Network Shares

Overview

Network shares allow Norri to access media stored on Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, file servers, or other computers on your network. Common scenarios include:

• Synology, QNAP, or TrueNAS devices
• Windows shared folders
• Linux Samba shares
• Any SMB/CIFS compatible storage

With Norri, you can add network shares directly when creating a library — no separate configuration required.

Adding a Library from a Network Share

When creating or editing a library, you can enter a network path directly in the path field:

1. Go to Settings → Libraries
2. Click Add Library
3. Select the library type (Movies, TV Shows, etc.)
4. In the Path field, enter your network share path:
   • \\nas\movies (UNC format)
   • smb://192.168.1.100/media (SMB URL format)
   • //server/share (forward slash format)
5. If the share requires credentials, expand the Network Credentials section
6. Click Save

Norri will automatically mount the share and scan your media.

Using the Network Browser

Don’t know the exact path? Use the built-in network browser to discover available shares:

1. Click Browse next to the path field
2. Select the Network tab
3. Wait for Norri to discover devices on your network
4. Click a device to see its available shares
5. Navigate to your media folder
6. Click Select to use that path

The network browser uses SMB discovery to find devices advertising shares on your local network. Most NAS devices and Windows computers will appear automatically.

Tip

If your device doesn’t appear in the network browser, you can still enter the path manually. Some networks or firewall configurations may block SMB discovery.

Authentication Options

Guest Access (No Credentials)

Many NAS devices allow guest access to specific shares. If your share is configured for anonymous access, simply leave the credentials section collapsed — Norri will connect without authentication.

Username and Password

For password-protected shares:

1. Expand the Network Credentials section
2. Enter your Username — Your NAS or Windows account username
3. Enter your Password — Your account password

Security

Credentials are encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM and never logged. Only the Norri server process can decrypt them.

Domain (Active Directory)

If your network uses Active Directory or a Windows domain:

1. Enter your Domain — For example, WORKGROUP, MYDOMAIN, or CORP
2. Enter your domain username and password

For home networks, the domain is typically WORKGROUP (the Windows default) and can usually be left empty.

Supported Path Formats

Norri accepts network paths in several formats:

Format	Example	Notes
UNC path	\\nas\movies	Windows standard format
UNC with IP	\\192.168.1.100\media	Use when hostname doesn’t resolve
SMB URL	smb://nas.local/media	URL-style format
SMB URL with IP	smb://192.168.1.100/media/films	Can include subfolders
Forward slash	//server/share	Unix-style variant

Examples by NAS Brand

Synology

\\diskstation\video
smb://192.168.1.50/video/movies

QNAP

\\qnap-ts\multimedia
smb://192.168.1.60/Multimedia/Movies

TrueNAS / FreeNAS

\\truenas\media
smb://192.168.1.70/media

Windows Shared Folder

\\desktop-pc\shared movies
smb://192.168.1.80/Movies

Tip

If you’re unsure of the share name, check your NAS admin interface or browse to the device from another computer on your network.

How It Works

When you save a library with a network path, Norri:

1. Parses the path — Extracts server address and share name
2. Connects to the share — Using provided credentials (or guest access)
3. Mounts the share — Creates a local mount point for file access
4. Scans your media — Discovers and identifies your content
5. Monitors the connection — Automatically reconnects if the share becomes temporarily unavailable

The share remains mounted while Norri is running. If the NAS reboots or network connectivity is briefly lost, Norri will automatically reconnect without manual intervention.

Troubleshooting

”Invalid username or password”

• Verify your credentials are correct — try logging into your NAS web interface
• For Windows shares, try including the domain: WORKGROUP\username
• Check if the account is locked or disabled on the NAS
• Some NAS devices use different usernames than you might expect (e.g., admin vs administrator)

“Share not found on server”

• Verify the share name is spelled correctly (case-sensitive on some systems)
• Check that the share exists in your NAS admin interface
• Ensure the share is enabled and not hidden
• Try accessing the share from another computer to confirm it works

”Cannot reach server”

• Check that the NAS/server is powered on
• Verify the server is on the same network as Norri
• Try using the IP address instead of hostname
• Check for firewall rules blocking SMB (ports 445, 139)
• If using a hostname, ensure DNS resolution works — try ping nas.local

”Access denied”

• Verify your account has permission to access this share
• Check share-level permissions in your NAS admin interface
• Check folder-level permissions on the shared folder
• Some NAS devices have both share permissions AND folder permissions — both must allow access

Device Not Appearing in Network Browser

• Not all devices respond to SMB discovery — enter the path manually
• Check that SMB/CIFS is enabled on the NAS
• Firewalls may block discovery traffic — the device can still be accessed by IP
• Try smb://192.168.1.x/share using the device’s IP address

Scans Show Missing Files After NAS Reboot

Norri includes protection for network storage:

• If a share is offline, Norri skips scanning that library entirely
• Files are only marked as missing when the share is accessible AND the file is genuinely gone
• Your library data is never lost due to temporary network issues

Server Requirements

Linux

Install the cifs-utils package:

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install cifs-utils

# RHEL/Fedora
sudo dnf install cifs-utils

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S cifs-utils

macOS

SMB support is built into macOS. No additional software is required.

Docker

When running Norri in Docker, the container needs appropriate capabilities:

services:
  norri:
    image: norri/norri:latest
    cap_add:
      - SYS_ADMIN
      - DAC_READ_SEARCH
    volumes:
      - norri-data:/data

Best Practices

1. Use static IPs — Configure your NAS with a static IP address to avoid connection issues if DHCP leases change

2. Create a dedicated user — Create a Norri-specific user on your NAS with read-only access to media shares

3. Test from another computer first — If you can browse the share from your desktop, you have the right path and credentials

4. Keep firmware updated — NAS firmware updates often include SMB compatibility improvements

5. Use IP addresses for reliability — Hostname resolution can be flaky on some networks; IP addresses are more reliable

Related

• Adding Media Libraries — Complete guide to creating libraries
• Scheduled Tasks — Configure automatic library scans
• Troubleshooting — General troubleshooting guide