BT - Attach Secondary HUB to Current HUB to use USB as Shared Drive

RickC · 09 Aug 2022

Paul Black said:

Thanks for the reply @RickC,

Unfortunately, that does NOT work.

As a matter of interest, have a look at this post which suggests mapping from the commandline. Note that this advice is for a BT Smart Hub, not the BT Home Hub. Worth a try?

Unfortunately, despite the number of posts that it's possible, I also now read that the USB functionality for data connection was disabled on BT Home Hub 2's by an automatic firmware update in June 2019 and people subsequently began finding their previously working USB-attached HDD setups were broken.

I see similar reports with BT Smart Hubs in approximately the same time-frame. It appears BT may have released updated firmware across the board to disable SMB1 on their hubs thus rendering the USB ports useless for data connection. Apparently their range only supported SMB1, not later.

If so, the only possibly way I can think of moving forward is by replacing the BT firmware with Open-WRT... if it's a Type A BT Home Hub 3. Have a look at this Open-WRT article for more info. Note however that the link to the earlier BT firmware is now broken.

Paul Black · 09 Aug 2022

Thanks for the reply @RickC,

I will have a look at what you posted and this further tomorrow.

The strange thing is, it all works on my Desktop.

I have a more serious problem. One of my 3 TB WD External Hard Drives has stopped working. There is power getting to it, the cables are OK, but there is no vibration [ the disk spinning ] of it working. I am really p***ed off because that had all my good stuff on it that was due to be backed up soon. Years of stuff.

MaloK · 10 Aug 2022

Paul Black said:

Thanks for the reply @MaloK,

I can't Turn on file and printer sharing. I even tried . . .

CMD netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes
PS Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File And Printer Sharing" -Enabled True -Profile Private

Could it be a Service that is the problem ?
Could it be because it is set as a Private Network ?
Could it be the 192.168.1.10 I set on the OLD Router is WRONG ?
Could it be something to do with Function Discovery Resource Publication which is set to MANUAL & RUNNING ?

Attachment 372827
Attachment 372829

Where do I check Client for Microsoft Network please ?

Here are the Services that I have DISABLED . . .

Attachment 372830
Attachment 372831

Until trying to do this I have never had a problem with Services !

I am quite happy to Reset the OLD Router and start again if that is the problem with what I have done.

I also just saw this . . .

Attachment 372834

The first one opens the Settings for the NEW Router, and the second one opens the Settings for the OLD Router, BOTH in Google Chrome.

This is from the OLD Router . . .

Attachment 372839

I really think this has something to do with NOT being able to Turn on file and printer sharing because of a Service or something else that is stopping it being turned ON.

Thanks.

Sorry for the late reply,

You can check your network bindings in your adapters properties.

The services required for shared networking

1. DHCP Client
2. DNS Client
3. Network Connections
4. Network Location Awareness
5. Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
6. Server
7. TCP/IP Netbios helper
8. Workstation
9. Function Discovery Resource Publication
10. UPnP Device Host services
11. Wired Auto Config
12. WLAN Auto Config
13. COM+ Event System
14. Computer Browser
15. Wireless Zero Configuration

But if you have one device that is working and able to reach your shared drive, the problem is in the laptop.

You need to find what causes the file and printer sharing to be disabled.

Paul Black · 11 Aug 2022

OK.

The Desktop is connected via Ethernet and the Laptop is connected via Wi-Fi.

I have got the OLD Router with a USB inserted working on BOTH my Desktop & Laptop.

SMB 1.0 needed to be ON [ Which it was, but I tested it WITHOUT and it did NOT work ].

BT - Attach Secondary HUB to Current HUB to use USB as Shared Drive-image.png

This is a shame as per @Brink's Tutorial > Share Files and Folders Over a Network

I followed the information in @MaloK's excellent post above.

I created a table [ Below ] which shows the Parameters of the Services for the Desktop & Laptop along with the Defaults that I got from @Brink's Tutorial > Restore Default Services and the changes that I made [ You can see that I have OCD, sorry ].

Code:


