Sharing Question "Daisy chaining remote Drives"

Is it possible in Windows to have say "Attach / Connect" Network drive as Drive "Y" for example and then allow remote users access to that "Y" drive. Doesn't seem any way to do this. I don't want users to have accounts on the Server where that drive is physically attached to.

Cheers
jimbo

I think you need to elaborate on your scenario a bit further.

EDIT: ...also all this account stuff can be managed on the server with group policies etc...you can have a "network storage user group" that only has access to a certain drive. A well configured server gives zero or very minimum permissions to a user and attaching that user to specific groups opens up more rights to do stuff.

You can use File Explorer.

Open File Explorer, in the left pane, right-mouse click on Network, and select Map network drive... and enter the \\server_IP\share as the location you want to make available as a disk drive letter.

SlicEnDicE said:

I think you need to elaborate on your scenario a bit further.

EDIT: ...also all this account stuff can be managed on the server with group policies etc...you can have a "network storage user group" that only has access to a certain drive. A well configured server gives zero or very minimum permissions to a user and attaching that user to specific groups opens up more rights to do stuff.

Click to expand...

NAS -- Drive is mounted on /dev/md1

Win 2022 server -- attached as network drive "Z" viewable and acessible if logged on to the server.

People who can logon directly to server --OK

Firestick / smart TV / kodi / VLC / phone / media servers on 3rd party sticks etc that needs to access the content -- can't do it as disks not available. Other directly connected shareable drives on the Windows server are acessible

So Smart TV etc can't access the "Shared network drive" even though it can see the W2022 server. -- Same prob in W10 and W11 BTW .

Allowing Kodi etc access to the NAS works perfectly. Or if connecting the drives physically to the Windows server / computer also works.

So the basic problem is this -- unless physically logged on to the server the "Network drives" aren't acessible to other apps such as KODI etc unless physically connected to the server,

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

NAS -- Drive is mounted on /dev/md1

Win 2022 server -- attached as network drive "Z" viewable and acessible if logged on to the server.

People who can logon directly to server --OK

Firestick / smart TV / kodi / VLC / phone / media servers on 3rd party sticks etc that needs to access the content -- can't do it as disks not available. Other directly connected shareable drives on the Windows server are acessible

So Smart TV etc can't access the "Shared network drive" even though it can see the W2022 server. -- Same prob in W10 and W11 BTW .

Allowing Kodi etc access to the NAS works perfectly. Or if connecting the drives physically to the Windows server / computer also works.

So the basic problem is this -- unless physically logged on to the server the "Network drives" aren't acessible to other apps such as KODI etc unless physically connected to the server,

Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

Are the drives being shared with samba shares?

I'm not super familiar with windows server as my home server is running Linux but I have samba shares and I can access from any device that supports SMB just have to put in username and password.

Also since you mention Kodi and smart TVs I assume your trying to stream your videos?

It's usually easier to use media clients like Jellyfin to share your video library to other devices.

andrewtjb said:

Are the drives being shared with samba shares?

I'm not super familiar with windows server as my home server is running Linux but I have samba shares and I can access from any device that supports SMB just have to put in username and password.

Also since you mention Kodi and smart TVs I assume your trying to stream your videos?

It's usually easier to use media clients like Jellyfin to share your video library to other devices.

Click to expand...

This isn't the problem -- the NAS is of course acessible -- but say you have a shared drive on the NAS machine that can be seen on a Windows machine -- now other REMOTE users to that Windows machine (and NOT the NAS) who want to access the shared drive (on the Windows machine -- not via the NAS) is where the problem arises !!!.

I.E on NAS any device / user that can see device X -- no problem

On Windows (whether server or W10 etc) shared drives physically attached to the machine -- OK visible and acessible.

Now say I have drive "Z" as network drive acessible on Windows as Network drive FROM the NAS.

Remote users /devices can't even see that drive -- they only see the drives that are physically attached to Windows machine.

Try it from a phone -- have a Network mounted shared drive from your NAS on Windows. Say it's "Z"

Now with your phone via VLC or whatever connect to the Windows machine or use another Windows client machine in your network and tell me if you can see the "Network attached drive" from the NAS as a Windows shared drive. You won't even see drive "Z". Of course if you connect to the NAS directly -- no problem but that's not the issue I'm discussing here.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

This isn't the problem -- the NAS is of course acessible -- but say you have a shared drive on the NAS machine that can be seen on a Windows machine -- now other REMOTE users to that Windows machine (and NOT the NAS) who want to access the shared drive (on the Windows machine -- not via the NAS) is where the problem arises !!!.

I.E on NAS any device / user that can see device X -- no problem

On Windows (whether server or W10 etc) hared drives physically attcahed to the machine -- OK visible and acessible.

Now say I have drive "Z" as network drive acessible on Windows as Network drive FROM the NAS.

Remote users /devices can't even see that drive -- they only see the drives that are physically attached to Windows machine.

Try it from a phone -- have a Network mounted shared drive from your NAS on Windows. Say it's "Z"

Now with your phone via VLC or whatever connect to the Windows machine and tell me if you can see the "Network attached drive" from the NAS as a Windows shared drive. You won't even see drive "Z".

Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

Not sure I fully understand what your trying to do.

If the NAS is accessible directly over the network why are you trying to access the windows machine?

When you map a drive on Windows all it's doing is saving its location on the network.

Other devices should be able to do the same they don't need to access the windows machine.

I am fairly certain this feature is disabled alltogether for SMB shares. 2 reasons. Security and performance and maybe even as a technical issue in the SMB protocol.

andrewtjb said:

When you map a drive on Windows all it's doing is saving its location on the network.

Other devices should be able to do the same they don't need to access the windows machine.

Click to expand...

...and this! I am a bit confused too.

andrewtjb said:

Not sure I fully understand what your trying to do.

If the NAS is accessible directly over the network why are you trying to access the windows machine?

When you map a drive on Windows all it's doing is saving its location on the network.

Other devices should be able to do the same they don't need to access the windows machine.

Click to expand...

The remote machines could be on the Internet etc -- all sorts of reasons -- however the problem is should it work. The main issue here is actually I want KODI on a fire stick on people's remote TV's to be able to access shared multi-media content remotely rather than set up a whole slew of user accounts on a NAS, with openvpn and all the other junk that's needed to set that up rather than just allow a Windows machine to share files.

SlicEnDicE said:

...and this! I am a bit confused too.

Click to expand...

I agree security etc is a consideration - but sometimes all this security B/S is just bonkers for domestic systems doing this type of stuff.

We're not trying to break into the Kremlin or the CIA but just want to share some video between a few local households in our neighbourhood. !!!! (Although if I could break into the Kremlin - I wouldn't have to worry about inflation reducing value of my eventual pension !!!!!).

Cheers
jimbo

Can your NAS do iSCSI? That could work as an solution. You should be able to share iSCSI drives over SAMBA, since it behaves like a local drive even if it is a network drive.

jimbo45 said:

The remote machines could be on the Internet etc -- all sorts of reasons -- however the problem is should it work. The main issue here is actually I want KODI on a fire stick on people's remote TV's to be able to access shared multi-media content remotely rather than set up a whole slew of user accounts on a NAS, with openvpn and all the other junk that's needed to set that up rather than just allow a Windows machine to share files.

Click to expand...

So your trying to set up a media server?

Are the other people you want to have access outside your network?

A media cilent should allow you to do this.

I know Plex has remote access built in so you can share your media with people outside your network. It doesn't require using a VPN just need to allow the port through your router.

I've never used this feature so I'm not 100% sure how the accounts work. I believe you could just set up one account and share the username and password