RT-AC86U router and 2 USB drives

[hdtvluvr]

I have a bus powered USB 3.0 2 TB drive connected to the USB 3.0 port. I have this set up for a Time Machine that has been working for about 36 hours so far.

I have a 8 GB USB thumb drive connected to the USB 2.0 port. When in the router settings, the router has RW access to both drives. I also created a new account to allow RW to the thumb drive.

I can not see the thumb drive on my Mac. I see the router but it says not connected. When I click to connect, and use the router name and PW, I can see the router named folder but when I click that it says the original item can't be found - So I don't see anything in the folder. I realize that the TM sparse bundle is on that drive and I really don't care to see it but I though since the router has RW to the thumb drive that it would show up but doesn't.

When I try to use the new account name and PW I used to set up the account in the router that I was going to use for RW to the thumb drive, the login window just shakes as if it is the wrong PW and username.

What am I doing wrong? I really wanted 2 drives connected. I'm running the latest firmware that was released around 12/7/18 (3.0.0.4.384_45149)

 

[Dave Parker]

I had to enable guest login to access my Toshiba portable hard drive connected to the usb 3.0 port on my AC86U.

 

[hdtvluvr]

So does anyone on your network have the ability to RW to the drive? Or is it PW protected and they need the PW to RW?

 

[Dave Parker]

Aanyone on the local network can access the drive but there's only me and the wife and my closest neighbor is over 1/4 mile away. Probability a better way to do it. Still learning about networking.

 

[hdtvluvr]

I enabled the guest login, applied settings, etc. Rebooted my Mac. And under Network, I can see the router but it shows Disconnected and there is a Connect button. I can not see any drives. The only login it will accept is the login used to access the router and then I can't see the thumb drive still.

Are you also running a hard drive connected to the router for Time Machine?

 

[Dave Parker]

No, I haven't looked into time machine yet. I just connected the Toshiba to the usb 3.0 port and couldn't get it to work until I enabled guest login. Read that here on the forum somewhere. The only thing I am using it for is to back up the router settings. Being a senior non geek computers and networking is mostly a hobby for me and what little I have learned I have learned here at SNB. Also I am using Windows 10. Don't know if that matters. The AC86U is on Merlins 384.8.2
I tried creating an account for the Toshiba but every time I tried to login it kept telling me that my username or password was incorrect. Haven't got back to that yet.

 

[hdtvluvr]

Thanks. At least you are also getting the username and PW on your account is incorrect too. Not sure what to do next.

 

[Dave Parker]

My apologies for not being more help but as I said, still very new to networking. There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum. Being the holiday season some of the senior members probably have many demands on there time. There is an answer out there. Don't give up on the forum.

 

[^Tripper^]

Although the format should not matter, what format is the toshiba in?

 

[Dave Parker]

It's NTFS and it's a 500gb drive although that shouldn't matter either. Not sure what the maximum size limit is, if any.

 

[hdtvluvr]

SOLVED - Instructions for a Mac

Ok, after many hours I have found a solution to accessing the USB 2.0 port. Time Machine is on the USB 3.0 port and is currently working fine. Any references below to share names, account names and folder names can be changed to whatever you’d like yours to be.

Insert your drive into either router USB port you want to use.

In Safari, open your router webpage. Address should be something like 192.168.1.1. If you don’t know what it is, then navigate to System Preferences, select Network, then select how you are attached (i.e. Ethernet or Wifi) on the left side. In the right side of the window it will say “Router: 192.168.X.Y” where X and Y are numbers. This will give you the web address.

Log into the router.

In the router software click on the USB Software “tab” on the left. Then select the tab on the right side that says Network Place (Samba) share / Cloud Disk.

Enable Share On

Allow Guest Login Off

Device Name - I left it as it was

Work Group – doesn’t appear to matter on a Mac

Click Apply if you made any changes


In the lower section, click the + on the left to create a new account. Give it a name (no spaces allowed) and enter whatever password you want to use then click Add. Click on the drive in the middle of the page and it should open showing a layer underneath (something like “sdb2”). Click on that layer and then click the + on the right side of the page to add a folder. Let’s call it “My USB Drive”. Set the permissions to RW by clicking the appropriate radio button beside it and then click “Save”. My USB Drive is now the name of the share.

Log out of the router page.

On the Mac desktop (Finder), select “GO” in the menu bar and then select “Connect to Server” at the bottom of the list. In the dialog box type the server address and folder name.
smb://XXXXX/My USB Drive (where XXXXX = the device name in the upper portion of Network Place (Samba) share / Cloud Disk page) and click the + on the lower left to add to Favorites. Then click Connect. You will be prompted for a user name and password. This will be the account/username created above and the password for that account. Click the “save to keychain” checkbox.

A window will open with the window name “My USB Drive”. Create a folder in this window called “USB Files”. Make an alias by pressing Option and Command and dragging this folder under favorites on the left side of the window. Do not close this window yet.

Now to connect to the server automatically when you boot the mac. Open System Preferences. Select Users & Groups. Choose your username and then click Login Items. Click the lock on the bottom left and enter the Admin password so changes can be made and saved. Going back to the window we left open above, click on “USB Files” under favorites and drag it to the Login Items window of Users & Groups. Click the “Hide” checkbox if you don’t want a Finder window to open at Startup. Click the lock to re-lock. Close System Preferences.

When you reboot, the “USB Files” will be under Favorites.

 

[Dave Parker]

Wow, you did spend some time on this. First, I'm not familiar with the Mac OS so I'll need to do some googling for Windows. Also I got my 86u used and couldn't log into the router gui. Had to open a command prompt and type ipconfig /all and look for the default gateway. My ip address was 192.168.50.1. I thought the previous owner had changed it for some reason but read here in the forum that Asus uses that address ocassionly. Go figure. Anyway looks like I'll have some research to do this afternoon. I would like to get this fixed so I don't have to leave the guest login enabled. We are a little isolated here but it is still a security risk
Thanks for you reply
Dave