@B8Korb 

 

With no picture of what you are seeing I can't figure out what or why?

 

If on Windows, you can copy and paste some CMD for instance:

 

====================

C:\Users\ixxxx>net view
Server Name            Remark

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\\IRVXPS8940           Irv's XPS8940
\\TP-SHARE             samba server
The command completed successfully.

C:\Users\ixxxx>net view \\tp-share
Shared resources at \\tp-share

samba server

Share name  Type  Used as  Comment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G           Disk
The command completed successfully.

C:\Users\ixxxx>dir \\tp-share\g
 Volume in drive \\tp-share\g is G
 Volume Serial Number is 77A2-373A

 Directory of \\tp-share\g

09/13/2021  07:24 PM    <DIR>          .
05/13/2023  04:47 PM    <DIR>          ..
03/16/2018  02:25 PM    <DIR>          $RECYCLE.BIN
12/25/2017  12:10 PM    <DIR>          Acronis Backup
12/25/2019  04:19 PM    <DIR>          asusware
09/24/2019  07:40 PM    <DIR>          Pictures
05/26/2018  07:28 PM                19 qc
03/05/2012  06:44 PM         1,644,118 SeagateExpansion.ico
01/13/2016  10:00 PM           611,096 seatools-for-windows-en-us.pdf
07/16/2020  09:14 AM    <DIR>          share
05/12/2018  01:37 PM    <DIR>          System Volume Information
04/11/2021  08:21 PM    <DIR>          Video
01/14/2016  11:47 AM    <DIR>          VProRecovery
               3 File(s)      2,255,233 bytes
              10 Dir(s)  930,895,597,568 bytes free

================

 

Now from the above, I can see that the Router has a single drive to share. That matches the Share letter on my Router's GIU UAB Storage Status page for it.

 

You should be able to use Windows Explorer via the Network to see and access that drive letter.

 

You could also use for instance, my G share, like this, "Net use z: \\tp-share\g" and have a Z: drive to access.

 

What I'm not sure about is your " G, H and I drive letters" which sort of implies more than on Partition on your USB drive? I am not sure again what you see, but I suspect that multiple partitions are NOT supported on the Router File System? I've always used single Partition drives on all my routers. My present AX55 has a single USB port, but my older A20 had 2, so I did have 2 USB drives on it. Combined those into the drive in the AX55 holding all data in a single partition.

 

Might want to test if it works differently or better with a single partition on a USB device?

 

EDIT: Some links that might help too:

 

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/3448/

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/253/

 

 

 

 

 

  @IrvSp I am talking about what I see using a browser looking into what the router displays. Consequently, it should not matter whether I use my Linux box, my iMac, my iPad or my wife's Windows box: the result ought to be the same. I was going to rename the partitions from SHARE_N, but given that the router won't "share" the partition name, there seems to be little point.

 

BTW, SMB allows you to share a partition (or a mount within a partition) as any name you care to. My Linux box shares a partition's subdirectory as "photos" and my Apple iMac automatically mounts it as /Volumes/photos. Since the iMac doesn't get any naming information from this router, it mounts each partition under the node name (viz., /Volumes/router or /Volumes/router-n). So my opinion is that TP-Link should be sharing these under the names given to the partitions and not "G" or "H" or "I".

 

ALSO, you spoke of a single spindle. I read carefully TP-Link's documentation and it is absolutely not clear whether or not I can hang several devices off of the router using a USB switch. (There is only one port.) If they can, it ought to be made clearer in the documentation and also what limitations there may be on the types and quantities of USB devices it can handle.

 

P.S. I also *REALLY* *HATE* the fact that when my router login "times out", any click on a page automatically takes me to some inane page at http://tplinkwifi.net. TP-Link, if you are listening, that is a *HORRIBLE* idea. Take me back to the router login, if you have to.

 

P.P.S.: fixed it with a /etc/hosts entry:

    172.16.16.1 router tplinkwifi.net

 

  @B8Korb 

 

  @B8Korb 

 

OK, I think we see the same thing, but slightly different. I know my AX55 is slightly different from on my A20... but not sure? Too lazy to put it back on (sorry).

 

Here is my AX55 page:

 

 

The Partition full name is "Seagate Expansion Drive(G:)" but from past usage on this and other vendor's router I know to use the Drive letter.

 

If I read your screen capture right your disk partitions are Share_1, Share_2, and Share_3. If so, good, actually great, one can use a disk with more than one partition. Again, from Experience, on another vendor's router the File System only supported ONE Partition, the first one.

