Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Connect USB hard drives directly to Ethernet network

Options
  • 29-04-2008 12:15am
    #1
    iMax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭


    Guys,

    Quick question. I have a couple of 400GB USB drives sitting on top of my PC here one doing backup, one doing nothing in particular.

    Is there a piece of hardware available so that I could put them in my attic & connect them directly to my Ethernet network using a homeplug (extending the network up there)?

    The advantages being, far less clutter, more storage & cooler enviroment. Just need something to get them networkable from USB (or firewire), they'll effectively become NAS boxes


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    iMax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭iMax


    Actually, Just found this: NETGEAR WGPS606. That has two USB ports & 4 network ports, would that work ?


  • Options
    #3
    iMax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭iMax


    Anyone ?


  • Options
    #4
    aoidan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33 ✭aoidan


    Dont forget that it gets really hot in a attic in the summer (well the irish summers used to be warm anyway)

    As regards your 2 400GB drives , if you had an old pc around you could install http://www.freenas.org and plug the 2 drives into that pc. ive been running freenas on my network with no problems for over a year and the install is under 32mb.


  • Options
    #5
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    As aoidan mentioned if you've got an old PC lying around give FreeNAS a try. I'm not sure if that piece of Netgear kit will work or not for what you want to do.

    I got myself one of these a few years back:

    http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1118334819312&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=1931245678B35

    I've flashed it with different firmware than what it ships with and it was decent enough although I haven't used it in a while.


  • Options
    #6
    iMax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭iMax


    Thanks guys. I called netgear this morning & it can't do it but other manufacturers have stuff which can - Actually, that linksys thing is highly recommended, so going to get that. What's the deal with the firmware ?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    When I got it a few years back you had to format any disks you connected to it because it didn't support FAT32/NTFS disks. I ended up flashing it with OpenSlug or something like that which worked just fine, I haven't used the thing in a while and it's currently sitting in a drawer somewhere I must dig it out soon and start using it again.


  • Options
    #8
    iMax
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭iMax


    I have this linksys thing working a treat now but I did have to format the drives. what's openslug rmacm ?


  • Options
    #9
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    It's Linux based firmware for the NSLU2 box that gets around annoying stuff like having to format your drives before you can use it. It's not actually called Openslug anymore give a look here : http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/SlugOS/SlugOSBE

    It's probably been updated since I last used it and like I said my own NSLU is still tucked away in a drawer so the details on how I updated it etc are a little hazy after this much time.


Advertisement