List all IPs on LAN? Access WD WorldBook NAS drive? All under XP

[ambush]

NOTE: This entire discussion relates to networking under Windows XP Pro

I've re-attached a NAS drive -- a Western Digital World Book (model WD10000G032) -- that I haven't used in a long time to my Linksys/Cisco WRT160N wired & wireless router. But for the life of me, I can't get access to it! The blue rings are on and flash in a circle as it's supposed to, so the external evidence says it is working fine.

Here's what I've already tried that hasn't worked:

(1): Replaced Ethernet cable (CAT 6)

(2): Installed latest version of MIOnet NAS-access software that was bundled with drive and tried connecting to it / accessing it that way. There's no error messages, and it lets me see all my normal hard drives, but doesn't appear to see the WorldBook at all. I've pressed the reset button on the WorldBook to reset the username and password as directed, but nothing has ever asked for that information!

(3): Installed Cisco's Network Magic 5.5 and tried connecting to it / accessing it that way. Again, there are no error messages, but when I try to perform the "Add a Device" task, it shows a "waiting" message forever until I cancel it (I've let it run for 2 hours with no luck). And again, it never asked me for the WorldBook's username and password.

(4): I can easily get access to the router using the HTTP interface from Firefox. I've always left room for 50 IP addresses starting at 192.168.1.100 in the DHCP server administration page. All my other devices on my mostly wired LAN including all 4 other wired computers, 1 wireless computer, and 3 other (also wired) networked devices (2 printers and a networked USB hub) work perfectly.

But I haven't been able to learn what IP address has been assigned to the WorldBook. If I could learn that, then I should be able to access the WorldBook directly via HTTP to that IP.

(5): I tried manually assigning a static IP address to the WorldBook's MAC address in the router settings, but when I tried accessing that IP via HTTP using Firefox (using the direct, no proxy connection type, which works perfectly for accessing the router), it immediately failed with what used to be commonly called a 404 error.

(6): My main XP box has two gigabit NICs on the mobo. I tried connecting the WorldBook directly to the second NIC and configured it from within XP to use a static IP, but that didn't work either.

(7): I also tried resetting & power-cycling the router, the cable modem, and the WorldBook, as well as shutting down and rebooting all my computers (5 ethernet-connected computers running XP Pro/SP3, 1 wirelessly-connected laptop running Vista Home Premium SP2).

(8): The WorldBook may well be broken, but until I can actually find it's IP with certainty and try connecting to it via HTTP in a browser, I can't be sure.

So finally...

QUESTION 1: How can I list all the devices on my LAN and learn what IP addresses the router's DHCP server assigned them? "IPCONFIG /ALL" doesn't do this. I'd prefer a freeware tool with a GUI that runs under XP Pro / SP3, but I'll take whatever freeware tool that can do this.

QUESTION 2: Does anyone have any other suggestions on what I might try to get access to my WorldBook?

All pertinent suggestions are appreciated!


NOTE! I have posted links to THIS post in THIS thread in other fora here at Tom's, as has been approved to be within the rules during earlier discussions in the "Tom's Hardware Forum related" sub-forum. Thus, all replies and discussion must occur here. Posters who read/follow those other links: PLEASE post all your replies HERE. Thanks!

 

[ambush]

Here's a bit more info. Regarding point (6) above: "My main XP box has two gigabit NICs on the mobo. I tried connecting the WorldBook directly to the second NIC and configured it from within XP to use a static IP, but that didn't work either."

I enabled the second NIC in the system BIOS first, of course. Under XP, I added nearly all Clients, Services, and Protocols, including TCP/IP of course. It was there that I tried assigning a static IP to the WorldBook. I received no error messages at any time other than the 404 from Firefox and IE 8. Windows reported that that network link was connected properly, and at 1 gigabit speed.

But when I had both NICs enabled (this is called something like a "dual home" or "multi-homed" configuration, right?), neither browser could access the router via HTTP, which seemed to indicate that XP or the browsers or whatever were choking on the fact that both NICs were enabled. Perhaps it tried to use the second NIC to access the router, which was connected to the first NIC? I'm just curious as to what the problem might have been with that approach.

In any case, after the experiments with the second NIC failed, I disabled it in the system BIOS again. After that, the browsers could easily access the router again just as they used to. I have not re-enabled it since.

And I still have the same problem.

 

[sturm]

Does the router show an IP in the list if IP leases?
Have you tried connecting to a different port on the router?

 

[ambush]

Does the router show an IP in the list if IP leases?
Have you tried connecting to a different port on the router?

Thanks for your reply. I apologize for the delay in responding, but I've been ill.

I never did find a way to list the IPs my router assigned. I would have thought that to have been the easiest part!

In the end, I returned the product to Western Digital for repair or replacement.

 

[Guest]

overkill but- you could install spiceworks, let it run a network scan and tell you everything about all the devices on your network.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply. I apologize for the delay in responding, but I've been ill.

I never did find a way to list the IPs my router assigned. I would have thought that to have been the easiest part!

In the end, I returned the product to Western Digital for repair or replacement.

I am having the same problem with my my world book II. I can see the IP address my router has assigned to the nas but still can't access it. i can access it if i connect my mac to the router or my pc to the router directly but wirelessly no : ( So i don't think the problem is the nas but is a router problem. i've gone through all the router config options but still can't see it.

Please let others know if you solved your problem. Sorry this isn't a solution but is rather just letting you know that its not the nas but probably a router thing.

mwbvienna

 

[srhoag]

Thanks for your reply. I apologize for the delay in responding, but I've been ill.

I never did find a way to list the IPs my router assigned. I would have thought that to have been the easiest part!

In the end, I returned the product to Western Digital for repair or replacement.

So how much is it costing to have WD fix it? I am experiencing the same problem. I have my main computer backed up on the Worldbook and now I cannot access it. Very frustrating. I noted that the network jack indicator lights don't work, but that is not a new condition, they never HAVE worked. Everything was fine until I shut down EVERYTHING while we were on vacation. The Worldbook was the only thing on the network that did not come back up after the shutdown. It was flawless up to this point. Oh well.

I am open to constructive suggestions if anyone has any.

Steve
srhoag@dd-p.com

srhoag at dd-p dot com (incase they strip email addresses from posts)

 

[ambush]

srhoag, here's how I finally resolved my problem without sending it back to WD.

I had tried to resolve it with Cisco's Network Magic Pro, which provided me with the IP address and nearly allowed me access, but I still could not unlock the important NAS volumes because I did not recall the password.

WD provides a Knowledge Base article describing how to reset the unit and the password, but I still could not reach the built-in control HTML page. So I uninstalled Network Magic, re-downloaded and re-installed the WD-supplied MIOnet software, and then used MIOnet to reach the built-in control HTML page.

I changed all the NAS volumes and everything else it controlled to a known username and password, then I uninstalled MIOnet and re-installed Network Magic Pro.

From then on I've used Network Magic to manage the Worldbook NAS, which works fine. The only problem I still have is that the Worldbook will disappear from the network or simply not respond on occasion, whereupon I'm forced to cycle power and/or reset the unit again. This is not as bad as it might sound, as the symptoms are nowhere near as severe and frustrating as they were when I posted this thread's OP. It's a bit of a hassle, but (barely) tolerable.

I'm still using it, but one thing is clear to me: I will never buy another Worldbook or other NAS from Western Digital again.