 

So you do have all the needed info. Again, on Windows, look at my NET VIEW output of the \\TP-Share:

 

Shared resources at tp-share

samba server

Share name  Type  Used as  Comment

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G           Disk
The command completed successfully.

 

If you do that, you should see the same G Disk, and H Disk and I Disk as well. Are you saying you can not? I assume you wanted to see the Partition Name? If so, that appears to be not the case. Does that cause you a problem?

 

Windows File Manager, opened to Network shows me this:

 

 

If Click on the Media Device, it opens a browser to the router GUI. the MiniDLNA 1.1.2 info page:

 

 

The 2 clients connect are my PC and my Wife's at this point.

 

If I click on TP-Share, Windows File Explorer shows me this:

 

 

Of course I can 'drill down' and see all the sub-folders.  This is ALL I see when I want to use a Smart TV, iPad (VLC), my Acronis Back-up program, iPhone, all our PC's and other devices.

 

So then I assume the problem is for you is you want to see the Partition name? Correct?

 

Oh, no, I was not suggesting a USB Hub... and I've had heard of some possibly working I recall? The hub had to be powered though. Only reason I mentioned it was because the A20 I have had 2 USB ports. A USB 2.0 and 3.0. I did have 2 devices on that router... G: and H:

 

I have NO problem with a TIMEOUT... it goes back to the Router Sign-in for me. My HOSTS file is CLEAN, no entries at all :

 

Matter of fact, I use a Local ID which links to the TP-Link ID. I assume you log in with the TP-Link ID? Maybe that is why I don't have a problem?

 

 

 

  @IrvSp More or less. Earlier versions of TP-Link routers "allowed" up to 8 partitions, each maxed out at 2TB. That meant I had to split my nominal 16TB drive into 8. Sadly, 2TB is perilously close to the storage requirements for my photo library, so I was forced to upgrade the router simply due to that constraint.

 

ANYWAY:

 

My RFE for the next rev of TP-Link firmware is to "allow" me the kindness to export partitions by the partition name and not these lame-o "drive letters" that Microsoft is so enamored with. *THEN* I'd have named them for their purpose instead of the equally meaningless SHARE_[123]. Drive letters starting with "G" are:

 

1. forcing users to use Microsoft's vision of the world, and

2. assume that client computers would never use anything so far along in the alphabet

    (When I was forced to use Windows, I did select letters based on some connection)

 

On top of that, people on Windows can mount SMB://router/SHARE_1 to any drive letter that makes them happy. Having TP-Link force drive letters on client computers makes no sense whatever. For your amusement, here is what the mount entries look like for Linux/UNIX/macOS:

 

    $ mount | grep sharename

    //sharename@router/I on /Volumes/router (smbfs, nodev, nosuid, mounted by ME)

    //sharename@router/H on /Volumes/router-1 (smbfs, nodev, nosuid, mounted by ME)

    //sharename@router/G on /Volumes/router-2 (smbfs, nodev, nosuid, mounted by ME)

  @B8Korb 

 

You can have that capability for shares... it is up to you to create it though...

 

Here, look at my G: share:

 

C:\>dir \\tp-share\g
 Volume in drive \\tp-share\g is G
 Volume Serial Number is 77A2-373A

 Directory of \\tp-share\g

05/27/2023  11:45 AM    <DIR>          .
05/27/2023  03:26 PM    <DIR>          ..
03/16/2018  02:25 PM    <DIR>          $RECYCLE.BIN
12/25/2017  12:10 PM    <DIR>          Acronis Backup
12/25/2019  04:19 PM    <DIR>          asusware
09/24/2019  07:40 PM    <DIR>          Pictures
05/26/2018  07:28 PM                19 qc
03/05/2012  06:44 PM         1,644,118 SeagateExpansion.ico
01/13/2016  10:00 PM           611,096 seatools-for-windows-en-us.pdf
07/16/2020  09:14 AM    <DIR>          share
05/12/2018  01:37 PM    <DIR>          System Volume Information
01/14/2016  11:47 AM    <DIR>          VProRecovery
               3 File(s)      2,255,233 bytes
               9 Dir(s)  930,895,597,568 bytes free

 

Some of those folders are made whan that drive was on my PC. So like the Seagate ones came with the drive. Pictures and Share I did create SPECIFICALLY for the usage on the router. The 'share' folder has a SINGLE sub-folder, VIDEO, and that is what I use for the Smart TV's and programs.

 

So, you could just create in the G: drive a folder SHARE_1 and you'll be right back where you want to be. No? Yeah, you do have to know which driver letter is Share_x, but it can work for you.

 

Like mount SMB://tp-share/G/SHARE_1