | Tom's Guide

On your computer enable SMB1

In the kodi app set security (via settings) to Max security SMB1, Min security SMB1 , and enable legacy security to on. (This might not be necessary but I'm using old NAS devices for file sharing which don't support SMB2/3 - trial and error is your best bet if only using Windows computers.

Now simply use the "file section" in Kodi to browse for your computer -- choose the SMB (Windows) option. You should see your computer and should be able to see shared drives. For playing video / movies etc add to the VIDEO section, for music add to the music section.

No need for any multi-media server system on your host computer - just enable the shared drives.
Kodi will also play "ripped" DVD's / Blu Ray's from isos if you've ripped them to iso's with something like red frox AnyDVD or similar.
Subtitles for movies are also "dynamically downloadable) if you install one of the various subtitle providers addons -- subtitles.org is a good one -- study the kodi documentation as initial setup seems a bit complex - but it's well worth it.

Cheers
jimbo

@jimbo,
Thanks, but I prefer MediaPortal to Kodi, which is why I have a Compute Stick instead of a FireStick or Android adapter.