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Question

McAfee preventing Access to NAS

Jan 18, 2015 4:52AM PST

If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize.

I am having a problem with my laptop recognizing my Network Attached Storage (NAS) disks.

Specifically, I have a home network with two Windows XP SP3 desktops, a Windows 7 SP1 laptop, a Buffalo LinkStation NAS, a switch, router, cable modem and two printers. The XP desktops use Norton Internet Security. The laptop use McAfee

My two desktops can see the NAS without any problems. My laptop can access the printers and the internet but does not recognize the NAS.

After some investigation, I found that the McAfee firewall is the problem.

If I disable the firewall in McAfee, I can access my NAS. If the McAfee firewall is enabled, I cannot.

I looked at the McAfee manual and McAfee Security Center and was unable to determine how to setup McAfee to treat the NAS as a trusted device and allow full access.

Does anyone know how I can do this?

My NAS is setup for a hostname of NWSTORAGE1 (198.168.3.177).

Thanks for any help.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
True.
Jan 18, 2015 5:02AM PST

Today's firewalls could do that on default settings. Why not allow this traffic? Oh, you looked and the McAfee does not seem easy to use or set it up. Why not leave it disabled? I mean this firewall is on top of your router's own firewall.
Bob

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Prefer not
Jan 19, 2015 7:56AM PST

I would prefer to run with the McAfee firewall.

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Then let McAfee answer.
Jan 19, 2015 8:17AM PST

You paid for it, I know what I do but that's unacceptable.
Bob

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Answer
Did you try prior answers?
Jan 18, 2015 5:04AM PST
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Still Does Not Work
Jan 19, 2015 8:19AM PST

I looked at several pages from the Google search and only found one set of posts that I thought was relevant.

There were two things that posters wanted to check.

The first was to make sure I could ping the NAS. There was no problem pinging the NAS with the McAfee firewall active.

The second was to check the McAfee Security Center > PC and Home Network Tools > My Home Network and verify the status the NAS. McAfee is showing the NAS as online with the proper IP address.

If the above two things were ok, then it was suggested adding the NAS to the network connections.

McAfee Security Center > View firewall and anti-spam settings > Firewall > My Network Connections. I tried to add my NAS using the hostname of NWSTORAGE1. McAfee did not like this at all saying it is invalid. I then tried 198.168.3.177 as a Home network type. This was accepted. However, it made no difference. I still cannot access my NAS disks.

Any other suggestions?

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It's broken.
Jan 19, 2015 8:21AM PST

McAfee has a storied history of issues over the years. Use something that works.
Bob

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Maybe I Will
Jan 19, 2015 12:17PM PST

This was a 'free' account when I purchased the laptop. My other two PC run Norton Internet Security which I like and have not had any major problems with.

If I don't get a satisfactory answer to my question, I may switch early. Regardless, I am very tempted to switch to NIS when McAfee comes up for renewal.

We'll see what happens.

Thanks.

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Answer
Just A Thought.. Make Sure The Network Is Set To "Home"..
Jan 19, 2015 8:55AM PST

If the firewall type is set to "Public" it locks things down more securely.. Try the "Home" setting. See the link below and see if it fixes the issue:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2374

Unfortunately, you've not given us the version of McAfee you have installed but if you've got a recent version of McAfee that contains McAfee Security Center, the link above should get you headed in the right direction.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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All Ready Done
Jan 19, 2015 12:26PM PST

McAfee lists each component with a different version/build/date. This is the one for the Firewall:

McAfee Personal Firewall
Version: 13.8
Build: 13.8.724
Last Update: 12/9/2014

The link you gave shows an entry for 'Network'. I am going to assume that if my local network is named something else, I should be looking at that. I say this because I do not have an entry marked 'network' but do have one with my network name.

Unfortunately, the Network Type is already 'Home'.