D-Link Forums
The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => D-Link Storage => DNS-345 => Topic started by: LeeC2202 on April 24, 2014, 07:27:25 AM
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I have been having more problems with my DNS-345 recently, namely that it is shutting off an hour earlier than scheduled to. All the time and time zone settings are correct, but it still shuts off an hour early.
So besides the bodge option provided by DLink support, they suggested upgrading the firmware. I never upgrade any firmware, before saving configuration settings, but when I clicked the "Save" button, I got a "500 - Internal Server Error" and no save settings page. This happened on both IE and Firefox, before and after clearing the cache.
I have emailed back to support to see what they suggest, however, based on their first reply, I am half expecting them to say "well you could go through all the settings, and write them on a piece of paper". So I am hoping there is a more acceptable option than that.
Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions?
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I'm wondering if there is a Java incompatibility that's causing the save error. You may want to read the following two posts for some suggestions. These posts are labeled for network cameras, but they apply to the ShareCenter series just the same.
- Network Cameras - IE11 Not Fully Compatible with All Network Camera Functionality (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=58272.0)
- Network Cameras - Lost "Live View" After Installing Java Version 7 Update 51 (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=57476.0)
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According to the Sun Microsystems website, my Firefox doesn't have Java at all (or at least, nothing they can verify)... yet every other aspect of the NAS seems to work fine in that browser. Could there really be a single button out of the whole system, that has a Java requirement?
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I can tell you that my D-Link network cameras use Java through Firefox. Try applying the fix listed in the "Lost Live View..." thread and see if that helps.
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I don't have a Java folder.
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Adding to my last post, there are components in my DNS-345 web UI that work in IE and not Firefox. For example, the SurveillanceCenter add-on only works in IE. A number of D-Link routers (including several of my own) have exhibited issues saving Configuration Settings files in Firefox, so there are browser-based dependencies.
Do you have Java installed on your PC?
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PC Web Browser Configurations
What browser are you using?
If IE 8, 9, 10 or 11, set compatibility mode and test again.
Disable any security browser Add-ons like No Script and Ad-Block or configure them to allow All Pages when connected to the router.
Clear all browser caches.
Be sure to log into the Admin account on the router.
Try turning off these features in Chrome:
Top right corner, little bars for options > Settings > Settings (on left) > Show advanced settings.
Uncheck these:
Use a web service to help resolve navigation errors
Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar
Predict network actions to improve page load performance
Enable phishing and malware protection
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Adding to my last post, there are components in my DNS-345 web UI that work in IE and not Firefox. For example, the SurveillanceCenter add-on only works in IE. A number of D-Link routers (including several of my own) have exhibited issues saving Configuration Settings files in Firefox, so there are browser-based dependencies.
Do you have Java installed on your PC?
Java seems to be in the Add/Remove programmes list, but there are no Start Menu entries... maybe it's a broken configuration.
FurryNutz: I am using IE11 and Firefox 28.0... I would never use Chrome. I do use AdBlock+ on both browsers.
I will try reinstalling Java later, and then checking again. Thanks for the info both of you, I will update the question later, as the answer may be of use to anyone else who gets the same problem.
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Make sure you disable Ad-Block for any D-Link web page.
I'd remove Java and re-install again. There should be Start Menu entries.
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Although Firefox does usually work with most web UI functionality, I would save the Configuration Settings file using IE just to be sure. Once the Configuration Settings file is saved to your PC, I recommend trying to apply the file to test it's integrity before flashing the ShareCenter or uploading a new firmware version.
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It's taken me a while to reply, because I did a complete clean install... of my whole OS.
Even after doing all that, re-installing Java from Fresh, turning off AdBlock+ for my NAS pages *and* setting compatibility mode on IE, I still get the exact same error on both browsers. :(
Edit: Just to update... trying to get this config to save was getting worse. After making one attempt, the whole NAS stopped responding in web pages. So I bit the bullet, and simply did the upgrade... only to be greeted with the exact same internal server error. I think a "fell out of the second floor window" error is getting close. I find it hard to believe a device can be so flaky.
What's even more of a joke, is there seems to be something about a new media library in this update. However, it displays the dialog box for less than a second, so I had to grab a screenshot to read it. It seems I have a Yes/No option, but it's not on the screen long enough to choose... incredible.
