USB Drive on Network?

03-06-04, 06:53 PM

I have an external USB drive case that I use to use to back up my laptop. I would like to hook this up to my wireless router. I know there are network hard drives, but they cost far too much. Does anyone know of an adpater that would take my USB drive and allow it to connect to an RJ45 port on my router?

MrKlaatu · 03-06-04, 07:21 PM

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03-07-04, 03:16 AM

um......... ok. do you always reply with a picture?

anyone have a real answer?

MrKlaatu · 03-07-04, 08:54 AM

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um...........yes, about 95% of the time.

ikehiker · 03-07-04, 09:05 AM

I think the real answer is no such hardware exists.

0MiKeL0 · 03-07-04, 09:59 AM

This might be worth looking in to:

http://www.dolphinfast.com/products/9121.html

MrKlaatu · 03-07-04, 10:31 AM

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Don't think it'll fly:

Quote:

It uses an USB type A connector to connect to the USB host computer, and a RJ-45 connector to a 100Base-TX or 10Base-T Ethernet link. This low power-consuming device draws power from host USB bus, thus no external power supply is required.

................needs a USB Host Computer.

deftech · 03-07-04, 03:19 PM

Unfortunately, both Ike and MrKlaatu are correct.

There is no such hardware available. And the one linked to above is simply a USB Network Adapter.....basically a NIC that plugs into the USB port. It will only work when plugged into a computer's USB port, because as Klaatu mentioned, it needs a USB host device in order to function. A peripheral (like a USB hard drive) is not a USB host device.

03-08-04, 12:07 PM

Wouldnt it be easier if you just left a computer on as a server and just share a folder to map to in Resco file explorer and store some files that way? It would definitely be cheaper than getting one of those network compatable hdd and you will have access to those files on both the computer and ppc

joelw135 · 03-08-04, 02:35 PM

That is exactly what I do using Resco Explorer.

russp · 03-08-04, 02:52 PM

I agree with the notion of a PC. Heck, you could put together a headless linux box for $100 or less and put several drives in it . As a disk server it does not have to be powerfull, just make sure it has 100 Mbit lan connection of course. I've seen MB's with C3 1Ghz CPU, integrated lan, video for $5 before on http://www.techbargains.com. This would make a great network storage box. Just add case,power,supply, and cdrom or usbflash disk or whatever to boot off of.

gsteinb88 · 03-08-04, 03:50 PM

another site for computer deals is price watch, links you to the webpage of the least expensive one of the product you are looking for. Of course, you could probably find better deals on ebay. Just my $.02
-g

Nightwing · 03-11-04, 12:32 AM

I have seen a few external HD with a NET connection. Used in place of a server or as a place to dump data for a backup.

Those "something" to usb adapters usualy require some form of driver to work.

chyiyuh · 03-25-04, 01:07 AM

Those are Network Attach Storage(NAS). There is a small OS inside. You can build same one with a Linux box as mention above.