USB file share with Chromebook 15 has me stumped.

[eastavin]

With the low prices on Chromebooks thought we would try one here. Ok machine if you want to use Google apps and google Drive. Using it with the LAN, the Asus USB file share on this RT-ac68u router and a PC based NAS though seems to be black magic/impossible.

Everything works fine from Windows 10 or Ubuntu using SMB. However absolutely nothing I would do with Ubuntu works with the Chromebook. Impossible to see the USB stick in the back of the router or the NAS on the LAN. Would anyone be so kind as to offer any suggestions?

The built in SMB in Chromebook does not see any drives and mostly complains about the format I use that should work either on Windows or Ubuntu. I have tried the various apps in the Chrome store and those listed in this forum that go back to 2017. Have not been able to get any to see a drive.

Returning the chromebook before the return period expires in a couple of weeks is burning in my mind.. really dont need to waste my time if this is all google can muster. Is a nice simple help screen showing the correct format with which to mount a drive asking too much Google? ... one that actually works? or is it just me?

Appreciate any help. Laughter would be good too.

Edward

 

[L&LD]

Sorry, I can't offer any help, but I did laugh at them when I used to see them on the store shelves. 'Low priced' is not what I think when I see the substandard hardware they usually include. The ones with good enough or even great hardware are priced out of the sky for the 'Google' experience they offer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083Z8K6D8/?tag=snbforums-20

If you have used google to google their google product on the product itself and you've found no resolution, I would end this misery sooner rather than later (return it).

Oh yes! lol...

 

[elorimer]

What?

I use Chromebooks to RDP into a couple of Windows machines if I have to, but usually don't have to because they have enough horsepower on their own. The big one cost me $169, the little one $89 (education specs, so hardened for travel) and one $350 (a two for one). 10-12 hours battery life, and all with the same charger as our phones.

At this point, though, price isn't the point. They are out of stock almost everywhere.

Anyway, I assume you are up to date with Chrome, and you've tried the FIles app with adding a samba share? I'm not having any difficulty mounting any of the SMB shares on two FreeNAS servers. Some of my Chromebooks are on 84, some on 85 but I think this has been true for at least a year.

 

[sfx2000]

The built in SMB in Chromebook does not see any drives and mostly complains about the format I use that should work either on Windows or Ubuntu. I have tried the various apps in the Chrome store and those listed in this forum that go back to 2017. Have not been able to get any to see a drive.

Returning the chromebook before the return period expires in a couple of weeks is burning in my mind.. really dont need to waste my time if this is all google can muster. Is a nice simple help screen showing the correct format with which to mount a drive asking too much Google? ... one that actually works? or is it just me?

It's probably just you... just kidding

ChomeOS supports SMB mounts just fine - I'm on a pixelbook go (which is not a cheap chromebook), and mounting shares on my QNAP nas isn't a problem to be solved.

In the files applet - do the hamburger, add new service, select SMB and the right share, and provide credentials as needed.

sfx

 

[eastavin]

This system just got an update to Chrome 85... chrome store apps aside.. I see the built in FILES app with the pull down that says ADD NEW Service... with an option for add SMB FILE SHARE. I select that.. it searches for fileshares automatically and finds nothing. Then I input a file share URL like I would on Windows or Ubuntu and it either says it can't find such a place or that I have the wrong format. I can't find anything to say what is it the right format. At this point I would be happy to just see the USB key in the back of the RT-ac68u router. Can anyone propose a string that will add that USB key ?

 

[ColinTaylor]

This image is taken from here on the Synology website.



So if your router address is 192.168.1.1 and your Samba share is called ASUS you would use \\192.168.1.1\ASUS

 

[eastavin]

On a positive note I can mount my NAS drives using a Chrome store app called "FILE SYSTEM FOR WINDOWS ". However neither it nor the SMB feature in the built in FILES of Chrome can find the rt-ac68u router USB drive.

When I use your format with FILES I get "Error mounting share. The specified share was not found on the network." So I guess I cannot figure out what the correct name is and it cannot find it automatically for whatever Google reasons. NETwork SHAREis ON. I have tried this with guest log in set to on and off. no diff. the router address is 192.168.1.1. device name is RT-AC68U-A450 (the default), the Work Group is WORKGROUP, the USB KEY is called TRAVELDRIVE. I created a folder on it using Asus router called "edstuff" and it has r/w permission. (I can access it and read or write from windows 10) Does this screenshot give you any indication as to how to specify the share? Do I need to be looking elsewhere? I must be missing something very basic.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Change "Simpler share naming" to Yes.

Then use \\192.168.1.1\edstuff as the URL.

 

[eastavin]

Chromebook 15 ver 85.0.4183.84 FILES response adding the above specified URL \\192.168.1.1\edstuff via the SMB file share feature is "Error mounting share. The specified share was not found on the network"

On the plus side the Chrome store app "FILE SYSTEM FOR WINDOWS" now mounts the USB drive using only the router address 192.168.1.1, and port number 445. So that is an improvement.