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And to top it all off... I now can't access the NAS through windows explorer. >:(
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Can you access the DNS from any other devices or is the PC your only one?
I'd ask JavaLawyer first about a complete reload of DNS FW and see if things clear up.
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I've got a few PCs, up tp now, two of them show identical symptoms. The biggest one being the loss of connectivity through windows explorer. I can't browse folders, or map drives.
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Let me try and get the picture of what you have correct.
1) You have several PCs on your network.
2) Only two of those PCs show the problem.
3) All the other PCs work correctly with the NAS.
4) It started with a time differential of one hour. Was this at the time change for daylight saving?
Is that correct?
Now we require some more information.
1) Are all your PCs using the same version of windows?
2) What version of windows are your problem machines using?
3) Have the two problem machines had any updates to the operating system or other software?
4) I assume you are using DHCP for the IP addresses, what are you using as DHCP server.
5) Have you changed anything on your network - even moving a desktop computer on a wired network can loosen the network cable plug and cause problems.
6) Are you using a wireless network and if so are there other access points nearby on the same channel?
All of the above is standard information we require from our clients when they have problems to enable us to fix the problem You have a problem we need the information to help you fix it.
If your one hour time differential appeared at the time of changing to daylight saving time did you check where the NAS was getting its time setting from?
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1) Yes, five in total
2) No, the two I have tested, are PCs that are in use every day. I have just tried one of the other PCs, and that won't connect either.
3) No
4) Yes, when daylight saving kicked in, I had the initial problem with the NAS shutting down an hour early
That's the first part... onto part 2
1) No. One is Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, one is Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, one is XP Professional 32-bit, and the others are XP Home 32-bit
2) As now verified... both Windows 7 and XP machines have the problem
3) Both had been running with no problems, until I did the firmware upgrade on the NAS. They have had normal windows updates.
4) No, I never use DHCP. I keep my network fully managed, with specific devices in specific static IP ranges. I have done it this way for many years.
5) There is no cable problem. The NAS is visible on the network, but nothing will connect to it. I can connect to the NAS via the web interface with no problems... even through my Xperia Z tablet, and that is via a wireless connection.
6) Three of my PCs are wired, the other two are wireless. Up to now, the wired ones are the ones that are confirmed to have the problem.
The NAS is getting the time from the NTP server at ntp2d.mcc.ac.uk The time is being correctly set from that NTP server. When I initially had the time problem, I had no problems connecting to the NAS, that problem has only appeared since the firmware upgrade.
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One thing that sticks out:
"4) No, I never use DHCP. I keep my network fully managed, with specific devices in specific static IP ranges. I have done it this way for many years."
I recommend that you go back to basics and give DHCP a try and set up some "Reserved" IP addresses set up on the main host router and see if this might help clear up this issue. Yes Static can be used, however in basic home environments, having DHCP Reserved IP addresses on the main host router can help resolve most issues. It also helps to troubleshoot network issues, eliminates conflicts and any mis-configurations when using Static IP address. Also helps to have a more central location for managing IP addresses rather then having to go to each device and manage there.
I'd at least give this a try and see if this helps any.
Yes at some point you could use static on the DNS as I and others have static set up, however, for me, most of my higher priority devices are set for Reserved IPs on the main host router and those that don't need much internet access or low priority devices that don't need much management, I set for static, the DNS being one of them.
Give this a try and see if it helps.
My 2 cents.
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The IP address clearly isn't causing the issue, because access to the web interface is unaffected. I do have a section of reserved DHCP addresses in my router, but I also have another device, that is a complete pain, if other devices are using DHCP. That is why I allocate devices to fixed regions of addresses, so I know things have no conflicts.
This isn't a router issue, so I don't want to change how my network is handled, because of another device that doesn't work properly. I need to resolve the issue at the source, which is the NAS. Call me stubborn, but 30 years of writing software teaches you to fix the bug where it exists, not to fix everything else to work round it. Just a philosophy I stick to I'm afraid.
Edit: Just to show I am not being totally obstructive... I did change it to DHCP, and it connected via windows explorer... I then changed it back to static, and it connected again. So it looks like something in the upgrade, caused a network glitch, that switching modes has fixed. Sadly, this isn't the first device I have seen with this kind of problem... It's almost like some kind of network profile gets created, and doesn't get flushed after an upgrade... then again, had I been able to save the config settings, I could have done a reset to factory default.
