Fixed IP address for NAS

You may not have an Internet connection, but you do have a router somewhere on the network that is distributing "local" IP adddresses to all devices.

You, or the network administrator, need to get into the settings on the router, which is "upstream" on the network....maybe on another floor or in another building.....and set it up to deliver a fixed IP address to the NAS.

An unmanaged switch does not do anything other than allow more physical connections. It is a "pass through" device on the network.

All of the the IP addresses are being assigned from a device somewhere on the network. That is the device that must be configured to provide a fixed IP address to the NAS. If you cannot get to that device, then you have no control over IP address assignments.

, a smaller D-Link hub

You D-Link hub .. what is the model number.. that could be a router.

Or you may have one computer acting as the dhcp server.

What is the IP range being used by the network? ie 192.168.1.x

Any computer setup to provide dhcp or device will usually be the one taking the address 1, eg 192.168.1.1 or the highest address 254.

In your Mac, open the network preference and check the IP address.. and look at the gateway (apple call it router) and DNS address.

As you can see my main router is set to 192.168.2.254 .. although dhcp server doesn't have to use the same address it generally will.

Now start a ping.. open terminal, type

ping 192.168.2.254 (in my case.. use whatever shows as router and dns in yours).

you should see ping responses.

MacProie-5:~ Ray$ ping 192.168.2.254

PING 192.168.2.254 (192.168.2.254): 56 data bytes

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=1.157 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.831 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.825 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.825 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.812 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.2.254: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=0.827 ms

^C

Now go and turn off each device in the network.. (not switch).. starting with the little hub.. as I think that is likely the device that is a router.

Check back each time to check if the ping stops replying.. that was the router.. and in that device you may or may not be able to set the IP.

You should also be able to set the IP manually on the NAS.. then it won't change.

eg in the case of my network.. ping 192.168.1.253 it is highly unlikely to be used.

or 252 or 250 .. one of the high end addresses.. and simply set the NAS to that.

Here is a reference for how to find the dhcp server address directly by command in the terminal.

http://automatica.com.au/2009/07/how-to-find-your-dhcp-server-address-under-mac- os-x/

Works great

MacProie-5:~ Ray$ ipconfig getoption en1 server_identifier

192.168.2.254