@sewing1243 

Well, first question is do you have SMB 1 enabled on Windows (10 I assume)?

There are EASY ways to MAP a drive on the router. However that does require SMB 1 running.

On my Router, TP-SHARE is the USB share name and the router calls my drive the letter G. Now using WINDOWS EXPLORER, click on NETWORK and the Router (TP-SHARE). You'll see the 'drive letter' the router assigned to your USB drive. Now just Right Mouse Button on it and select MAP NETWORK DISK:

If you CLICK on 'G in my case, you might have a different letter) you'll see the FOLDERS (and files) on the USB disk. You can even then assign different drive letters to the folders.

@sewing1243 

Yes, using the IP Address would work as well, only need SMB 1 to use the NetBios names. Not really a problem when trying to 'use' the router, but it makes it a pain when trying to access other LAN PC's if you don't easily  know the IP Addresses, which can change from boot to boot.

sewing1243 wrote

I have the Router issuing all IP address to all devices from it's DHCP server and then I used its address reservation function to always assign the same address to a device (basically the same as static IPs manually set up on each device, only the router is setting them).

@sewing1243 

I only reserve the TWO IP Addresses of the 2 PC I want to access from each other, using .10 and .20 as the last Octet. Don't have to mess with the NetBios names that way.

sewing1243 wrote

As far as I can tell Microsoft has totally messed up the SMB function. The "story" I see from them is that the SMB2/3 protocols should do everything SMB1 did and you should need to install it (and as I said as far I know if you do a major update they turn it off). I can't find the post again on the internet that recommended adding the line to the Hosts file, but I stumbled upon it somewhere. Since the Router's IP address is static no PC should have a problem finding it.

No they have NOT messed up SMB, they DEPRICATED SMB 1 as it IS a Security Risk IF you are running a SMB 1 Server. The 'major update' was W10's V1709 I recall. However if you turned it back on, they'd leave it on.

The ROOT problem though is most Residental Routers. They use SMB 1 for USB sharing. Yes, I've seen some that have been updated to SMB 2 or 3, but they are generally newer models, and not all do.

Here is the ROOT problem, what the ROUTER uses for Sharing names. I am using Windows Explorer and opened NETWORK (you may need to add the 'Discovery Method' column to replicate what is below):

TP-SHARE is the Share name of my router. Its IP Address is 192.168.0.1. My PC's Share name is IRV8700 and it happens to be at 192.168.0.10.

WSD is Web Security for Devices. However, to read NetBios names, SMB 1 is needed.

Might want to look at these 2 webpages too:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/troubleshoot/smbv1-not-installed-by-default-in-windows and the "Explorer Network Browsing" section.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-access-files-network-devices-using-smbv1-windows-10

I went through numerous battles fighting with netbios vs WSD on just getting my PCs to talk to each other on the local network after MS decided to do away with HomeGroup (which also took hours to make work on all my PCs, including a couple that had have in-place Windows re-installs done before they would cooperate). The one thing that I'm sure works for the forgetting network drives on the Router is adding the line to the hosts file. I think in my original post I may have the order the IP address and the Share name are entered so for anyone else that wants to try that here's a page with instructions on how to edit the Hosts file with notepad: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/edit-hosts-file-windows-10/ Also the correct order is IP address and then sharename example: 192.168.1.0 \\TP-Share

I was also finding a number of sites saying that MS screwed up Windows Credentials with the update to version 20H1 (and I don't think they really fixed it in 20H2). It doesn't appear to be related to this issue but if anyone stumbles in here looking for info on various apps forgetting their passwords they may want to search for that issue.

@sewing1243 

sewing1243 wrote

I went through numerous battles fighting with netbios vs WSD on just getting my PCs to talk to each other on the local network after MS decided to do away with HomeGroup (which also took hours to make work on all my PCs, including a couple that had have in-place Windows re-installs done before they would cooperate).

Never used HomeGroup, always Workgroup with a custom name. However, did have some problems with a few Windows Updates that changed the name back to 'WORKGROUP'. Finally gave up and I'm using that name.

sewing1243 wrote

The one thing that I'm sure works for the forgetting network drives on the Router is adding the line to the hosts file.

Well, I have NOT seen that nor the need to edit HOSTS file in WINDOWS/DRIVERS/ETC. Matter of fact, I did at one time put it there so I could use the router or modem name in my Browser. I have had a few routers here since the last edit well over a year ago for the router I used before my Archer A20, but since I installed it, I have used 2 others as a test and NONE of them have had a change in the HOSTS file. Present contents are STILL for my old Netgear router:

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

# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host
127.0.0.1    localhost
#
192.168.100.1    modem
192.168.1.1    R8000

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

Again, my preset router is an Archer A20 @ 192.168.0.1

I don't think editing the HOSTS file has anything to do with it?

sewing1243 wrote

I was also finding a number of sites saying that MS screwed up Windows Credentials with the update to version 20H1 (and I don't think they really fixed it in 20H2). It doesn't appear to be related to this issue but if anyone stumbles in here looking for info on various apps forgetting their passwords they may want to search for that issue.

Never had this problem either. It seems in some sites it is related to using a LOCAL ACCOUNT (I use an MS Account on all PC's), and some specific MS browsers (I use FireFox). PC's are a MIX of HOME and PRO versions as well. Might want to read this thread, https://borncity.com/win/2020/11/09/windows-10-2004-20h2-und-der-kaputte-credentials-manager-ursache-und-workaround/ for some details.

I do have a Windows Credential for the present router (red box) and others for the other router's I've have used recently (I should probably delete those) as well as passwords to reach some PC's, both with fixed IP Addresses and using the NetBios names when they were not using Reserved IP Address.

Again, I have not experienced any Credential Manager problems, but then again, generally speaking, I use RoboForm on my PC's for p/w''s on browsers. All PC's use MS Accounts, and all use Firefox as a browser. Credentials are used PC to PC and PC to ROUTER though. As far as links for the problem you've mentioned, most have many people saying it is working fine for them. Maybe it didn't for you, but it has not hit everyone. As you also stated, it probably isn't related to this specific problem.