Premium TV can save recordings on a USB drive plugged into your router, or on a NAS box — so even a device with no storage of its own, like a Fire Stick, can record. The one catch: the router or NAS has to be sharing that drive, and most have sharing switched off until you turn it on. This guide walks you through it.
What happened on your TV?
No shared drives found
Premium searched your network and nothing answered. Almost always one of these:
- Sharing is off on the router or NAS. Pick your device in the guides below and switch it on — this fixes it for most people.
- No drive is plugged in to the router's USB port yet.
- The TV box is on a guest Wi-Fi network, which is walled off from your other devices. Put it on your main Wi-Fi.
After switching sharing on, go back to the TV and run Find again.
The drive refused my login
The device answered, but the username/password didn't match an account on that device — this is the router or NAS's own login, not your Premium TV or Google login.
- On a router, the sharing login is set in the same USB Sharing page where you turned sharing on — some routers use the router's admin login, others let you create a sharing account.
- On a NAS, use a user from the NAS itself, and check that user has Read/Write permission on the shared folder — read-only can't record.
- Watch for capital letters: passwords care, usernames sometimes do.
The write test failed
Premium connected but couldn't save a small test file. That means the login can see the folder but can't write to it.
- Give that user Read/Write (not Read only) on the folder — on a NAS this is under the folder's Permissions/Privileges; on a router it's the access setting beside the sharing account.
- Check the drive isn't full, and that it isn't formatted read-only for network users.
- Then run the test again from the TV.
Turn sharing ON — pick your device
Each guide ends back on your TV. Don't see your device? Tell us its name and we'll add it.
TP-Link router (Archer and similar)
- Plug the USB drive into the router.
- On this phone's browser, open tplinkwifi.net and sign in (if you never set a password, it's printed on the router's label).
- Go to Advanced › USB Sharing › Sharing Access and switch Sharing Access ON.
- If Access Authentication is on, note the username and password there — that's the login Premium will ask for.
- Under Sharing Contents, note the share name (often sda1 or the drive's name).
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find — your router should appear now. Pick it and enter
that login.
Netgear router (ReadySHARE)
- Plug the USB drive into the router.
- On this phone's browser, open routerlogin.net and sign in with the router's admin login.
- Go to USB Storage › ReadySHARE and make sure the share is enabled (available).
- Note the share name — commonly USB_Storage — and whether password protection is on (if it is, the login is the router's admin username and password).
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find, or Enter address with the router's address
(usually 192.168.1.1) and the share name.
ASUS router
- Plug the USB drive into the router.
- On this phone's browser, open router.asus.com and sign in.
- Go to USB Application › Network Place (Samba) Share and switch it ON.
- Create or note an account (username/password) for sharing, and give it Read/Write on the folder.
- Note the folder's share name shown in the list.
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find — pick the router and enter that account.
Linksys router (Smart Wi-Fi / Velop)
- Plug the USB drive into the router or node that has a USB port.
- Open the Linksys app or myrouter.local and sign in.
- Open External Storage and switch sharing ON.
- Note the folder name being shared and set a username and password with read/write access.
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find, or Enter address with the router's address
and the folder name.
Synology NAS (DSM)
- Open DSM in this phone's browser (your NAS's address, port 5000) and sign in.
- Go to Control Panel › File Services › SMB and check Enable SMB service, then Apply.
- Go to Control Panel › Shared Folder: the folder you want recordings in — its name is the share name (for example video).
- Select the folder › Edit › Permissions: your user needs Read/Write on it. The login Premium wants is that DSM username and password.
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP — Find should list the NAS; or Enter address as
192.168.x.x/video using your NAS's address and folder name.
QNAP NAS (QTS)
- Open QTS in this phone's browser and sign in.
- Go to Control Panel › Network & File Services › Win/Mac/NFS › Microsoft Networking and check Enable file service for Microsoft networking, then Apply.
- Go to Control Panel › Privilege › Shared Folders: the folder's name is the share name; edit its permissions so your user has Read/Write.
- The login Premium wants is that QNAP username and password.
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find, or Enter address with the NAS's address and
the folder name.
WD My Cloud
- Open the My Cloud dashboard in this phone's browser and sign in.
- Go to Settings › Network and switch Windows Services ON.
- Go to Shares: pick or create a share — its name is the share name — and turn Public Access off with your user given Read/Write access under User Access.
- The login Premium wants is that user's name and password (set under Users).
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Find, or Enter address with the My Cloud's address
and the share name.
A Windows PC on the network
- On the PC: Settings › Network & internet › Advanced network settings › Advanced sharing settings — turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing for the Private profile.
- Right-click the folder you want › Properties › Sharing › Share… and share it. The folder's name is the share name.
- The login Premium wants is your Windows account: for a Microsoft account, the email address and its password; for a local account, that username and password. (A PIN won't work here.)
Back on the TV: Settings › Recording Storage ›
SET UP › Enter address with the PC's address (find it in
Settings › Network on the PC) and the folder name.
Finding an address
A router's address is usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 — it's also printed on the label. A NAS's address is shown in its app or control panel, and in your router's list of connected devices.
Still stuck? Tell us where.
Your report goes to the Premium TV team. We read every one and use them to fix and expand this guide — updates to the guide go live here, with no app update needed.
Thanks — report sent. We read these in the
order they arrive; if a lot of people land in the same spot, that guide
gets fixed first.