So what is up with the Chrome OS FILES/SMB feature?

 

[L&LD]

Huh, you haven't returned it, yet?

 

[Yooshaw]

Chromebook 15 ver 85.0.4183.84 FILES response adding the above specified URL \\192.168.1.1\edstuff via the SMB file share feature is "Error mounting share. The specified share was not found on the network"

On the plus side the Chrome store app "FILE SYSTEM FOR WINDOWS" now mounts the USB drive using only the router address 192.168.1.1, and port number 445. So that is an improvement.

So what is up with the Chrome OS FILES/SMB feature?

I have your issue too with my Chromebook - cannot get the Chromebook Files App to see the share on my AX88U. It can find a share I have with my Nvidia Shield. No idea why.

I found an Android App that does find it (interestingly it cannot connect to my Nvidia Shield Share), and it's been working flawlessly. App is CX File Explorer.

Good luck!

 

[elorimer]

At the risk of being obvious, is the chromebook attempting to log in with your credentials.

You shouldn't need store or android apps for this.

 

[Yooshaw]

For me (I'm not OP), the Chromebook does let you put in the login and password, but the error returned is that it can't even connect.

I am able to connect to other SMB shares from the Chromebook with no problem.

 

[elorimer]

If you don't do what Colin suggested (simple share naming), then \\RT-AC68U-A450\Memorex TRAVELDRIVE 005B\TRAVELDRIVE\edstuff should work with login credentials

Or, smb://RT-AC68U-A450/Memorex TRAVELDRIVE 005B/TRAVELDRIVE/edstuff with login credentials.

Which is why ChromeOS allows a nickname and why Colin's suggestion makes more sense, too.

EDIT: Okay, I plugged in a drive and tried sharing it and ran into the same problem. So forget everything I said.

 

[ColinTaylor]

If you don't do what Colin suggested (simple share naming), then \\RT-AC68U-A450\Memorex TRAVELDRIVE 005B\TRAVELDRIVE\edstuff should work with login credentials

This is not what Simpler share naming does. With that option set to No the path would become "\\192.168.1.1\edstuff (at TRAVELDRIVE)", which is rather awkward as it contains spaces.

@eastavin It might be worth trying to connect with the router set to SMBv1 only to see if that makes a difference. P.S. I'm assuming guest login is disabled.

 

[eastavin]

At the risk of being obvious, is the chromebook attempting to log in with your credentials.

You shouldn't need store or android apps for this.

I tried it both ways with an admin or user and without.. neither worked with the built in SMB

 

[eastavin]

I found these snippets in the asus system log recorded during the router boot. Does this suggest any sort of path name?

May 5 01:05:30 kernel: tntfs info (device sda, pid 713): load_system_files(): NTFS volume name 'TRAVELDRIVE', version 3.1 (cluster_size 4096, PAGE_SIZE 4096).
May 5 01:05:30 hotplug[612]: USB ntfs fs at /dev/sda mounted on /tmp/mnt/TRAVELDRIVE
May 5 01:05:30 usb: USB ntfs fs at /dev/sda mounted on /tmp/mnt/TRAVELDRIVE.

May 5 01:05:34 avahi-daemon[798]: Server startup complete. Host name is RT-AC68U-A450.local. Local service cookie is 3680632549.
May 5 01:05:34 avahi-daemon[798]: Alias name "RT-AC68U" successfully established.
May 5 01:05:35 Samba_Server: daemon is started

 

[eastavin]

This is not what Simpler share naming does. With that option set to No the path would become "\\192.168.1.1\edstuff (at TRAVELDRIVE)", which is rather awkward as it contains spaces.

@eastavin It might be worth trying to connect with the router set to SMBv1 only to see if that makes a difference. P.S. I'm assuming guest login is disabled.

I have tried it both ways guest login on and off. As my windows 10 is seeing it fine with the SMB versions settings as is... I figure there is no terriby good reason to set it otherwise.

 

[eastavin]

I have tried it both ways guest login on and off. As my windows 10 is seeing it fine with the SMB versions settings as is... I figure there is no terriby good reason to set it otherwise.

so you figure this has a chance of working ? \\192.168.1.1\edstuff (at TRAVELDRIVE) Heck why not? I have tried all else

 

[eastavin]

so you figure this has a chance of working ? \\192.168.1.1\edstuff (at TRAVELDRIVE) Heck why not? I have tried all else

... and nope... not it either... Thank you everyone for your time... the solution is the brown box on the floor next to me... I will factory reset this chromebook and return it tomorrow in that box. My problems will be solved Pretty clear that Google is only interested in people using the device with google drive. The other issue that exists is printers. If you buy a brand new printer it will probably work. If you want to make an old printer work.. hours of fun too. I suppose I can try a chromebook again in 4 or 5 years time. In the meantime I will stick with Windows and Linux.