Suggestions please-storage device ??

Vlad_Dracul · 27-08-2007, 08:59

Hi all,
I have recently replaced my aging P3 system with a new lappy. What im now looking for is a storage device eg a cased hard drive, which i can plug into my wireless router and be then able to read and write to that device wirelessly (and wired when necessary) from my laptop.

The storage device would plug into my router via an ethernet cable. If i wanted to i could ethernet directly from the laptop to the storage device,but most of the time, id like to wirelessly connected to my router from the laptop and be able to access the storage device which is wired to the router.

Can this be done and can anyone suggest a product?

ta

joe

progers · 27-08-2007, 09:08

You need to look for a "NAS" device..Network Attached Storage devices. Make sure it has Ethernet connection (it should to be a NAS) but there are some external drives with USB only.

here are a couple of examples from DABS and Maplins:

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx...avigationKey=0

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...18055&doy=27m8

Delta Whiskey · 27-08-2007, 09:42

Scan have a 500 Gig unit for Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£106 - http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=604572

cmatt · 27-08-2007, 15:47

just out of curiosity - (well after the most **** ache of a hd failure) is there any third party software one should know about?

saabmania2 · 27-08-2007, 16:12

i've got one from http://www.akasa.com.tw/ it's product id is AK-ENP2NDAS-BL and are listed as P2 SERIES under storage device there very good and you can just add the hard drive of your choice i've got mine connected to my router with a 400gb hard drive

cmatt · 27-08-2007, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by saabmania2

i've got one from http://www.akasa.com.tw/ it's product id is AK-ENP2NDAS-BL and are listed as P2 SERIES under storage device there very good and you can just add the hard drive of your choice i've got mine connected to my router with a 400gb hard drive

can you just map it or do you use asus software?

saabmania2 · 27-08-2007, 16:34

no i've got mine mapped works a treat all my computers use it to back up on and i use it for my laptop to store large files so it doesn't clog up the lappy

cmatt · 27-08-2007, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by saabmania2

no i've got mine mapped works a treat all my computers use it to back up on and i use it for my laptop to store large files so it doesn't clog up the lappy

'ow much guvnor?

saabmania2 · 27-08-2007, 18:31

well actually i got mine from ebay for the bargain price of Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£2.20

plus about Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£5 p+p because the guy had listed them as not working

so i bought one to see if i could get it working and he had connected the drive up wrong

i think the new price is about Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£60 but then it's upto you what drive you put in it

popper · 27-08-2007, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by dooper786

Hi all,
I have recently replaced my aging P3 system with a new lappy. What im now looking for is a storage device eg a cased hard drive, which i can plug into my wireless router and be then able to read and write to that device wirelessly (and wired when necessary) from my laptop.

The storage device would plug into my router via an ethernet cable. If i wanted to i could ethernet directly from the laptop to the storage device,but most of the time, id like to wirelessly connected to my router from the laptop and be able to access the storage device which is wired to the router.

Can this be done and can anyone suggest a product?

ta

joe

until (and perhaps instead of) you get one of those consumer NAS everyones told you about , just go and get the ISO of FreeNAS http://www.freenas.org/

and use your old machine as a free one, its VERY GOOD, and easy to use once you have booted ,its a liveCD so no messing about installing just to try, 10 minutes and your up and working.

"Welcome to FreeNAS FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.
The minimal FreeBSD distribution, Web interface, PHP scripts and documentation are based on M0n0wall. "

Vlad_Dracul · 28-08-2007, 19:57

Thanks to all for the info ..i ll have a good read of it all..the freecom looks good,also the freenas thing...ta

joe

popper · 29-08-2007, 17:58

if you happen to try freeNAS for the laptop (or a Desktop) you might look at testing out the iSCSI option and end up with a remote attached local (software raid)drive as far as windows xp is concerned that you can treat as if it were inside your laptop, real cool.

im going to give it a go building a new NAS after i upgrade some drives in a few weeks.

apparently if you grab the latest nightly freeNAS it even has iSCSI raid0 so grab that to try.

http://www.freenaskb.info/kb/?View=entry&EntryID=204),