I won't know if the scheduling has been fixed until tonight, as this will be the first day that it has turned on and off by the schedule. I will update later/tomorrow with the results of that.
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Sorry I didn't get back to this earlier but I took the weekend off away from computers.
Anyway, thinking about it I was going to ask if you did a reset to factory defaults after the firmware update. For us this is standard procedure. Doing that flushes all buffers and settings and clears the network tables. Your changing the network settings accomplished the job of clearing the network tables so you should be back in business.
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Not a problem, being away from computers is the best place to be.
As I mentioned in my last post, I would have done a factory reset, but I can't save the config settings... which is the problem that started this thread.
Yes, I can now connect through explorer. Yes, it now seems to be following the power scheduling properly. However, adding a torrent through Internet Explorer, now results in a new tab being opened, and an "Assertion Failed" error, resulting in nothing being displayed in the new tab. The torrents do get added, but it's just one more error that I shouldn't be seeing.
I have absolutely no idea what settings I will lose by doing a factory reset, so I don't know how much of the configuration I need to try and preserve.
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I have absolutely no idea what settings I will lose by doing a factory reset, so I don't know how much of the configuration I need to try and preserve.
Unfortunately, as the name implies, the factory reset deletes everything that you manually configured back to the default values established when you purchased the DNS-345, including the removal of all network shares, user accounts, permissions/groups, network settings, etc.
The only change that will remain is the current firmware that's installed. The DNS-345 does not contain a default FW in ROM, so whatever firmware you currently have installed will remain.
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This may not be an ideal, but one quick and dirty solution that I've used in the past is to take screenshots of all relevant web UI pages so you can perform a side-by-side copy of all settings afterwards. As a best practice going forward, you should consider saving a Configuration Settings file each time you make a substantial change to the web UI so you have a recovery path. I have four ShareCenters and maintain historical Configuration Settings files for each. After creating the Configuration Settings file, I append the following information to the file name:
- ShareCenter Name (since I have multiple units and model numbers)
- Firmware Version (so I know what firmware version the Configuration Settings file is compatible with, although these files are typically backwards compatible unless there's a major change to FW)
- Creation Date
Similar to my OS images, I maintain a history of files so I can roll back if necessary.
Example:
- Config_DNS-345_Name_v1.03b02_03302014
- Config_DNS-345_Name_v1.02b01_02302013
- Config_DNS-343_Name_v1.05b02_05142013
- Config_DNS-343_Name_v1.04b01_07222012
You should also test the integrity of the Configuration Settings file by trying to apply it to the ShareCenter before archiving so you know it's valid.
Another thing I learned early on, make sure to save your Configuration Settings file(s) in a separate storage device. If you keep your only copies in the DNS-345 itself and something goes wrong with the DNS-345, you may not be able to easily get to the files you need.
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This may not be an ideal, but one quick and dirty solution that I've used in the past is to take screenshots of all relevant web UI pages so you can perform a side-by-side copy of all settings afterwards.
::) Modern technology at work.
As a best practice going forward, you should consider saving a Configuration Settings file each time you make a substantial change to the web UI so you have a recovery path.
Do you realise how that sounds, to someone that has posted a thread about being unable to save the configuration file on their device?!? Had I been able to save the configuration file, this thread would never have existed. As a best practice, you save settings before any changes are made, not after... which is why Windows creates a system restore point *before* applying any updates. But anyway, I think it's best to leave the topic of "best practices" alone...
The thing is, once set up, I never make any changes. I haven't touched the configuration since almost the day I bought it... I haven't needed to. The only thing I have done in the last 6 months, is tweak the torrent schedule setting, and that was because of another bug in the device, that wouldn't let you manage torrents outside the schedule times. Which incidentally, is still not fixed!
I don't know, maybe my profession as a software developer just makes me more sensitive to software that is clearly buggy, and that has had what appears to be very little testing. I just find myself getting really annoyed that companies sell devices that suffer from such basic and fundamental flaws. But that's probably another topic best left alone...
I guess I'll just prepare myself for an afternoon of grabbing screenshots, and manually re-entering settings. No doubt it's going to spend another huge amount of time rebuilding the media library too. >:(
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::) Modern technology at work.
