Cannot access Roon Nucleus storage? Learn how to enable SMB Guest Access on Windows 10/11 using Group Policy or PowerShell to fix network connection errors.

Enabling SMB Guest Access for Roon Nucleus / ROCK on Windows

When attempting to get access to the internal storage of a Roon Nucleus or Roon Optimized Core Kit (ROCK) from a Windows PC, you may encounter an error message or a persistent password prompt (even when entering the correct credentials Guest/Guest).

Why is this happening?

This issue arises from a conflict between the convenience settings of the Nucleus and the tightened security standards of modern Windows operating systems.

  1. Nucleus/ROCK Protocol: To make the device as "plug-and-play" as possible, the Roon OS shares its internal storage using SMB Guest Access. This allows users to connect without needing to create specific users or manage complex permissions.

  2. Windows Security Policies: In recent updates to Windows 10 and Windows 11, Microsoft has disabled "Insecure Guest Logons" by default. Windows treats unauthenticated guest access as a potential security vulnerability.

Consequently, Windows blocks the connection to the Nucleus because the Nucleus does not ask for a secure, authenticated login. To resolve this, you must explicitly allow Windows to connect to "Guest" network shares.

How to Fix It

Please follow the instructions below based on your specific version of Windows.

Method A: Windows Pro / Enterprise

Use this method if you have access to the Group Policy Editor.

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard.

  2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

  3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Lanman Workstation

  4. Locate the setting Enable insecure guest logons. Double-click it.

  5. Select Enabled, then click OK.

  6. Still in the editor, navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > SMB Client

  7. Locate Allow insecure guest logons, set it to Enabled, and click OK.

Method B: Windows Home

Windows Home does not have the Group Policy Editor, so you must use PowerShell.
      1. Press Start, type powershell.
      2 Right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator. (Click Yes if prompted).
      3. To disable the strict signing requirement, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:
  1. Set-SmbClientConfiguration -RequireSecuritySignature $false
            (Type Y and press Enter when prompted to confirm).
      4. To enable guest access, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:
  1. Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableInsecureGuestLogons $true
            (Type Y and press Enter when prompted to confirm).

How to Connect to Your Storage

Once you have adjusted the Windows settings above, you can connect to your specific device.

  1. Open File Explorer on Windows (or Finder on macOS).

  2. If prompted for a username and password, enter Guest for both.

  3. Type the address corresponding to your specific Roon model into the address bar:

For Windows Users:

  • Nucleus One: \\NUCLEUSONE\Data\Storage\InternalStorage

  • Nucleus Titan: \\NUCLEUSTITAN\Data\Storage\InternalStorage

  • Nucleus (Standard): \\NUCLEUS\Data\Storage\InternalStorage

  • Nucleus+: \\NUCLEUSPLUS\Data\Storage\InternalStorage

  • ROCK: \\ROCK\Data\Storage\InternalStorage

For macOS Users:

  • Nucleus One: smb://NUCLEUSONE/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

  • Nucleus Titan: smb://NUCLEUSTITAN/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

  • Nucleus (Standard): smb://NUCLEUS/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

  • Nucleus+: smb://NUCLEUSPLUS/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

  • ROCK: smb://ROCK/Data/Storage/InternalStorage

You can now drag and drop your music files and folders into this window to copy them to the Nucleus.

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