Thanks, AgentX.
Yeah, it looks as if the NAS was a kind of red herring - I could never use it and stay on the network. But this workaround has made my life SO much more bearable, cos now I can use both NAS and the network freely.

I guess if you're of the techie persuasion, then this was easily solved.... but to a non-tech like me, it is, as you rightly say, a car-crash for any professional OS. Many thanks to you, and all that tried to help.

BD

I am a Consultant, System Admin & Engineer ;-)

As far as your NAS you could get it working if you bought and inexpensive router
ie. Router with NAS and Mac ethernet 1 plugged into it.
It would be isolated from main business network but you would have connectivity to it.