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[ottac]

I now have three DNS-323 devices, one I've had for a few years, and two purchased recently as I've been trying to create a regular network drive backup.

I cannot get either of the two newer devices set up on my network - I cannot even see them with Easy Search (I happen to have v 3. or with an IP scanner.

My router is a WRT-54G, running DD-WRT (v24 SP2), configured to act as a DHCP server via DNSMasq, with no access restriction policies.

My home network is a windows group, with a Windows XP Pro desktop and a couple of Windows XP Pro laptops (the laptops are off).  Windows firewall is off at the desktop, and AVG anti-virus (basic) is running but I've tried with it disabled as well.  As mentioned, Easy Search can see the old 323 just fine, so I'm pretty sure it's not a firewall / blockage problem.

When I launch Easy Search, or my IP scanner for that matter, I can see my old DNS 323 just fine (it has been configured with a static IP for some time).  However, I cannot see either of the two new 323s.  They don't show up in Easy Search (they are plugged in directly to the router running dhcp, btw), and they don't show up in the IP Scanner (including when I run the IP scanner on the 192.168.0.1-192.168.0.254 range).

I also cannot access them directly at 192.168.0.32.

I have also disconnected my desktop from my network, plugged the new 323s directly into the desktop (one at a time), and tried accessing them that way (with Easy Search, IP scanner, and by pointing my browser to the defaul ip address).  They still don't show up in Easy Search or my IP scanner, including when I change the tcp/ip settings on my desktop LAN port to use 192.168.0.1; 255.255.255.0.

I have reset both 323s multiple times, and I've confirmed the network cables are stable.

Both DNS 323s were purchased from separate vendors, and both appear to be working properly (main light blinks for a few seconds on start, then goes solid with a solid HDD light (new HDD, not yet formatted)).  I figure one of them could be bricked (despite properly functioning LEDs?), which is why I purchased the second one.  But both of them?

What am I missing?  This is driving me crazy...

[ivan]

What is the IP of your router? 

If memory serve correctly the default for the WRT-54G is 192.168.1.1 which puts it on a different subnet to the DNS-323 on 192.168.0.32 which could explain why you are not seeing them.

To check this have a look using something like HoverIP (in the routing table tab).

The other thing to try is to connect one of them to your network and use a browser to get to the web interface (just type http://192.168.0.32/ into the location bar and hit enter and you should get the login screen.

If you get the login screen  you can then change the IP to one that is on the subnet of your network.

[ottac]

You are correct that my router is on a different subnet than 192.168.0.32, but this has never been an issue in the past, nor is it an issue for my old DNS 323 (just changed it to DHCP, reset it, and it takes an IP license from my router just fine).

As mentioned, I have connected them to the network and tried to access them directly with the default ip address in the browser, no luck there.

I have created a subnet on my router for 192.168.0.x to my primary gateway, but that didn't help either.

[ivan]

The reason you had no problems with your old DNS-323 is the fact you set it to DHCP therefore it automatically became part of the router subnet.

Your not being able to see either of the new DNS-323 with a browser has me intrigued.  We have 4 323s and 3 320s all of which are available on our network without problems.  The only possible difference is that they all have fixed IPs that are out of the range of our DHCP server.

The only other thing I can think of is to check the version of the firmware but that is just clutching at straws.

[ottac]

Isn't the default setting to request a DHCP license and then revert to 192.168.0.32 if no license comes in, so shouldn't the newer 323s already be set to request DHCP?

Not a routing expert, but I'm a bit confused why a device with an IP on a different subnet would be accessible just by plugging the IP directly into a browser.  How would my router know where to send 192.168.0.x traffic?

Firmware is 1.07

[fordem]

Ottac, you are 100% correct, the DNS-323 defaults to DHCP out of the box and if the devices are functional you should be able to find them at the addresses provided by your DHCP server.

Let's start by making sure the devices connect to the network - there should be a link LED on which ever network port they are connected to and also on the DNS-323 itself, make sure both of these are lit, and then power cycle the DNS-323 and then check your router's DHCP page to see what address was handed to the DNS-323 (if any) - if you don't see the DNS-323 listed, it did not request an ip address from the router, and the next step will be a reset to defaults using the reset pin switch on the back panel.

[ottac]

Thank you fordem.  In all my fancy troubleshooting I overlooked the simplest check of all.  After confirming the router port and ethernet cable worked for another device, I thought surely the DNS must be transmitting something.  I even half-checked the DNS LAN LED, although not carefully as now I see it is just ambient glow from the HDD LED.

DNS LAN LED is dark, on BOTH devices, and no activity on the router port LED.  And resetting the DNS isn't fixing the problem, either.  Looks like I have two bricks after all, and several hours of wasted trouble-shooting. Yay.

I don't suppose there is any way to magically resurrect a dark LAN port?  Probably broken hardware, I guess, since I assume the chip would send a request out the LAN port after factory reset if the LAN port were physically functional...  Unless somebody installed bad firmware or flubbed the firmware install, I suppose.

I guess that's the risk when buying refurbished product, hopefully I'm still in the return window.

Thanks again.

[ivan]

Sorry Ottac but I made the assumption that you had checked that you had a good network connection and so sent you off in the wrong direction.

I will say that it is strange that both units had the same fault but not impossible.