re-starting my LinkStation storage after 10-ish years

[Casey]

A lot of changes in my life in the last 10-years...in short, this old saying applies:  "new wife, new life."

Probably 15 years ago I bought a LinkStation NAS HD-H250LAN storage unit, connected it to my home network, and deposited files for personal backup...mostly photos from my first digital camera(s).  I used the NAS for several years, then things changed significantly in my life and the device sat unplugged for probably the last 10 years. 

Now that I've recently retired, my interest in accessing those old photos has piqued.  Lots of things have changed since then...same house, but new network setup (now a eero mesh wifi network), new computers, etc.  Step #1, the NAS powered-up (again, after 10 years, wasn't sure it would).  Step #2, plugged network connector into eero device, and the NAS is "visible" as a device on the network app!  The successes pretty much ended there...

I found the setup CD and attempted to run it on my current laptop, but when it got to the step "searching for LinkStation on network" it kicked out of the routine with the message "failed to setup."  After that, I downloaded the NAS Navigator2 from the Support Site, and it too could not find the device on the network...even though it's visible on my eero app. 

Yes, this is an older NAS device (still supported by Buffalo?  IDK), but at this point all I'm trying to do is gain access to the device so that I can view and possibly extract those old files.

Any good suggestions for this site newbie?  I flipped through some of the thread titles, and didn't see a good match, but this is probably not the first time someone has asked for this help...and I'd be thankful for any suggestions, even if it is merely a re-direct to some other existing thread.

-Casey

[Kane88]

Since you plugged in the network cable after you turned it on, I would shut it off and restart it.

After it reboots, I would use your router to check your connected devices list.  You need to see if it is on the network.  Either by its IP address or machine name.  I have no idea what those are for your setup.

[Casey]

Since you plugged in the network cable after you turned it on, I would shut it off and restart it.

After it reboots, I would use your router to check your connected devices list.  You need to see if it is on the network.  Either by its IP address or machine name.  I have no idea what those are for your setup.

Appreciate the reply.  I re-started; still not found using NAS Navigotor2.

I'm thinking of trying to connnect the NAS directly to the laptop.  I know that it would be hooked to the network for normal operations, but again for now I just want to get access to the files...I would probably buy a new device to used as network backup rather than this roughly 15-YO device.  Can't try this immediately because I don't have ethernet connection on my laptop, so need a ethernet-to-USB connector to try this.

Comments?  other ideas?

[Kane88]

Appreciate the reply.  I re-started; still not found using NAS Navigotor2.

I'm thinking of trying to connnect the NAS directly to the laptop.  I know that it would be hooked to the network for normal operations, but again for now I just want to get access to the files...

That won't work connecting it directly to a laptop.  The only way that works is if you are trying to reload the firmware.  It uses a 169.254.x.x address if you don't have dhcp during the firmware reload.

I suspect your internal network addresses have changed with your new wifi setup.  Do you remember if you picked a static ip address for the buffalo unit?  If so, it would be that.  That's what you need to connect to.

If you're just wanting quick access and can't get it going, then the disk would have to be taken out of the unit and then read in a linux pc.

Again- your best bet is to use your router's console and look for connected devices.  It should show up in there somewhere.

Did you write down any previous settings for the device?  Those might be handy too...

[Casey]

That won't work connecting it directly to a laptop.  The only way that works is if you are trying to reload the firmware.  It uses a 169.254.x.x address if you don't have dhcp during the firmware reload.

I suspect your internal network addresses have changed with your new wifi setup.  Do you remember if you picked a static ip address for the buffalo unit?  If so, it would be that.  That's what you need to connect to.

If you're just wanting quick access and can't get it going, then the disk would have to be taken out of the unit and then read in a linux pc.

Again- your best bet is to use your router's console and look for connected devices.  It should show up in there somewhere.

Did you write down any previous settings for the device?  Those might be handy too...

Again, thank you.

I don't recall details of prior setup, and it doesn't appear that I have them written down...agree that woulda been handy.

My eero app shows the presence of the NAS device (the NAS device is plugged into one of the eero ethernet plugs)...but I've stumbled onto something elsewhere talking about having to open a port for the NAS device to be read, and also about eero mesh networks set up as a "bridge" which I believe mine is because my router network name AND my eero mesh network name both appear when connecting to wifi.  Familiar with this...?

[1000001101000]

Someone had an issue with eerio a few weeks ago. I believe it blocks udp broadcast packets by default which is how NasNavigator locates devices. It sounded like there was a way to change that in the eerio settings.

Direct connect is worth a shot even if the network config isn't right since broadcast packets are used.

