Help with configuring network access to NAS

[Mbrown278]

Hi all, so I have a PC setup with a shared folder which is connected to my main router. From another PC (main PC) I created a shortcut to the folder which just had the computer name so was \\Desktop-blahblahblah\documents (which was working correctly)

I have now put the main PC connecting to a different wifi 6 router by ethernet cable, and that wifi 6 router then connects to my main router (which the PC with the shared folder connects to).

I now however whatever I try I can't connect to the folder. Please forgive me for my following attempts, I am struggling to find what it should be hence the post. I have tried port forwarding, with the following options:

-change the shortcut to my external ip, and then the port so something like \\111.111.11.111:1234\documents

-change the shortcut to my internal ip, and then the portr so something like \\192.168.3.1:1234\documents

-change the shortcut to either external or internal ip, then the pc name, so something like \\111.111.11.111\desktop-blahblahblah\documents or \\192.168.1.1\desktop-blahblahblah\documents

 

Oddly, if I go onto my main PC, and type 192.168.1.1 into a browser, it takes me to my main routers login. So it can somehow get past/through the wifi 6 router which is 192.168.3.1

 

I have set a various single port forwarding options from both routers depending on each option above.

 

My thinking is that if I were to aim my main PC at my wifi 6 router, with a port of say 1234 internal and external, then have it route that towards the ip of my main router with the port 1234, and have that router aim at the pc/nas then it should all get there, but I can't get it to work.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Mark

[Electronics Wizardy]

It looks like you have a second layer of nat on your home network. You don't want this. Id configure the second router to not do nat and just work as a access poirk. THis normally involves not using the wan port. Then you don't have to do any port orwarding.

[LIGISTX]

48 minutes ago, Mbrown278 said:

Hi all, so I have a PC setup with a shared folder which is connected to my main router. From another PC (main PC) I created a shortcut to the folder which just had the computer name so was \\Desktop-blahblahblah\documents (which was working correctly)

I have now put the main PC connecting to a different wifi 6 router by ethernet cable, and that wifi 6 router then connects to my main router (which the PC with the shared folder connects to).

I now however whatever I try I can't connect to the folder. Please forgive me for my following attempts, I am struggling to find what it should be hence the post. I have tried port forwarding, with the following options:

-change the shortcut to my external ip, and then the port so something like \\111.111.11.111:1234\documents

-change the shortcut to my internal ip, and then the portr so something like \\192.168.3.1:1234\documents

-change the shortcut to either external or internal ip, then the pc name, so something like \\111.111.11.111\desktop-blahblahblah\documents or \\192.168.1.1\desktop-blahblahblah\documents

 

Oddly, if I go onto my main PC, and type 192.168.1.1 into a browser, it takes me to my main routers login. So it can somehow get past/through the wifi 6 router which is 192.168.3.1

 

I have set a various single port forwarding options from both routers depending on each option above.

 

My thinking is that if I were to aim my main PC at my wifi 6 router, with a port of say 1234 internal and external, then have it route that towards the ip of my main router with the port 1234, and have that router aim at the pc/nas then it should all get there, but I can't get it to work.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Mark

Why did you add a second router? This is what is causing your issues.

 

Just use a single router, there is no reason to use multiple routers. 

[Mbrown278]

1 hour ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

It looks like you have a second layer of nat on your home network. You don't want this. Id configure the second router to not do nat and just work as a access poirk. THis normally involves not using the wan port. Then you don't have to do any port orwarding.

Thank you, I'll give that a go

[Mbrown278]

43 minutes ago, LIGISTX said:

Why did you add a second router? This is what is causing your issues.

 

Just use a single router, there is no reason to use multiple routers. 

Sorry, I should have stated why, so I play vr, and to do this wirelessly it is best to have WiFi 6, with no other devices using the router. So for best results a separate router is recommended. I have tried using my other router for wireless vr, but between my pc and the wireless router I would be connecting to, there are two ethernet switches. Whereas with my dedicated router I just have one ethernet cable. So using the dedicated router is the only way to play wireless vr considering my setup and layout of my house. I did also consider replacing my gigaclear service providers linksys router, but I have a linksys mesh system so that would add an extra layer of complexity or cost to change them. 

[LIGISTX]

1 minute ago, Mbrown278 said:

Sorry, I should have stated why, so I play vr, and to do this wirelessly it is best to have WiFi 6, with no other devices using the router. So for best results a separate router is recommended. I have tried using my other router for wireless vr, but between my pc and the wireless router I would be connecting to, there are two ethernet switches. Whereas with my dedicated router I just have one ethernet cable. So using the dedicated router is the only way to play wireless vr considering my setup and layout of my house. I did also consider replacing my gigaclear service providers linksys router, but I have a linksys mesh system so that would add an extra layer of complexity or cost to change them. 

