# Unable to Access USB Drive on Wifi Router from laptop



## geonerd20 (Jul 12, 2009)

I am using an Arris Surfboard AC1750 router that has a USB port. I have a USB drive plugged into this port. My desktop is connected to an ethernet port on the router. My laptop (Windows 10 with latest update) connects to the wifi network. 

I am able to see and access the USB drive on the wifi router from the desktop.

From my laptop, the USB drive on the wifi router shows up as a Media Device. So I can see some of the images/photos stored on the USB drive connected to the wifi router, but not non-media files.

I went to the router page and made sure that file sharing was turned on.

Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.


----------



## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

If there's nothing mentioned about this in the user manual or the router's web management interface, or there are no settings for attached usb devices to control access, then it is by design and there's not much you can do about it.


----------



## geonerd20 (Jul 12, 2009)

Thank you for your feedback.

I use a USB dongle on laptop to access wifi. I borrowed a neighbor's laptop and connected with the same usb dongle. I am able to access the usb drive with this other laptop. I checked the settings on that computer, and cannot tell whats different from my laptop.

Thanks again.



Stancestans said:


> If there's nothing mentioned about this in the user manual or the router's web management interface, or there are no settings for attached usb devices to control access, then it is by design and there's not much you can do about it.


----------



## bassfisher6522 (Jul 22, 2012)

geonerd20 said:


> Thank you for your feedback.
> 
> I use a USB dongle on laptop to access wifi. I borrowed a neighbor's laptop and connected with the same usb dongle. I am able to access the usb drive with this other laptop. I checked the settings on that computer, and cannot tell whats different from my laptop.
> 
> Thanks again.


I don't see how this has anything to do with what your asking. Unless the dongle in question is the wifi adapter you're connecting to the router. Which will never work.


----------



## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Are the files on the non media files, _Shared_? Try sharing them and see how it goes.


----------



## geonerd20 (Jul 12, 2009)

Thank you all for your input. Yes, the files are "shared" but that does not seem to help. The only thing that appears to work is to enable SMB1.0. I recognize the flaws with this approach, but it seems to be the only one that works. Thanks again.


----------