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Services                               | Desktop                             | Laptop                              | SAME | Default                             |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01. DHCP Client                            | Running / Automatic                 | Running / Automatic                 |      | Running / Automatic                 |
02. DNS Client                             | Running / Automatic                 | Running / Automatic                 |      | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) |
03. Network Connections                    | Stopped / Manual                    | Running / Manual                    |   NO | Stopped / Manual                    |
04. Network Location Awareness             | Running / Automatic                 | Running / Automatic                 |      | Running / Automatic                 |
05. Remote Procedure Call (RPC)            | Running / Automatic                 | Running / Automatic                 |      | Running / Automatic                 |
06. Server                                 | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) |      | Running / Automatic                 |
07. TCP/IP Netbios Helper                  | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) |      | Running / Automatic (Trigger Start) |
08. Workstation                            | Running / Manual                    | Stopped / Disabled                  |   NO | Running / Automatic                 | Changed to Running / Automatic on Laptop
09. Function Discovery Resource Pubication | Stopped / Disabled                  | Running / Manual (Trigger Start)    |   NO | Running / Manual                    |
10. UPnP Device Host Services              | Stopped / Disabled                  | Stopped / Manual                    |   NO | Running / Manual                    | Changed to Running / Manual on Laptop
11. Wired Auto Config                      | Stopped / Manual                    | Stopped / Manual                    |      | Stopped / Manual                    |
12. WLAN Auto Config                       | Stopped / Manual                    | Running / Automatic                 |   NO | Running / Automatic                 |
13. COM+ Event System                      | Running / Automatic                 | Running / Automatic                 |      | Running / Automatic                 |
14. Computer Browser                       | Running / Manual (Trigger Start)    | Stopped / Manual (Trigger Start)    |   NO | Running / Manual (Trigger Start)    | Changed to Running / Manual on Laptop
15. Wireless Zero Configuration            | NOT ON DESKTOP                      | NOT ON LAPTOP                       |  N/A | N/A                                 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I then Restarted the Laptop.

This even changed the Turn on File and Printer Sharing to CHECKED on the Laptop:

I Mapped the OLD Router's USB drive on the Desktop & Laptop and they BOTH work. I even tested it by adding and deleting a couple of files.

LAPTOP:

DESKTOP:

Now that the above is sorted, I can concentrate on setting up my 3TB WD External Hard Drive [ Powered and USB connected ] to be shared with the Desktop & Laptop. This is what I really want to do.

Before using that though, I decided to use a 2GB USB for testing.

On the Desktop, I mapped the H: USB drive [ Testing replacement for 3TB WD ]:

Permissions [ Security ] is set to Everyone and Full Control:

. . . BUT, I can NOT get it on the Laptop.

Could it be because I have the same %ComputerName% for BOTH the Desktop & Laptop ? If so, I have a Script that I can run to change that and the other things related [ ActiveComputerName & ComputerName in HKLM, HostName, NV HostName, RegisteredOwner ].

I also noticed that on the Laptop, NOTHING shows up in Network. Surely it should show H_USB_Desktop. Could it be because I have the same %ComputerName% for BOTH the Desktop & Laptop ?

Any ideas of what I am doing wrong please ?

Thanks.

EDIT:-

OK, I have managed to get the Network items to show up by amending the Services for the following to Automatic and Running:

DNS Client
Function Discovery Provider Host
Function Discovery Resource Publication
SSDP Discovery
UPnP Device Host

After a Restart I get this:

. . . BUT, NO sign of the Desktop drive !

I am really starting to think that it is because I have the same %ComputerName% for BOTH the Desktop & Laptop.

Any ideas BEFORE I change the %ComputerName% etc on the Desktop ?

BINGO:-

Because I thought that it was because I have the same %ComputerName% for BOTH the Desktop & Laptop, I used the IP Address of the Desktop [ ipconfig ] and it works:

I tested it by adding and deleting a couple of files, firstly from the Desktop, and then from the Laptop, obviously checking that they opened while sat at BOTH the Desktop & Laptop.

I can also Cast to my TV from BOTH while sat at BOTH the Desktop & Laptop.

The only annoying thing that I have found at the moment is that if BOTH the Desktop & Laptop are in Sleep Mode, when I wakeup the Laptop, the Desktop wakes up to.

Just for a bit of additional information, the OLD Router USB is formatted as FAT32, and the Desktop USB is formatted as NTFS.

I might test out changing the %CompterName% on the Desktop tomorrow [ via my Script ] and then use that instead of the IP Address to actually see if that was the problem previously.

On the DOWNSIDE: I must admit, that this problem has been partly due to me creating a custom ISO install a couple of years ago when I did NOT need this facility [ Like changing some of the Services Parameters, to name only one ].

On the UPSIDE: There is NO better learning curve than having a problem and then being able to solve it. It makes you more familiar with what does what, what is needed and NOT needed to make it work, and future experience to be able to help others.

For my own sheer perseverance on this, I am going to award myself a Dastardly and Muttley Medal [ Wacky Races ]:

I REALLY hope that this helps others as well.

Paul Black · 12 Aug 2022

If nobody has NOT got anything to add to the above post, I will mark this Thread as Solved.

The only annoying thing that I have found at the moment is that if BOTH the Desktop & Laptop are in Sleep Mode, when I wakeup the Laptop, the Desktop wakes up too.

But to be honest, I can live with that, I just put the Desktop back into Sleep Mode,

Paul Black · 22 Aug 2022

Update:-

paul black said:

. . . Could it be because I have the same %ComputerName% for both the Desktop & Laptop ?

If so, I have a Script that I can run to change that and the other things related [ ActiveComputerName & ComputerName in HKLM, HostName, NV HostHame, RegisteredOwner ].

I changed the Desktop as per the criteria above using my Script so the Desktop & Laptop were DIFFERENT.

I then re-mapped using the NEW configuration and I was able to use the Desktop %ComputerName% instead of the Desktop IP Address.

I just thought that I would share this for anyone following this Thread.