Do you realise how that sounds, to someone that has posted a thread about being unable to save the configuration file on their device?!? Had I been able to save the configuration file, this thread would never have existed. As a best practice, you save settings before any changes are made, not after... which is why Windows creates a system restore point *before* applying any updates. But anyway, I think it's best to leave the topic of "best practices" alone...
. . .
I don't know, maybe my profession as a software developer just makes me more sensitive to software that is clearly buggy, and that has had what appears to be very little testing. I just find myself getting really annoyed that companies sell devices that suffer from such basic and fundamental flaws. But that's probably another topic best left alone...
I raised the best practices card because you already indicated that you were going to bite-the-bullet and perform a factory reset, and more importantly however, since many novice members also read these threads I always make a concerted effort to reenforce best practices so other product owners can benefit and learn. For example, I'm constantly surprised how many ShareCenter owners store their data on a RAID-1 array insisting that the RAID-1 array is both their primary and backup. . . so I'm constantly standing up on my virtual soapbox (regardless of the expertise of the OP) and reiterating best practices whenever an opening presents itself (see I just did it here!). There was no intent to kick someone who was already down. ;)
I agree that the firmware is challenged in some areas (that's as far as I'll go), but I'm doing my best to offer solutions within the confines of what we have to work with.
I guess I'll just prepare myself for an afternoon of grabbing screenshots, and manually re-entering settings. No doubt it's going to spend another huge amount of time rebuilding the media library too. >:(
I've been through the whole screenshot exercise several years ago with my DNS-343 and fully empathize with you.
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I'm not sure if this has been suggested yet, but do you have a spare switch? You can easily connect the DNS-345 and another PC to a switch to rule out other network-related factors. I've successfully used this approach to troubleshoot networking issues with my ShareCenters.
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I appreciate the help, I really do.. I just get annoyed very quickly these days (long story).
So, after having done the factory reset, I have good and bad results.
Good: I can save the config files.
Good: I can still connect to the shared folders through explorer.
Bad: I still get an error when I upload a torrent (although the torrent is actually uploaded).
The new tab shows the following:-
<?xml version=!1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
- <config>
<res>0</res>
</config>
The error box just says "Upload Torrent Error(Error Code:)"
The uploaded torrent is only shown after refreshing the page.
Bad: I can now add a torrent outside the scheduled time, which then continues to download... outside the scheduled time. Amazingly, yet unsurprisingly, I still can't delete the completed torrent outside the scheduled times. *sigh*
I guess I should be thankful for small mercies, but I think I have been shown that maybe I should be looking for a more reliable replacement for this unit.
Edit: To answer your other point, which appeared while I was typing this... no, I sold the only spare switch I had a while back.
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I'm glad that the factory reset correct many of your key issues. It sounds like there was some corruption in your original settings.
I'm not sure what to say about the P2P scheduling. I personally use the Transmission add-on app rather than the integrated P2P. The integrated P2P app has a lot of hidden files, and I prefer full transparency. Transmission has it's own set of issues, but you may want to give the add-on a try nonetheless.
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Sounds worth looking at anyway. Is it something you can add through the application installer in the DNS, or does it require adding manually? I don't use P2P that much, but I do like to control when it operates.
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Yes. Navigate to Application Management > Add Ons > Choose File and upload from there. Then you'll need to Enable the add on after installing.
DNS-345 - Add-Ons Comments & Observations (Updated 09/2013) (http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=55611.0)
I'm not sure if this bug was addressed:
- App - Transmission - [Bug] Frequent "Too many files opened" errors, causing downloads to freeze (Transmission app must be disabled/re-enabled via the Application Manager to temporarily fix the issue) [Reported by multiple users]
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Unfortunately I'm now getting the same 500 - Internal Server Error :(
I'm not going to go into why I don't want to firmware upgrade or reset in this post as I've got another thread going about a RAID config going screwy.
Chrome does a 500 error while IE just freezes completely after I click on System Management - before I even get to clicking System Settings...
Having said that 500 is a server side error so unlikely a browser or PC change would have any affect.
Tried rebooting with no luck.
Anyone ever figure out a fix for this outside of full reset / firmware upgrade?
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Doing a factory reset got rid of this problem for me... sorry I can't suggest anything else.
I am still going back and forth with support over other issues though, it's a flaky device on the server side, very poor really.