Android box won't see Windows shares

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Rikkitic

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#224062 31-Oct-2017 14:43

I have an Android TV box running 6.1 on my LAN. I cannot get it to see a Windows shared folder that every other Windows computer can see without problem. If I plug the same LAN cable into a Windows PC it immediately recognises the shared folder. The Android doesn't see anything. I installed ES Explorer to use the network function, and even tried manually connecting to the IP of the Windows computer but everything draws a blank. I also have Kodi installed on it and tried it that way but nothing sees the shared folder. Is there some kind of magic solution to this?

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#1893274 31-Oct-2017 19:20

First things first, can you ping your PC from the Android box? If ping works fine then I recommend installing Solid Explorer - I use it on all my Android devices and never had any issues accessing Windows shares.

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ANglEAUT

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#1893293 31-Oct-2017 20:18

d3Xt3r: First things first, can you ping your PC from the Android box? ...

Fing also does a broadcast ping, discovering devices on your network
Next, what device is hosting the share? SMBv3 is used on Win8 and Win10 devices while SMBv2 is the default on Win7. Make sure that SMBv2 is the default for your devices.
If you can specify a WORKGROUP, make sure it's the same one your Android device as on your Win devices.
Next, as a test, make the share available to all /everyone and ensure the file security is also open to all users. Only after successful connection attempts remember to lock it down again.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

Rikkitic

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#1893541 1-Nov-2017 11:53

Thanks for the suggestions. I am making progress of sorts. I tried to install different apps but they are all designed for damned phones and I can't do anything on them with my remote. However Ping Tools works well for me and it sees my Windows computer and returns pings with no problem so at least I know the pc is being seen on the LAN. I still can't get any file manager to recognise it though. All scans just turn up blanks and I also can't get anything through Kodi, even when I enter the correct IP.

I tried Solid Explorer but it just makes a mess and I can't do anything useful with it. ES Explorer still doesn't see the pc. I tried a couple of others but they also say nothing is there. Yet Ping Tools correctly identifies everything on the LAN. Not sure what to try next. Still open to (and grateful for) any ideas.

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robcreid

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#1893547 1-Nov-2017 12:00

I did see a post about Win 10 Fall Creators update switching off SMBv1 on Windows which is causing issues for some android sharing. Is that a possible cause in your scenario?

Rikkitic

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#1893601 1-Nov-2017 12:56

I don't think so. My Windows share computer is running Win 7 and my understanding is that this automatically and exclusively uses SMBv2. There doesn't seem to be any other possibility for it but admittedly my understanding of this is shallow.

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allan

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#1893660 1-Nov-2017 14:32

No help to the specific issue you are seeing @Rikkitic, but I can confirm that I have it working on a Xiaomi Mi Box (Android TV 6.0) and can see SMB shares on a (now elderly) Windows Home Server 2011. I believe that will be SMB2 (v2.002). They are visible to ES Explorer, Kodi and Plex on the Mi Box, so it theoretically should all work for you.

Rikkitic

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#1893672 1-Nov-2017 14:58

Yeah, that seems to happen to me a lot. Things that work perfectly well for everyone else don't work for me for some reason. I mess around in the Registry a lot and make all kinds of customisations and have shot myself in the foot before, so no doubt it is something like that but I sure don't know what. It works on Windows and Android sees the computer but it won't work on Android. Go figure.

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d3Xt3r

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#1893998 2-Nov-2017 05:54

What do you mean by Solid Explorer making a mess? Also, for the purpose of testing can you connect a mouse/keyboard and use it if you're having issues with the remote?

timmmay

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#1894013 2-Nov-2017 07:21

Every time Windows does an upgrade I can't access my Windows shares from Kodi on R.Pi. I have to go into advanced networking and tweak the settings - from memory I turn on anonymous access, I reduce the security bit, and I play with things until it works. Could be similar for you.

Rikkitic

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#1894061 2-Nov-2017 09:58

d3Xt3r: What do you mean by Solid Explorer making a mess? Also, for the purpose of testing can you connect a mouse/keyboard and use it if you're having issues with the remote?

I don't remember exactly because I was trying different things, but I basically just got a couple of solid colour blocks filling the screen and no meaningful response to the remote. I couldn't see a proper user interface and the few things I did see I couldn't click on. The remote has a 'mouse' function that lets me move the cursor anywhere on the screen, but I notice with a lot of apps there is stuff off-screen that I can't get to in either mode as there is no way to scroll. I also notice that most apps say they are made for phones and I wonder if that has anything to do with many not working properly. On the basis of previous experience with other things I'm not sure that hooking up an external mouse and keyboard would be helpful, but it is certainly worth a try and I will do that.

