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Help: How can I wirelessly network an external HDD to appear as a storage drive?

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  • 11-10-2009 4:30am
    #1
    consultech
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,956 ✭✭✭


    Im at a bit of a loss here, can someone who knows their stuff point me in the right direction?

    Title says it all; Im looking to have a seagate external HDD Im buying as an extra sorage drive that I can drag and drop from, wirelessly.

    How can I do this? Does it need to be networked to my router then have sharing enabled? Not sure how to do this if so... I have a Linksys Wireless-G USB adaptor also, in case this is of any use...

    Any help appreciated,

    Cheers :)


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    #2
    pcman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27 ✭pcman


    If you would like to use your HDD as a storage drive accessable by all pcs on your network wired or wireless

    it will need to support NAS (Network Attached Storage)
    which basically means it has an ethernet connection built in

    once the hdd is connected to your wireless router you will be able access the drive from any computer connected to the network wired or wireless

    be sure to add mac address filtering to your router for extra security
    or make sure its a WPA secured network at least



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    #3
    consultech
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,956 ✭✭✭consultech


    Thanks Pcman...

    I just want it to be visible on my laptop tbh, the other points on the network are not important. Is there anything I can set up to make my laptop and HDD talk to each other? Ideally having it appear as another drive in "My Computer".

    Also: Something that possibly complicates things is that the HDD will not be beside the router - and as such I cant connect it via ethernet cable - so Im gonna need to enable it wirelessly somehow: Is there anything else I need to look out for to this end?

    Will that Linksys wireless USB adaptor be of any use here at all?

    Thanks again...


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    #4
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users Posts: 6,218 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    Some routers have a USB socket you can plug suitable storage into, but you say the disk wont be near the router.

    Why can't it be ?

    If you only want to access it from laptop, I guess you don't want to plug it straight in to improve mobility ?


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    #5
    johnciall
    Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭johnciall


    do you have a PC thats connected to the same network, if so connect the HDD to that and then mount it across your network from there


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    #6
    RangeR
    Registered Users Posts: 7,265 ✭✭✭RangeR


    consultech wrote: »
    I just want it to be visible on my laptop tbh


    Then why complicate things? If you just want your laptop to see the external HDD, why not just connect the HDD directly to the laptop via USB of Firewire [whichever is supported]. Will be much faster than any wireless setup you can come up with.


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    #7
    consultech
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,956 ✭✭✭consultech


    RangeR wrote: »
    If you just want your laptop to see the external HDD, why not just connect the HDD directly to the laptop via USB of Firewire [whichever is supported].

    ...because I want to network it wirelessly.


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    #8
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    consultech wrote: »
    ...because I want to network it wirelessly.

    You can't with what You got, You've got to either buy a NAS or use an old pc connected to the network to share the drive


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    #9
    RangeR
    Registered Users Posts: 7,265 ✭✭✭RangeR


    consultech wrote: »
    ...because I want to network it wirelessly.

    ...do you have more than one computer. You have only mentioned a laptop. Anyway, as mentioned, you can't do it with what you have.

    You need either:

    1. NAS box that can plug into the network
    or
    2. Router with USB that you can plug your existing HDD into


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