RT-AX82U Unable to Access Connected USB

[mikecay]

I just setup an RT-AX82U router (Firmware 3.0.0.4.386_46061) and I attached a 4Tb USB SSD to the router. I have read several forum posts and watched countless videos on the setup, for the most they are all the same. I run Windows 11 and enabled SMBv1. The USB drive shows but when I select it I get the error "Windows Cannot Access \\NETWORKUSB. The USB drive is format as NTFS and I even tried to format it from the router interface. Below you can also see how my router is setup. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[bertucaru]

did you try allowing guest login

 

[accat13]

If i access using file explorer left side menu (under network)it works for me. Any other way i receive this error as well. Another issue I had was that I needed to have one file on the drive for it to work as well.(not sure if related) I had to first hook up the drive to my pc and make an empty folder, I simply called it files. Hope this helps

 

[mikecay]

did you try allowing guest login

Yes I did, I got the same result.

 

[mikecay]

If i access using file explorer left side menu (under network)it works for me. Any other way i receive this error as well. Another issue I had was that I needed to have one file on the drive for it to work as well.(not sure if related) I had to first hook up the drive to my pc and make an empty folder, I simply called it files. Hope this helps

I figured I would try what you suggested, that is mount the USB on my laptop and copy a file to it. Oddly the drive would not mount on my laptop. When I went to Disk Management the disk partition looks very odd. It was formatted in the router. Not sure if that is what it should look like. Also, no matter what I try I cannot mount the drive.

 

[accat13]

Well I think I would re partiton and format in windows Ntfs to start

 

[mikecay]

Well I think I would re partiton and format in windows Ntfs to start

So I did reformat the USB on my laptop. I also created a folder and added a file in the folder. After plugging it in the router I got the same error (pasted below). I also used an 8GB usb stick just to test. I first formatted it on my computer and create a folder and added a file, but I still get the error below. I then reformatted it on the router but no luck and I also tried to format it as FAT32, but it all cases I get the same result posed below.

 

[Tech Junky]

Using a router as a NAS isn't a good idea.

Knowing that routers basically are mini Linux devices it's probably a better idea to boot a Linux LiveCD and format the drive in EXT4 and then connect to the router. There's also the recommendation to be using SMB2 or 3.

 

[mikecay]

Using a router as a NAS isn't a good idea.

Knowing that routers basically are mini Linux devices it's probably a better idea to boot a Linux LiveCD and format the drive in EXT4 and then connect to the router. There's also the recommendation to be using SMB2 or 3.

I understand it is not a NAS but I am not doing anything that is not documented by ASUS or that many other people have not already done before me. My understanding wrt SMBv2 or 3 is that the firmware does not support it, it requires merlin but merlin if not available for this router. In any case, I had disable SMBv1, but when it do that the drive is not even discovered on the network and when I try to manually enter the url I get a an error that the device is not found.

I will connect the drive to a Raspberry pi and format it to ext4. You would think given the router is based on linux it would give the option to format it to ext4.

 

[Tech Junky]

You would think given the router is based on linux it would give the option to format it to ext4.

There you go trying to be logical

These devices are all marketing and no logic. Just because it's marketed as doing x/y/z doesn't mean it actually works. The other issue is by using the USB function as a drive is the potential for corruption and failure is exponentially higher. And if you have a PI sitting around then why not keep it connected to that and share it there? Probably a lot less headaches in the long run.

 

[accat13]

My understanding wrt SMBv2 or 3 is that the firmware does not support it, it requires merlin but merlin if not available for this router.

Boy your in for a treat https://www.snbforums.com/threads/fork-dsl-rt-gnutons-asuswrt-merlin-builds.71149/