WD my book live drops/lags

[streetlighter]

Hi
I am having 2 problems the a new 3Tb My book live NAS which keeps dropping off the network & it has slow/lagging access
I have a new Asus RT-N66u router ( gigabit router ) 3.0.0.4.354
which has a 10m run using cat5e to a mini 8 way gigabit switch
The switch connects to a networked DVD which is HDMI linked to TV 1 also on the switch is the My book live, 2 sky box's, airport express, multi room/source amp, home automation system ( Teletask )
TV2 is linked to the network via WiFi ( not great I know but someone damaged the hdmi cable )
I have changed the network switcher & all the patch leads to the switch
The problem is network connections the NAS keeps dropping, when It holds it is very slow and laggy, even with music it stalls and then jumps to the next track randomly
It has done this from day 1. I have the new wd dlna media player ( not twonky ) the firmware and media player are fully updated
I have no problems watching iplayer on the wifi TV & I have the same Nas playback problems with both the wifi TV and the hdmi TV via networked DVD player ?
using the wd app music sometimes works but video just keeps freezing which I suppose is normal ?
How can I tell if this is a problem with my NAS or my network ?
any help would be appreciated
thank you
Paul

 

[stevech]

Connect NAS to router port and eliminate the switch as a cause.
Make sure you have no loops in your setup- like a circular path from router LAN port to switch then back again to a router port. Or same on the switch.

IMO: If you can return the WD NAS, I'd do so. And get a proper NAS from a company like Synology or QNAP. Not sure the WD will ever meet your expectations.

 

[streetlighter]

Thanks for the quick reply Stevech
I am new to AV and networking and only used the Asus and my book live because they looked easy to setup
I have done 4 installs so far with these component's but this is the only one with a mini network switch and using mostly iTunes purchased files ( which is also giving us problems )
I didn't know I could still use the spare ports on the router if I had a remote a network switch so that has got to be worth a try
Will updating the firmware on the n66u router help ?
Can you recommend a low budget NAS only need it for media storage with media playback including iPhone app and iTunes compatible
thank you
Paul

 

[streetlighter]

update

I have seemed to have temporally solved this problem by removing the DNS server line in the network setup page
When I log in to the setup page it warns me I have no DNS server listed but all functions work correctly including the remote app & everything is a lot faster and more stable.
The question I now have is can I leave this DNS field blank & if I do what services will I loose ?
thank you
Paul

 

[stevech]

I'm guessing you mean the DNS setup in the router?

DNS is the fundamental lookup of numeric vs. symbolic/named host addresses, such as yahoo.com is nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn

In routers, leaving the DNS server blank on the LAN setup usually causes the router to get a DNS server address from your ISP, then pass it on to PCs that use DHCP to get their own LAN IP address and along with that, via DHCP, can come the router-supplied DNS address.

If you do input a DNS address, as I do, always use either 4.2.2.2 or 8.8.8.8. These are decades old and reliable DNS servers.