fixed : Synology and WD MyCloud NAS connection problems on my TP-Link Deco network

Question :
I have a local WiFi and Ethernet/UTP network that has a TP-Link Deco X60 acting as the DCHP router. In that network I have a Synology DS 218 NAS and a WD MyCloud Home. All this used to work great, but even though I can see both both the Synology and the MyCloud under the Network chapter in the Finder of macOS, both have severe connection problems. Sometimes it is possibel to get connection for a few minutes, but most of the time both the synology and the MyCloud are unreachable. Even using the SynologyAssistant.app the Synology NAS can’t be found. On the other hand, the lights on the Synology and the MyCloud are burning, the Ethernet/UTP-cables are plugged in correctly…
On the other hand, my Apple AirPort Time Capsule is connectable without problems.

What can I do to make my NAS available in my network ?

Answer :
Eventhough there can hardware problems that cause this, it is usually a software problem.
Since you have a TP-Link Deco router, it is possibly a bug introduced in a new version of the firmware. Do this to fix it :

  • make sure all your network devices that you want to cable connect are connected to your network with a Ethernet/UTP cable
  • first, go to your main TP-Link Deco router
  • disconnect the power from the main Deco router
  • then make sure that the Ethernet/UTP cable from port 2 is directly plugged into your internet modem, and the Ethernet/UTP cable from port 1 is connected to the Ethernet/UTP-switch that all other Ethernet-devices are connected to
  • then plug the power cable back into your main Deco router and wait until it’s light turns green
  • then, on your Mac, open a new Finder window and click on “Network” in the menu list on the left
  • then, in the window that opens, click on your Synology NAS’ name, and you’ll see “connecting…” that will turn into “connected as:…” and you will see the folders that are on your NAS
  • this means that your Synology NAS is now available in your network
  • to check this, open the Synology Assistant app and click “Search”
  • when your NAS appears in the list, select it and click “Connect”
  • then the web-based interface opens in your browser login using the you NAS account name and password
  • when the web interface shows the vritual desktop – your done πŸ˜‰
  • to check your WD MyCloud, open the finder once again and click “Network” once again
  • now, click on “MyCloud” and wait for macOS to connect
  • the Finder will then show all files that are on the WD MyCloud
  • That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

fixed : no internet connection while WiFi and LAN are okay (after running Jaksta)

Question :
I was running an app (Jaksta Media Recorder) that crashed. Now I am no longer able to make any connection to the internet from macOS using my regular settings. Safari, Apple Mail.app and Whatsapp for macOS can no longer get propper connection to the internet.
I have tried resetting my internet modem, and my VPN now works, but the apps still cannot get a propper internet connection… so it appears to be a DNS problem, but changing DNS servers didn’t help…

What can I do to solve this ?


Answer :
As you might have expected, Jaksta Media Recorder has caused this problem when it crashed… to fix it, do this :
– restart your Mac
– do not startup any apps, startup the Jaksta Media Recorder app first
– when the Jaksta Media Recorder window opens (where you can see your previous downloads a.k.a. recordings) go to the bottom left corner and put the slider (that is turned ON automatically) in the OFF position
– then quit the Jaksta Media Recorder app

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

Note : Jaksta Media Recorder for Mac is no longer being supported, as of 2023 Jaksta is a Windows-only app, so if you run into any problems with Jaksta for Mac you are pretty much left hanging… so, if you’re looking fro an alternative for Jaksta, see this post :
fixed : current version (or replacement) for Jaksta downloader app on macOS

fixed : Gaming PC only getting 100mbps Ethernet not Gigabit

Question :

I have 2 home-brew Gaming PCs both based on the Asus TUF B450 Plus Gaming motherboard, and for some reason the onboard Ethernet LAN-port is getting 1000mbps Gigabit Ethernet and the other one is only getting 100mbps Fast Ethernet. I’ve tested and reset the router and tested the Ethernet-cables with other computers and the problem is not in there.

The weird thing is that Windows 10 Settings lists LAN-port on the troublesome motherboard as 100/100 (Mbps), names the adapter “Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller” and list a 10.31.828.2018 driver version, which is even newer than the 10.10.714.2016 driver version on the other, identical motherboard which is listed as 1000/1000 (Mbps) and named “Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller” (spot the one letter uppercase difference “GbE” vs. “GBE”).

And when Windows 10 checks for new LAN-driver updates, it tells me none are available and the latest one are already installed. So Windows 10 itself can’t find a newer driver than the one from 2018, which is at least 2 years old…

I’ve also tried finding som settings to toggle in the TUF’s BIOS Setup Program, but neither in EZ Mode, nor in Advanced Mode, there is any option to set, reset or alter anything for the LAN. Neither is anything regarding this issue listed in the Support FAQs on the Asus-website.

What can I do ?

Answer :

We’ve managed to track down the solution for you. (Even though we’re usually doing Macs only.) Here’s how :

  • goto this webpage : https://www.asus.com/supportonly/TUF%20B450-PLUS%20GAMING/HelpDesk_download/
  • first, select “Windows 10 64-bit” as your OS
  • after the content has loaded, scroll down to the LAN chapter
  • click on the blue download button there to download the latest Realtek LAN driver for Windows 10 64-bit (currently a 2020-version listed as 10.42.526.2020)
  • when the file is downloaded, find it’s location in on your PC and run the Setup-application
  • when the installer screen opens, do not use the pre-selected “Update” option, but select the “Delete”-option and run it
  • when done, click the “Finish”-button
    • note that your PC will not have an internet connection now (at least over the on-board LAN-port, you may still have an internet connection over USB-LAN or WiFi is you have that set up)
  • now, again, find the LAN-driver’s location on your PC and run the Setup-application
  • when you get a warning screen (usually in red) saying there is no option to verify the installer application before you run it, since there is no internet connection, just proceed
  • now, when the installer screen opens, it will immediately (re)install the LAN-driver (this time there is no screen where you can choose between different types of installs)
  • when done, click the “Finish”-button

That’s it !

Note : if you want to check your internet speed, you can choose any speedtest you like. If you don’t know which one to choose, do the one from Ookla that you can do online at https://www.speedtest.net (there, you could also get a speedtest-app for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, etc.)

enjoy πŸ˜‰