[Kane88]

Direct connect is worth a shot even if the network config isn't right since broadcast packets are used.

If he connects it to his pc that way, how can it be accessed?  Wouldn't he need to know at least the linkstation name and share names?  Or is this where he would use nas navigator?

[Casey]

If he connects it to his pc that way, how can it be accessed?  Wouldn't he need to know at least the linkstation name and share names?  Or is this where he would use nas navigator?

Thank you both for the continued discussion.

I do have, amongst my scant notes from the origininal setup 15-ish years ago, my LinkStation name, and also the share folder names I created.  What's the consensus on a direct-connect...?

[Kane88]

May as well go for it.  I have no idea what the ip address will be for it.  It will probably come up with a 169.254.x.x address.

Hopefully you can ping it somehow, or pull it up in nas navigator to get the details.

And you'll want to turn off your windows firewall when doing it.

[1000001101000]

Assuming it shows up in NasNavigator you should be able to configure the network for the device to work with the new network, or even just with a configuration to allow them to talk directly (same subnet etc). Hopefully the shares could be enabled for FTP access at that point to transfer the data.

I'm not entirely sure what's possible with this device, these original PPC/MIPS devices worked somewhat different than later ARM devices we usually talk about. Directly accessing the drive is also an option if you have a USB/IDE adapter and can boot into a linux environment.

There is a lot of information about messing with these devices from back in the day, though I don't know if much is still useful:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180228111224/http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/Category:LS1

[Casey]

Appreciate the discussion.

I've ordered an ethernet-to-usb connector which will arrive tomorrow, so I'll give that a try...might be back with a "what now" question.    ::)

I will make sure windows firewall is off.

I looked thru a bit of the "way back" stuff...identified my as not being a LS1 because I do not have the crossover switch.  https://web.archive.org/web/20180303212243/http://buffalo.nas-central.org/wiki/LinkstationDifferences

I'm a bit lost on some of the other discussion in the prior replies...keeping fingers crossed that NAS Navigator2 finds the device with direct connect and that it is somewhat intituitive after that.  Again, my number one objective is just to get into the machine and access to the treasure trove of my personal 1st generation digital pics, and it'll be interesting to see what other files I stored on there back then, but there's nothing I've really missed, so mostly the pics.

-Casey

-Casey

[Kane88]

Hopefully the direct connect works for you.  Let us know how it goes.  I was not aware that the nas navigator would work in that way.  I seldom use that app, as I just check my router for connected machines.

as you wait for your network adapter:
I am curious if you still have your old router that your linkstation was connected to (it doesn't need to be on a wan connection), and curious what happens if you connected the linkstation and some sort of pc/mac to it.  maybe it would come up without much hassle.

[Casey]

Hopefully the direct connect works for you.  Let us know how it goes.  I was not aware that the nas navigator would work in that way.  I seldom use that app, as I just check my router for connected machines.

as you wait for your network adapter:
I am curious if you still have your old router that your linkstation was connected to (it doesn't need to be on a wan connection), and curious what happens if you connected the linkstation and some sort of pc/mac to it.  maybe it would come up without much hassle.

Hmmm...   
I do not have the old router from back then.  But you've given me an idea (which I will try later today, cuz not I gotta go out for a hike while the day is nicest), or maybe this is what you were describing.  I perhaps didn't explain my setup in my first two posts as well as I should have; here's a better big-picture:  I basically have 2 networks at my house.  Before I added the eero (which works great to fill some dead spots in the house), I had/have a Motorola modem/router which ran (and still runs) a network I call "primary."  When I added the eero mesh network equipment, the base unit plugs into the existing Motorola modem and now I also have the second network which I call "mesh."  I remember dealing with several modem/router setup options to get the eero to work, and I believe I have my modem/router setup as a "bridge."  Bottom line is that anyone searching for a network in my house sees both the "primary" and the "mesh," but I connect everything through the "mesh" network because of the superior coverage.

But, maybe I can connect the NAS directly to the existing modem/router on the "primary" network...previously I was plugging it into a eero device on the "mesh" network.  Again, the "mesh" network's phone app indicated the presence of the NAS device, but the NAS could not be "found" via either the NAS boot-up disk search or via NAS Navigator2 search...this may be where there is a port-opening issue needing to be addressed, based on some reading I did elsewhere (but did not really understand).

Later today I'll try connecting the NAS to the Motorola router/modem...

I also ordered the ethernet-to-usb connector; delivery tomorrow.

Thanks
-Casey

[1000001101000]

It showing up in eerio is a good sign it boots at least.