Windows 7 Intermittent Access to NAS 269L

[TWUKQ]

Hi

I have a client with 4 PCs: 2 Windows 10 and 2 Windows 7. The router is at 192.168.1.254, the NAS has a static IP of 192.168.1.1 and DHCP clients allocated by the router start at 192.168.1.64.

For the Windows 10 users, every time they open Network, NAS is visible as a machine and double-clicking it works as expected.

The Windows 7 users, though, are having a nightmare. The NAS always shows under Network, but maybe half the time it won't connect and gets an error "Windows cannot access \\NAS. Error code 0x80070035. The network path was not found". It's as if the NAS just stops responding. The name NAS is resolving correctly to 192.168.1.1 every time, but attempts to open the machine via Network, ping it, or open the web interface in a browser all fail. However, within seconds, it may suddenly start working. Then, within minutes, it'll stop again, and show the same errors.

I've tried everything I can think of in Windows from disabling ipv6, resetting the network and file sharing, changing the network type, removing all AV and turning off Windows firewall. After 16 hours of investigation I'm no nearer to finding out why connectivity to the NAS appears random. When the NAS fails, all the Windows PCs under Network stll connect without a problem. It's only the NAS that rejects connections. Once the NAS doesn't want to connect, it won't respond to \\NAS or \\192.168.1.1. It's totally unusable as 50% of the time the users can't access the NAS.

I'm getting close to telling the client to wipe those machines and install Windows 10 but I'm sure a fix is only a checkbox away. Does anyone have any ideas???

[mbolton70]

The NAS always shows under Network, but maybe half the time it won't connect and gets an error "Windows cannot access \\NAS. Error code 0x80070035. The network path was not found".

I have been getting this exact same error for several months, off and on. I was previously using Windows 7 Pro Ultimate and I would get this error on occasion, but nowhere near as often as I get it now since moving to Windows 10 Pro. So my issue is opposite yours somewhat, but the same in the fact that it works for a while then stops. If I reboot my computer I will be able to connect for a few hours then boom, I start getting the "Windows cannot access \\NAS" with error code 0x80070035. I have spent countless hours on this issue and I am left with the belief that it may be SMB version related. I upgraded to the latest firmware yesterday and it worked until I came in this morning. Windows 10 uses SMB 3.1.1 while the NAS greatest SMB version is 3.0. Setting the NAS lower hasn't worked for me, either.

I went to QNAP's support site this morning but their site appears to be down... sigh. I am tired of dealing with QNAP's lack of support and the ever consistent failures somewhere on a regular basis. This NAS is a business environment, not a hobby and I just don't have the time or resources to spend messing with it. I just need it to work.

I know other user's have had this issue, too, I have seen several posts to the same effect, but has anyone come up with a viable solution?

[dolbyman]

must be something unique to your envoroment

tons of other computers/users/companies do not have this issue

I have 3 win10 clients at home ...never any issues pf that sort

[mbolton70]

Was that a post count response, or what? I am fully aware it is not affecting every single person but it is affecting a lot of people. SMH

[dolbyman]

well try explaining what software (firewall antivir etc) you have or whatever hardware (router gatway utm etc)

our crystal balls are all under repair

[Toxic17]

Just a guess, but maybe SMB Multichanneling issue.

try disabling smb mutichannel on your Windows box.

from Powershell: Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $false

re-enable: Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $true

[mbolton70]

Just a guess, but maybe SMB Multichanneling issue.

try disabling smb mutichannel on your Windows box.

from Powershell: Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $false

re-enable: Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $true

Thanks for the legitimate, actually constructive, feedback, Toxic. For whatever reason it is working again (for the moment) but when it stops again, I will definitely try and report back. I am willing to try anything at this point.

[TWUKQ]

OK, I got mine figured out and it was nothing to do with the NAS.

We'd switched to Virgin Media fibre and their Hitron router. I was using 192.168.1.254 for the router, DHCP in the range 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253, and had the NAS at 192.168.1.1 and various other static devices from 192.168.1.2 onwards.

After much trial and error I wondered if the DNS from the Hitron wasn't working for the addresses outside of the DHCP range, so temporarily set the NAS to be a DHCP client and tried to extend the DHCP range from 192.168.1.1. Interestingly, the Hitron wouldn't allow DHCP from 192.168.1.1, claiming it was already in use! To cut a long story short, the Hitron seems to use another, hidden IP which, if you're unlucky enough to put another static IP device on the same IP, causes all sorts of issues. With the IP of the NAS moved up, no more problems. Nothing replies to ping on 192.168.1.1 and no other devices are configured on that address, but the Hitron knows it's not free for DHCP, so *something* was causing the conflict. It's been reported to Virgin Media who did confess that the Hitron can use another, concealed IP but the support engineer didn't know quite what it was used for!!!!