Guide - Loss of DNS access to shares after

Many users have reported issues accessing their network shares via hostname (DNS) following the 5.31.102 firmware update on certain Western Digital My Cloud and NAS devices. The update, intended to improve system security and stability, appears to have inadvertently disrupted DNS name resolution on local networks. This has led to problems accessing shared folders via device names, forcing users to rely on direct IP addresses.

This article explores the root of the issue, possible workarounds, and solutions to restore smooth access to your network shares.

🧩 What’s the Issue?

Before the update, users could access their My Cloud shares using a device name like \\mycloud\public from Windows or macOS systems. After the 5.31.102 firmware update, however, DNS name resolution has stopped working for some users. The share still exists and can be reached via IP address (e.g., \\192.168.1.100\public), but hostname-based access fails or returns “Network path not found.”

This is primarily a DNS resolution or NetBIOS name service issue within the local network.

🔍 Potential Causes

The most common causes of the problem after the firmware update include:

mDNS (Multicast DNS) or NetBIOS Service Disabled

The firmware may have disabled or broken the mDNS/NetBIOS broadcasting function that helps computers find the device via hostname.

Firewall/Network Discovery Changes

Some firmware updates restrict network discovery protocols for security, unintentionally blocking local hostname access.

SMB Configuration Changes

The firmware may have altered the SMB (Server Message Block) service configuration, affecting how the device registers itself on the network.

🛠️ Workarounds and Fixes

Until Western Digital releases a patch or official fix, try these workarounds:

✅ Access Shares Using IP Address

Use \\[device-IP]\[sharename] to connect instead of using the hostname.

Example: \\192.168.1.100\Documents

✅ Add Hostname to Hosts File

Manually map your NAS device’s IP address to a name in your computer’s hosts file.

On Windows:

Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Add a line like:

192.168.1.100 mycloud

On macOS/Linux:

Edit /etc/hosts similarly.

✅ Enable Network Discovery & SMB 1.0 (Temporarily)

In Windows features, turn on SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

Enable Network Discovery in Windows settings

⚠️ SMB 1.0 is deprecated and vulnerable to attacks. Use this only as a short-term workaround.

📞 When to Contact Support

If you rely heavily on hostname-based access and cannot resolve the issue, contact WD customer support to report the problem and receive model-specific guidance.

🔄 Final Thoughts

The 5.31.102 firmware update introduced a valuable set of security improvements but unintentionally broke DNS-based access to shares for many users. While workarounds like using IP addresses or editing the hosts file work temporarily, we recommend checking WD’s support page regularly for a permanent fix or rollback instructions.

Always back up data before firmware updates, and review changelogs to anticipate issues like this in future updates.