NAS Wdcloud OS3

[Lmg80]

I have a 3tb WDCloud, that come next year will no longer be supported next April losing connection to WDServers.

I currently have it for hosting all our family photos that automatically updates any new photos from our phones via a SMB connection when WiFi gets connected to our phones i.e. when we come in from a day out (android app)

With that said I also use Plex / photos timeline that similar to Google photos chronologically arranges the photos in a nice order.

I did a POC, and disabled internet on my WDCloud, and note even local access via Plex no longer works.

I've understood you can use FTP, albeit very unsecure but read about FTP via VPN.

As a bit of a novice when it comes to this, anyone know how I can achieve this and secondly if it's secure?

I have an Asus AC68U router with Merlin installed and have understanding to install custom VPN certs on this router for Nord/Surfshark etc if that helps.

Or as a last resort, what NAS would you recommend. It just needs to host. FYI Plex server is handled via a Nuc PC.

Thank you

 

[bremen1874]

How did you disable internet to the NAS? What happens to local connectivity if you unplug the router from the internet and leave everything else alone? A quick Google seems to indicate you should only lose remote access, local functionality should be unaffected.

Do you care about having external access? If that's what you're thinking of using FTP for it isn't going to be very convenient (with or without a VPN to make it secure).

 

[Lmg80]

How did you disable internet to the NAS? What happens to local connectivity if you unplug the router from the internet and leave everything else alone? A quick Google seems to indicate you should only lose remote access, local functionality should be unaffected.

Two methods, one by disabling in the UI, as well as blocking internet via the router. Yes, that's right local will remain unaffected, as confirmed I can browse via a mapped drive on my computer. The issue is Plex requires the library to go via the internet, else I receive the library cannot be found therefore losing the smart automated cataloguing. Restoring the web connection on the NAS, restores the Plex library.

Do you care about having external access? If that's what you're thinking of using FTP for it isn't going to be very convenient (with or without a VPN to make it secure).

Again, it all comes to having the cataloguing features Plex has and the ability to use phones to view the photos conveniently on multiple source types. Phones, pc, smart tv etc. Locally is not too much of a deal breaking tbh. I'm not sure what agnostic software exists to allow the same features Plex has/ability to view the media across multiple platforms?

 

[bremen1874]

I can't see why the storage location for Plex media needs internet access. If the Plex server is running on the NUC, and the NUC can see the NAS, it should work. How can the NAS be sending or receiving anything directly from the outside world?

 

[Lmg80]

I can't see why the storage location for Plex media needs internet access. If the Plex server is running on the NUC, and the NUC can see the NAS, it should work. How can the NAS be sending or receiving anything directly from the outside world?

No idea, just a nuance of how Plex works. I suspect it's linked to the indexing of movies/tv shows at a guess.

 

[BigT]

I've got to agree it makes no sense that Plex isn't working. Your media library is on the NAS and the NUC just points its media folders to an SMB share on the NAS I assume? When you halt the NAS internet access and experience this can you browse the NAS from the NUC via the same means as you tell Plex where the media library is? e.g. as a mapped drive letter or a UNC path. I guess your statement "Plex requires the library to go via the internet" is what I take issue with. Plex (and thus only the NUC hosting Plex) needs internet access for things like remote access, updating metadata, software updates etc. but the NAS does not. It's just a file store to Plex.

Also can you elaborate a bit more on "Plex doesn't work". Does some of it work but not just photo browsing or something else. I think a screenshot of what your config is for the folders listed in Plex for your photo media location would be useful here to help.

 

[bremen1874]

I suspect it's the way it's mapped. Maybe some WDCloud sharing option intended for external access rather than a simple SMB connection?

 

[Avalon]

No idea, just a nuance of how Plex works. I suspect it's linked to the indexing of movies/tv shows at a guess.

No. It's a basic failure to understand how NAT hairpining works.

 

[Lmg80]

I suspect it's the way it's mapped. Maybe some WDCloud sharing option intended for external access rather than a simple SMB connection?

It's just mapped in Windows by \\wdmycloud\photos\ as a Z:\ drive that prompted for my WDCloud username and password when first added.

Via Windows explorer it's fine, tried Plex server on the Nuc and Gaming PC. Same outcome, with internet disabled Plex library does not work. With internet enabled on the WDCloud it works. Defo a Plex nuance.

For photo syncing it's via SMB connection from our phones to the WDCloud.

 

[Caged]

Is there a way to set up local users?

 

[Lmg80]

I've got to agree it makes no sense that Plex isn't working. Your media library is on the NAS and the NUC just points its media folders to an SMB share on the NAS I assume? When you halt the NAS internet access and experience this can you browse the NAS from the NUC via the same means as you tell Plex where the media library is? e.g. as a mapped drive letter or a UNC path. I guess your statement "Plex requires the library to go via the internet" is what I take issue with. Plex (and thus only the NUC hosting Plex) needs internet access for things like remote access, updating metadata, software updates etc. but the NAS does not. It's just a file store to Plex.

Also can you elaborate a bit more on "Plex doesn't work". Does some of it work but not just photo browsing or something else. I think a screenshot of what your config is for the folders listed in Plex for your photo media location would be useful here to help.

Yes with the internet off, I can still map the WDcloud share on my Nuc Z:\photos\. It just will not index with the internet disabled on the WDcloud and the photos library becomes unavailable

 

[Avalon]

It's just mapped in Windows by \\wdmycloud\photos\ as a Z:\ drive that prompted for my WDCloud username and password when first added.

Via Windows explorer it's fine, tried Plex server on the Nuc and Gaming PC. Same outcome, with internet disabled Plex library does not work. With internet enabled on the WDCloud it works. Defo a Plex nuance.

For photo syncing it's via SMB connection from our phones to the WDCloud.

Again, the issue is likely nothing to do with Plex and everything to do with the router, have you looked at NAT hairpinning?

 

[bremen1874]

It could be a NAT loopback problem (and loopback is a much more user-friendly way of referring to it than hairpinning, especially with the OP's presumed knowledge level).

Using the IP address of the NAS rather than its name in the UNC path should fix it. Assign the NAS a static or DHCP reversed IP address if it hasn't already got one.

 

[Avalon]

It could be a NAT loopback problem (and loopback is a much more user-friendly way of referring to it than hairpinning, especially with the OP's presumed knowledge level).

Using the IP address of the NAS rather than its name in the UNC path should fix it. Assign the NAS a static or DHCP reversed IP address if it hasn't already got one.

Potentially, but i'd skip user friendly for higher quality search results, so 'NAT hairpinning Plex' is probably more useful to op. Chucking ASUS or Merlin in for more specific context will nail it.