help needed to set up buffalo NAS to HDR Fox T2 please.

adam c

New Member
I bought a buffalo linkstation 1TB NAS this week so that I could free up some storage on my humax. The trouble is I can't seem to get it set up. I have read a lot of the threads but still haven't been able to sort it. Bit of background. Humax is connected to modem by a dongle (so I can see i player for example). NAS plugged into modem. Can see the NAS from the Humax (via 'media' ) and can see both the humax and linkstation in the 'media devices' in 'network' section on my laptop but am not able to move any files into it either from my laptop or by humax (using the opt+ button). I was going to change the format to EXT3 but when I went into 'settings, systems, data storage' the external drive wasn't showing up. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
 
A NAS is not the same as a USB drive. You should not even be thinking of formatting it, especially not to Ext3. The NAS contains a certain amount of computer power, it is in effect a small computer sitting on the network and running a file share program to present its internal drive onto the network.

Presuming you are running without the modified software, the ONLY way the Humax will see the NAS on the network is if you go into the NAS settings (probably a web page) and enable UPnP (DLNA), also known as media sharing. You will typically have to select it for specific types of file or specific directories. If the Buffalo doesn't have these facilities you can't do it. Once DLNA server is enabled, on the Humax pressing Media.. blue.. Network should find it (give it time).

I don't know whether you will be able to copy files to it from the Humax, I've not done it. You may need to transfer files to it by other means (as a test I copied content by FTP). Bear in mind the 4GB bug - playing back by the Humax from the NAS will only go up to 4GB in any file.
 
You need to use the NAS web interface (should get setup on your laptop when you use the cd that came with the NAS) to check what the NAS is called as a network share, and make sure you have the folder with all your content enabled to share - then you can map a network drive on your laptop to \\nasname\foldername - that'll allow you to copy/move stuff between hummy and NAS. Watch out for any files you've started watching as windows will tell you they're locked and can't move them. I don't recall it being too arduous when I set my NAS up so double check the getting started guide/disk I'm sure there is a wizard or something that helps. I can check more details when I have laptop out if you don't have any luck.
 
Thanks both for your responses. I have managed to get the drive up on my laptop (its 'L' drive). Am copying photos and music onto it (taking ages but guessing thats because it's a lot of data). When I go onto my Humax, I can actually see the photos on the 'network' drive which is great (doesn't have the same file names though so pot luck what the pictures are).
I still can't see the network drive on the humax when I try to 'move/copy' the films etc in the 'media-video-HDD'. Likewise, when I open up the humax in the 'media devices' on my laptop, it takes me to 'windows media player' and from there, I can't move things into the 'L' drive. Certainly made headway and will give it another go later. thanks again.
 
Merry xmas BTW.

I can't transfer films/programmes from the Humax to the NAS either by using the Humax or laptop

I've been able to put photos onto my NAS and can see those on the Humax in the 'network' section. I still haven't been able to move any films etc from the Humax onto the NAS though. When I'm in the media-video HDD section on the humax and then use the 'opt+' functionality I can't 'see' the 'network' drive (only seem to see the HDD storage space) so by definition I can't move it there. For clarification, I can see the 'network' drive when I press the blue 'storage' button. When I'm on my laptop, I can see my NAS as the 'L' drive and can see the humax as a 'network'. Should I be able to see the humax as a separate 'drive' and should I be able to transfer films etc from the humax to the NAS via my laptop?

Any help is appreciated on what I should try next.
 
Something you have to remember is that anything recorded on the Humax is encrypted on disk, and measures have to be taken to decrypt it for use elsewhere - even if that is streamed from a NAS to the Humax. You can use an FTP program on the PC, and use that to copy stuff from the Humax to the NAS (involving two network transfers, Humax-PC then PC-NAS), but without decrypting first it will be pointless. I wasn't sure whether you could copy from the Humax interface to a network drive as standard, but I didn't think you could.

If you are prepared to Customise your Humax you will have means to decrypt in the background (otherwise a lot of messing about is needed non-Custom), and also be able to mount the NAS as a drive on the Humax and copy directly (which will also achieve decryption, I think).
 
wow, this is going to be more complicated than I imagined when I bought the NAS. Is there a thread I should read to see what I need to do to set the Humax up so that I can transfer info onto the NAS?
 
Does the NAS have a USB master port on it, capable of connecting an external HDD and making the contents available on the network? If so a "sneakernet" option might be simplest for you. This would mean plugging the HDD into the Humax, copying content onto it (StDef only), then walking the drive across to your NAS and plugging it in there (hence "sneaker" - ie walking it to the destination in your sneakers).

The other way is to fully commit yourself to the custom software project. I'll come up with a reading list later.
 
yes the NAS has a USB port on it which I guess could be connected to an external HDD. to be honest, I don't understand why I can just use that USB and plug into the Humax, surely it's worth trying? Assuming that doesn't work, I wouldn't mind knowing what software changes I would need to do to the humax to make it work directly with a NAS and likewise what success anyone has had with doing that. thanks again.
 
Only a quick post from my phone to those having trouble copying onto NAS drives from the hummy - you can't from the hummy menu's I'm afraid. It only allows that to USB drives connected directly to the back of the box. If (like me) you have a networked drive then you have to use windows to copy the files OR there might be ways to use telnet to instruct the hummy to push the files onto the NAS but due to the time of year I haven't had time to learn how to do that yet. There is some preliminary work to make the hummy mount networked drives which'll make the hummy treat them like USB drives so you'll get more write functions from the std on screen menus - but that's still WIP at present.
 
