What should I do if my NAS device doesn’t work properly with a TP-Link ISP-Customized router?

Introduction

Some customers may encounter issues when trying to get a NAS device to work with a TP-Link router or switch. This FAQ article aims to list common problems you may encounter and provide troubleshooting guidance.

Requirements

• Prepare a Laptop/Windows PC/MacBook to check the NAS devices.
• Prepare an Ethernet cable (CAT5e or above) to connect the NAS to the TP-Link router.

Troubleshooting

Scenario 1. The corresponding port LED is not lit when the NAS is connected to the TP-Link router/switch

• Ensure that the physical connection between NAS and TP-Link router/switch is correctly connected.
• Change another Ethernet cable (CAT5e or above), and try another port on the router/switch.
• Set the port negotiation strategy of your NAS device to auto if you have the NAS configured for high-speed Ethernet.

Note: If you have used your NAS on a previous LAN network and have changed these settings on your NAS, you will need to access your NAS through that previous network to change those settings, or perform a factory reset to reconfigure your NAS within the TP-Link network. You may contact the NAS support for help if needed.

• Contact TP-Link support with the results above and the model of the NAS.

Scenario 2. Cannot access the NAS when it’s connected to LAN port of a TP-Link Router/Switch while the corresponding port LED is lit up

Case 1: NAS cannot be accessed from either WAN or LAN

Verify the Virtual Server settings on the router.

Step 1. Log in to the router’s web management page.

Step 2. Go to Advanced > NAT Forwarding > Virtual Servers, then click Add.

Step 3. In the Service section of this screen, type in the detailed information you confirmed with the service’s provider.

For this example, if you want to open port 90 for only one of your devices, 192.168.1.100, you can configure it like below:

• Service Type: Select the service you want to use from the View Existing Applications. If the Existing Applications menu does not list the service you wish to use, you can keep it set to default (blank).
• External Port/Internal Port: Select the service you want to use from the View Existing Applications list, then the External Port and Internal Port will be automatically filled in. If the Existing Applications menu does not list the service that you want to use, you can enter the External Port and Internal Port manually. You should verify the port number that the service needs.
• Internal IP: Specify the IP address of the device you are opening the port for.
• Protocol: Specify the protocol used for this application from the pull-down list. If you are not sure, choose ALL.
• Status: Select the Enabled option in the Status pull-down list.

Note:

• If you need to input a port range xx-xx when configuring the port forwarding, please leave the internal port empty.
• The External Port and Internal Port usually can be the same.

Step 4. Click the Save button to save the settings.

Case 2: The NAS cannot be accessed from either domain name or LAN

• Check the Virtual Server settings on the router as in Case 1.
• If the NAS still cannot be accessed from domain name, please ping the domain name to ensure the DDNS has been configured correctly.

Case 3: The NAS can be accessed from LAN but not WAN

Ensure that the WAN IP is a public IP address; otherwise, open port for TP-Link router on front-end device or contact ISP.

Case 4: If the NAS can be accessed from the WAN but not from the LAN, please contact TP-Link support with the results above and the NAS model number.

Scenario 3: The speed is slow when device accesses NAS via domain name from LAN

• Contact NAS support and check the bandwidth supported by the NAS vendor.
• Open the ports for the specific services in Virtual Server settings on the router as Scenario 2-Case 1. Please contact NAS Technical Support for information about port forwarding if needed.
• Contact TP-Link support with the results above and let us know the domain name and model number of your NAS.

Scenario 4: When a NAS device is connected to a TP-Link Router, the file Transfer speed is slow via wireless connection， while the wired speed is normal

• Connect your computer or smartphone to your router’s Wi-Fi, then run the Speedtest^® without doing any high traffic behaviors and also check the wireless link speed on computer.
• Try to change the channel and channel width on the router.
• Contact TP-Link support with the screenshots of the speed results and the model of the NAS.

Scenario 5. Router starts dropping connections or slowing down speed after connecting to a NAS

• Turn off the NAS for a while and see if the problem persists.
• Adjust the orientation of NAS and router and the distance between them.
• Try to change the channel and channel width on the router.
• Contact TP-Link support with the results above and the model number of the NAS.

Scenario 6. The NAS cannot be detected, or the files cannot be read when the NAS is connected to the USB port of the TP-Link router

In this case, the NAS device can be regarded as a normal hard drive. You could refer to the FAQs below for troubleshooting.

What should I do if TP-Link router cannot read files on my hard drive

What should I do if TP-Link router cannot detect my USB flash drive or hard drive

If there is no luck, please contact TP-Link support with the results above and the NAS model number.