How can I connect a USB External HDD to an Ethernet Router to use as a network drive?

Question

I asked this question earlier and didnt really get any answers, now some a'wipe at yahoo answers has removed it for no apparent reason.
So I will ask again ... How can I connect a USB External HDD to an Ethernet Router to use as a network drive?

I own a USB external HDD, and a 4 port Ethernet wireless router and I want to connect the HDD directly to the router, can I get a converter, do I need to have a base unit (PC dedicated and always on) or can I connect it directly?

Cheers
Mike.

Answer 1

I believe the reason your question is unanswered is because no one can come up with words to answer you. However I will try my best.

You say you have a USB drive, USB connect to USB ports NOT ethernet ports, which is what your router has. USB hardisks lack the ability to understand Network related things, i.e. it cannot understand if the router asks for files. Second of all the router does not understand what a dumb USB drive is trying to do. Which is why you need something intelligent in between to tell the router that this drive is like a shared folder. When we have two windows PC on a network with a router and we setup a LAN with it both PC can share whole/part of the drive because the PC and Wiindows softwares help each other, whereas the router will simply pass messages accross.

In order to setup a network disk you need to use A Network Enabled Disk Devise. There are many available in the market that function as network drive. Their are also just external casing available that you can use which may even be able to accomodate your drive (if its detachable) thereby offsetting cost.

The last and least helpful method you have already suggested yourself. " A dedicated PC" although a minimal PC will do (300Mhz. 64 MB Ram, Network card, usb port) then use Damn Small Linux or any other to setup an NFS share over windows workgroup OR simply use windows98 and share the disk. Distros like ubuntu are heavy but automount any USB device saving us the trouble. But if you intend to use NTFS steer clear of linux. Use Windows 98 instead.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

this is not plausible. What you're describing is utilising your exterior HDD as a server, probably as a RAID stress. you could not try this because it does not have the features. do not forget that exterior Drives fail more advantageous than inner Drives. even with the actual shown truth that they are expensive, they nonetheless fail and is in elementary words meant as a decrease back-up storage, now to not be written and rewritten over consistently. the in elementary words genuine element you should do is to make a Sharing Folder on your pc and community all of your pcs mutually, that may frequently be performed even as this is on a similar router because you're sharing a similar IP deal with, etc. Then decrease back that up on occassion. it will take a even as as an USB stress takes awhile to write right down to itself (they're so sluggish to me) and also you're downloading stuff with the help of your community on pcs. Your pc will write the record to this is wide-spread disk first and then for your exterior HDD which does take time. Plus, prompt makes it even slower. Your USB stress isn't a pc, nor a server (actually a pc itself) with the processors and different hardware it takes to make your self a backup server. social gathering: I have a 2TB exterior HDD hooked as a lot as my PS3. i am going to community with the help of different pcs in my residing house on the grounds that i'm correct to the internet, hardwired. I have 2 different pcs interior the residing house that i exploit as "media servers". i am going to take files off of those pcs with my PS3 yet this is with techniques from decision and manually doing it. For each and everything both different pcs must be doing (taking section in WoW, etc - a lot and far of non everlasting files), that is a lot of techniques going to the exterior HDD if i ought to diminish back it up like you opt for to. yet that stress is only too sluggish for all that techniques moving into the route of it as USB 2.0 has restricted % capabilties.

Answer 3

You can try this product but it does cost around 100, might be better to have a dedicated PC.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/73de/