I’m confused. Why does your Wifi matter for wireless VR? Does the wireless headset connect over the LAN to the PC and not directly to the PC?

 

Also, adding cables won’t make any difference, so your statement of the original setup having 2 cables is rather meaningless. Wired networking is extremely low latency, so that isn’t the issue. 
 

I guess your best option would be to setup the Wifi 6 router in access point only mode, basically just turn it into a Wifi switch and not do any routing. That would remove your double NAT issue. And obviously have it on a different SSID. 

[Mbrown278]

6 minutes ago, LIGISTX said:

I’m confused. Why does your Wifi matter for wireless VR? Does the wireless headset connect over the LAN to the PC and not directly to the PC?

 

Also, adding cables won’t make any difference, so your statement of the original setup having 2 cables is rather meaningless. Wired networking is extremely low latency, so that isn’t the issue. 
 

I guess your best option would be to setup the Wifi 6 router in access point only mode, basically just turn it into a Wifi switch and not do any routing. That would remove your double NAT issue. And obviously have it on a different SSID. 

So it isn't the cables, it is the switches that cause the issue with VR tracking, and various other aspects, due to the way I have my systems setup I can't reduce the amount of switches in my setup. Yes the headset connects through your LAN to the PC, and not directly with the PC. That was the case with my previous Oculus/Meta Quest 2, and with my current Pico Neo 3 Link.

 

It sounds like the best option is to put in access point mode - so I shall look into doing that. Thank you

[LIGISTX]

5 minutes ago, Mbrown278 said:

So it isn't the cables, it is the switches that cause the issue with VR tracking, and various other aspects, due to the way I have my systems setup I can't reduce the amount of switches in my setup. Yes the headset connects through your LAN to the PC, and not directly with the PC. That was the case with my previous Oculus/Meta Quest 2, and with my current Pico Neo 3 Link.

 

It sounds like the best option is to put in access point mode - so I shall look into doing that. Thank you

Switches are being included in “wired networking” in my example. A switch will add insignificant latency. 
 

But, regardless, yes if you need Wifi 6, you need to put that router in AP mode, or bridge mode, or DMZ mode, or whatever option it has that makes it just an AP and not a router. 

[Mbrown278]

On 9/4/2022 at 8:06 PM, Electronics Wizardy said:

It looks like you have a second layer of nat on your home network. You don't want this. Id configure the second router to not do nat and just work as a access poirk. THis normally involves not using the wan port. Then you don't have to do any port orwarding.

 

23 hours ago, LIGISTX said:

Switches are being included in “wired networking” in my example. A switch will add insignificant latency. 
 

But, regardless, yes if you need Wifi 6, you need to put that router in AP mode, or bridge mode, or DMZ mode, or whatever option it has that makes it just an AP and not a router. 

Thanks, yeah I don't know the specifics behind how switches cause interferance with VR, or if they even do, but I had loads of problems (which I know could be caused by a number of things, and cutting out the switches was one of the things I changed as an attempt as a part of changing multiple things. I can't remember if I changed things and tested one by one, as that problem solving was a year or two ago. Since I got the Pico Neo 3 link a couple of months ago, I have mainly been doing sim racing, sat down in one place so put my PC there and used the headset in wired mode. I tried wireless the last two nights to play some other games and it was glitchy and all sorts, which due to the way the Pico headset does wireless (must be on the same network as the PC), I used my main router, through the switches etc. So today wired up my wifi 6 router direct to the PC to try and see if that improved things and came across these other issues. My old VR headset (Quest 2), had an app called Virtual Desktop, which would allow you to connect to your PC across multiple networks automatically whether they were external networks or not. That app isn't yet available for the Pico, but apparently will be sometime in the next few months, but didn't want to wait until then if I could sort it now. That app does seem to indicate though that the switches shouldn't be an issue, but it was actually the developers on discord who recommended going direct to the pc and cutting out switches etc.

 

After your advice though, and after doing some searching I managed to find the option to set the router as AP, once that was set everything was automatically sorted and it kept the specific SSID I wanted for the wifi 6 router. Also the access to the NAS/PC is sorted! Works without any further adjustment etc, so thank you both! 

Now I just need to test the wireless VR and see if it has improved - thank you