Updated
Why Can't Stream Connect to My SMB Share?
When Stream cannot open the share, it shows this message:
SMB connection failed, please check your network, address, and credentials
Check the address, the account, and the path between the Android device and the server. Stream does not include an SMB version setting, so there is no version menu to change.
Before You Begin
- SMB file sharing is enabled on the NAS or PC. See How Do I Connect a Synology, QNAP or Windows Share?.
- You know the server IP address and the share name.
- You can test the same user from another device on the same network, when you have one.
The connection fields themselves are covered in Play NAS Videos on Android With SMB.
Check the Address and Share Path
Enter the host or IP and the share name, separated by a slash. For a share named media on 192.168.1.20, the address is 192.168.1.20/media.
A NAS admin address such as a browser URL with a port is a different service. Stream will not treat that page as an SMB share. The share name is the name configured for sharing, which may differ from the folder name in the file manager.
If the server was found by discovery but adding it fails, type the full share path yourself. Discovery fills in a server that advertised itself. It does not prove that your account can read a particular share.
Check the Username, Password, and Domain
Re-enter the password exactly. Use Domain only when the server or the account requires it. An empty domain is correct for many home NAS accounts.
Confirm that this user can list and read both the share and the folder. Permission on the NAS website is not the same as SMB permission. A read-only media user is enough when it can read the videos.
Check the Network
Keep the Android device and the server on the same LAN.
- Guest Wi-Fi often isolates clients from the rest of the home network, including a NAS and an Android TV.
- Client isolation, sometimes called AP isolation, blocks devices on the same Wi-Fi from reaching each other.
- A VPN on the phone or TV can send traffic away from the LAN. Turn it off while you test a local share.
- The server firewall has to allow SMB. SMB normally uses TCP port 445.
The same checks apply when the phone is sending a TV setup to the television for the upcoming Android TV app. If the phone cannot reach the TV, see How Will Stream Work on Android TV? (Coming Soon).
Enter the Server When Discovery Finds Nothing
Stream scans for SMB servers advertised on the local network. That scan needs local network permission. When permission is missing, Stream says local network permission is required to scan for SMB servers. Grant it and refresh the server list.
When the scan fails, or when no servers are found, Stream still lets you type the address. Enter 192.168.1.20/media and choose Add. A failed scan is not a failed share. It only means discovery did not return a server.
After the Share Connects
Open the source and confirm that files are listed before you scan. Select a media folder, then scan it. If titles look wrong, use the file naming guide or How Do I Fix a Wrong Movie or TV Match?.
If the file opens and then stutters, the connection itself is working. Continue with Why Does My Video Buffer or Stutter?.
Privacy and Credentials
The username and password are sent to the SMB server you configured. They are not included in Google Drive sync.