The drive is connected, the router shows it, but Windows throws an error and will not open the folder. This is the most common router-storage problem of all — and it is really a Windows security decision, not a broken router.
Many routers — especially older and budget models — serve their USB share using only the oldest version of the SMB protocol, SMB1. Microsoft removed SMB1 from Windows by default years ago because it is genuinely dangerous: the WannaCry ransomware spread through an SMB1 flaw. So Windows now blocks the connection and tells you, in its own blunt wording, exactly what happened. Below is how to open the share from Windows, Android and TV — and how to do it with the least risk.
You can't connect to the file share because it's not secure. This share requires the obsolete SMB1 protocol, which is unsafe and could expose your system to attack. Your system requires SMB2 or higher.
The exact Windows message when a router share speaks only SMB1 — Windows is protecting you, not malfunctioning.
In File Explorer, click the address bar and type the router address directly: \\192.168.0.1 (TP-Link routers also answer to the name \\tp-share). Typing the address directly skips the unreliable Network discovery list entirely. On Android, open a file manager that supports network storage (most do) and add an SMB/LAN server with the router IP. On a smart TV, router shares appear under network/media sources. If the direct address also fails with the SMB1 message, continue below.
The clean solution is on the router side. Check the router USB settings page for an SMB version option — some models let you select SMB2. If there is no option, check the manufacturer site for a firmware update for your exact model; several brands added SMB2 support this way. A newer router almost always supports SMB2/3 out of the box. This route fixes the problem with zero risk to your PC, so always try it before touching Windows settings.
From Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft also blocks guest (no-password) access to shares and requires SMB signing. If your error appeared after a Windows update and mentions credentials or access denied, the router share is probably running without a password. The proper fix is to enable Secure Sharing in the router USB settings and create a username and password, then enter those when Windows asks. TP-Link recommends exactly this for its routers. Avoid the registry workarounds that disable these protections PC-wide.
If the router truly cannot do SMB2 and you must use the share, Windows lets you switch on only the SMB1 client:
Understand the trade: your PC can now talk to an unsafe protocol. Use it only on your trusted home network, only for this router, and switch it off if you ever replace the router.
Inside your own network, the router's FTP server reaches the same files without SMB at all. Phones and file manager apps connect to ftp://192.168.0.1 on port 21 in seconds. FTP is not encrypted, so keep it strictly on the home LAN — the same reason it must never be opened to the internet. For many families this becomes the permanent, painless way to reach the drive from phones.
The video shows the router SMB and FTP setup from start to finish — watch it alongside this fix and match every setting.
▶️ Watch Full VideoWindows has been tightening SMB rules step by step — SMB1 client removal, then guest-logon blocking and required signing in Windows 11 24H2. Your router did not change; Windows raised its standards.
The risk is real but limited: SMB1 flaws are exploited over networks, so on a clean home network the exposure is small. Still, treat it as a temporary compatibility switch, not a permanent feature, and prefer an SMB2-capable router.
Phones and TVs often still support SMB1 and guest access, so they sail through where Windows refuses. That difference actually confirms the diagnosis — it is a protocol/security mismatch, not a dead drive.