storage
 

I have 2 external drives attached to my main computer. I switch on and use as needed. They connect via USB. Is there a cheap way of connecting them to my router so the netweok can see them. Without having to switch on my main PC. I have looked at setting up a NAS but they ar expensive.

Re: storage
 

I don't think there is a cheap way of doing it, a USB device is a dumb box whereas a NAS is really a mini computer. Maplin sell a couple of NAS boxes without Hard Drive:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...7390&criteria=
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...99168&doy=26m7

Re: storage
 

On the other hand you could use an old PC with Windows/Linux(and Samba) to set up a kind of NAS box if you happen to have one under the bed, etc.

Re: storage
 

Or Netgear sell the SC101 series network storage boxes. Just need to buy some internal drives.

Re: storage
 

Works for me..
:)

I've got an old box stuffed with drives running FreeNAS.

http://www.freenas.org/

Cost me no more than the price of the drives and it can be mapped across to behave just like a local drive.

Re: storage
 

OR; what I did was get a thing called an ASUS WL-HDD 2.5 unit, its basically a wireless 2.5inch(laptop) enclosure, I got mine off Ebay real cheap, and with a bit of looking round various forums, I found a source that makes custom firmware for them, they use Samba, and using this, I can share all my files on a 100GB hard drive, AND I can also print wirelessly from anywhere in the house or in the garden, a real sound investment as it can be classed as a "modders dream" as there is so much you can do with it and re-design cases for it etc... google a pic of it and see what you think!