Ok, I think I'll buy an external HDD. Anyone know a good value one to go for(I've got a buffalo linkstation live NAS at the moment if that's relevant)? Thanks for everyone's patience with me on this.
 
Thanks for that status update Oijonsey.

yes the NAS has a USB port on it which I guess could be connected to an external HDD. to be honest, I don't understand why I can just use that USB and plug into the Humax, surely it's worth trying?
No, sorry, you'll find the connector is the wrong end of the wire! It's purpose is to connect an external drive to the NAS.

I wouldn't mind knowing what software changes I would need to do to the humax to make it work directly with a NAS and likewise what success anyone has had with doing that. thanks again.
As per Oijonsey's status report, it's a work-in-progress to make things work nicely in this area. The file share utilities are available in the custom software project, but you will have to get your hands dirty with the command line in order to use them until the BYTs come up with a browser-based control panel for it, or even auto-detect and auto-mount.

Unless you want to make the files accessible elsewhere on the network, if you are getting a USB drive you might as well leave it plugged into the Humax. Copying files to the drive from the Humax will solve the decryption problem (for StDef; HiDef requires Foxy or one of the custom software unprotect processes), and even if not decrypted they will play from the drive on the Humax. If they are decrypted, then Mediatomb (custom software again) can be used to serve them on the network.

There is a topic on external drives, check the Index (click) under Hardware.. External Hard Drives.
 
I've gone with your recommendation and bought an external hard drive (buffalo Drivestation 1TB). It all seems to work just fine as I seem to be able to copy by SD and HD programmes onto it. My concern though is that I haven't changed the 'format' to EXT3. I have gone into 'menu, settings, systems, data storage, stoage, internal HDD, USB-1' and although I can see the the external drive, when I click 'format storage', it says 'processing' for about 5 mins. It doesn't give me an option to actually change the format to 'EXT3' (and doesn't actually say what the current format is so I wouldn't know if its correct). Sorry for my ignorance on this but I want to make sure I'm going down the right route! Finally, I did try to download the 'ultimate boot CD' instead but again got too confused. I'm just looking for the simplest option to increase the amount of storage. thanks
 
It doesn't give me an option to actually change the format to 'EXT3'

If the Humax formats a Hard disk Drive it allways uses EXT3, Each format type has pros and cons as follows :-

FAT32 = Humax will read and write to it, It is P.C. comatible BUT won't handle files bigger than 4GB
NTFS = Big files are O.K. It is P.C. comatible BUT Humax can only Read it not Write it
EXT3 = Big files are O.K., Humax will read and write to it BUT not P.C. compatible (without extra programs being added)
 
Thanks for this. I started copying files onto the hard drive yesterday. It is taking ages to copy them (been going for last 15Hrs). It looks like the bigger HD ones (approx things over about 1hr 20mins) won't copy so I'm guessing my Buffalo isn't formated to EXT3? How do I check as my laptop didn't recognise it when I plugged the hard drive into it (maybe because I also have a buffalo NAS)? Should all HD files copy etc? Any guidance is appreciated. thanks again.
 
Thanks for this. I started copying files onto the hard drive yesterday. It is taking ages to copy them (been going for last 15Hrs). It looks like the bigger HD ones (approx things over about 1hr 20mins) won't copy so I'm guessing my Buffalo isn't formated to EXT3? How do I check as my laptop didn't recognise it when I plugged the hard drive into it (maybe because I also have a buffalo NAS)? Should all HD files copy etc? Any guidance is appreciated. thanks again.

Hi-Def content is usually about 4GB per hour but this does vary, A guess would be that you are hitting the FAT32 4GB barrier, If it is formatted in FAT32 a P.C. should show it, e.g. Windows Explorer >> Right click on 1TB HDD >> Properties >> File System = FAT32. When you say your laptop won't recognise the 1TB HHD, I would expect it to show the drive with an unknown format (For EXT3), If it doesn't show the drive at all, The laptop may not be able to supply enought power to the HDD, You could try another P.C. If it does turn out to be Formatted in FAT32, you need to get the Humax to format the drive to EXT3 (NOTE :- all contents will be lost). The Humax will format a HDD in EXT3 but only up to 1TB, 2TB drives will work but must be formatted in EXT3 using a P.C. (usually running Linux)
 
Thanks. When you say that I need to get the humax to format the drive to EXT3, how do I do this? As per my earlier comment, onm the Humax, I have gone into 'menu, settings, systems, data storage, storage, internal HDD, USB-1' and although I can see the the external drive, when I click 'format storage', it says 'processing' for about 5 mins. It doesn't give me an option to actually change the format to EXT3. Thanks for your help on this.
 
That's all the time it normally takes. Once the "processing" is over you have an empty Ext3 drive.
 
Thanks. When you say that I need to get the humax to format the drive to EXT3, how do I do this?

As Brian has pointed out (Also first comment in #14) there is no 'choice' because the Humax can only format in EXT3, If you have files on your HDD and you format it using the Humax, All files will be erased, So if after a Humax format the HDD shows no files there is a good chance that the format worked and it will be formatted in EXT3
 
Back
Top