As already stated, I can't get any File manager or other tool I have tried so far to see anything at all on my LAN, and Kodi also doesn't recognise it, but Ping Tools does see everything and returns correct pings from the remote computer. At the moment I have only three devices on the LAN, the remote pc and two wi-fi points. Ping Tools sees them all and correctly reports their IPs. Every other thing I have tried says there is nothing there at all. Can the network protocol be somehow misconfigured? The LAN connection to the Android box works fine for Internet access and Kodi also works.

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Rikkitic

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#1894073 2-Nov-2017 10:01

timmmay:

Every time Windows does an upgrade I can't access my Windows shares from Kodi on R.Pi. I have to go into advanced networking and tweak the settings - from memory I turn on anonymous access, I reduce the security bit, and I play with things until it works. Could be similar for you.

There might be something to this. I just did a full update on the pc, but this is Win 7, not 10. I don't know if that makes a difference here. I did check it from another Windows computer and that worked fine but I will look at it again.

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Quinny

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#1894102 2-Nov-2017 10:25

Using Android tv fine with windows pc here.

1) Use Plex works great

2) On my Sony Android TV use "Video" and then it sees the shares BUT I use via Serviio (running on the PC). It also sees any other media server fine. (ie all my NAS)

As for getting apps the best way I have found is to log on pc to Play Store and type in Android Tv. This brings up crap as well as the very good apps. Then use Install and if compatible the app will appear as able to send to Tv. A wee bit later there it is.

Other method for non compatible apps is Sideload. I only have SkyGo use with this as everything else wanted app worked via cast already or existed (Plex Twitch and so on)

Rikkitic

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#1894837 3-Nov-2017 15:50

Well, this thing has got me completely frustrated. I finally got Solid Explorer correctly installed and working. I am using a small USB keyboard/mouse together with the remote. If I click on the x at the bottom of the file list, the only network-related thing I see is New Cloud Connection. I gave that a try just to see what would happen and entered my Windows pc details as the server. Solid Explorer just says it can't find anything, which is exactly what every other file manager has told me.

While trying to make sense of this, I discovered that both the Android box and the computer with the shared folder are using the same IP address, 192.168.1.103. I think this is probably because the Android doesn’t see the LAN, so it just grabs what it thinks is the first available address. Anyway, I manually changed the address on the Windows computer to prevent any conflict and tried again, but it didn’t make any difference. Whatever I do, the Android does not see other computers on the LAN, but it does see the router.

Once again, with the Android box and a Windows pc sitting next to each other on the same LAN connection, the Windows pc sees other windows computers on the LAN but the Android sees nothing, though it connects to the Internet without any problem. The Android app Ping Tools is the only thing I have found that does correctly see all other computers on the LAN. With it I can ping any Windows computer and get a return. But I cannot get any other app to see the Windows computer.

If anyone can help me with this, I would really appreciate it. I don’t know what else to try.

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d3Xt3r

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#1894978 3-Nov-2017 21:34

Can you post some screenshots/photos of what you're entering into Solid Explorer (blur out any sensitive info).

Also, please post your full IP config for your box and PC - ie IP addresses, subnet mask etc. For the Android Box, you can get this by installing the app "IP Config" or similar from the Play Store.

Rikkitic

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#1895109 4-Nov-2017 07:05

d3Xt3r: Can you post some screenshots/photos of what you're entering into Solid Explorer (blur out any sensitive info).

Also, please post your full IP config for your box and PC - ie IP addresses, subnet mask etc. For the Android Box, you can get this by installing the app "IP Config" or similar from the Play Store.

Thanks for helping me with this. I really appreciate it. I'm not entering much into Solid Explorer. All I can find is a plus mark at the bottom of the file screen. If I click on that it asks for a cloud server. Clicking on that enables me to enter an IP address so I entered the one for my pc and ticked the anonymous box. After that I just get the endless circle until it times out. I will make screenshots later today after I install IP Config. It is a little awkward working on the Android box because it is also in use.

I will PM the IP Config info to you. I would rather not have it here. I will start with the pc because that is easiest.

Thanks again.

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