Sharing USB devices over a wireless network?

[arrow8807]

Hey people,

I have a Lenovo T61 and a Netgear g router.

I was wondering what is the best way to connect my usb devices to my router and use the wireless function to access them anywhere in my dorm room....and yes, I'm poor.

I was looking at the Keyspan USB hub or the Belkin 5 port networking hub but I was wondering if I could use a regular print server and connect any USB decive I wanted.

I want to connect a Bus powered External Hardrive (2 ports) and have a port or two left over for flash drives and what not.

Any help would be great.
Thanks!
Dave

 

[Alvin.C]

Hello,

Specifically, what wireless router do you have?

Unfortunately you can't connect USB devices to an ordinary wireless router and access them wirelessly. You can only connect ethernet based devices, for example, an ethernet print server, an ethernet Network Attached Storage device or ethernet IP cameras.

 

[arrow8807]

I have a netgear wgr614 router.

My plan was to purchase a print server with two or more usb ports but use it for an external usb hardrive. With the addition of the print server to act as a link between router and the usb device will I be able to access the device over the wireless network.

Dave

 

[mikesgroovin]

There are devices that act as network print/storage as a single device. Most are around $100. As for connecting them wirelessly, that would constitute the need of a wireless bridge attached to the print/storage server or purchasing a wireless print/storage server device (a little more expensive). Some NAS devices have a print server on them as well. That way you could use the HDD as the print server and then simply connect it to a wireless bridge. Either way though, whether the bridge exists on the device itself (most expensive) or Ad-Hoc it, it will have to be in the picture somewhere.

 

[arrow8807]

Why do I need a wireless bridge. Why can I not connect some kind of usb hub to my wireless router via RJ45. If this allows computers to access each others files, would this work for a usb hub or print server

 

[DoubleHelix]

There has to be something between the USB hard drive and the Ethernet router.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...nksys/Common/VisitorWrapper&lid=1931222279B01

 

[mikesgroovin]

Why do I need a wireless bridge. Why can I not connect some kind of usb hub to my wireless router via RJ45. If this allows computers to access each others files, would this work for a usb hub or print server

I think that I was gathering from your post that you wanted to somehow place your print/storage server "wirelessly" somewhere in the dorm rather than connect it to the wireless gateway/router. Either way will work but if you wanted to place the storage/printer server somewhere away from the wireless gateway/router and have it be available wirelessly, than you would need the bridge. If you just want to connect it directly to a "wired" port on the wireless gateway/router, than you can do that without the bridge. You would just need a device, as stated, that hosts both and uses an ethernet wired controller as it's initial interface for the connection to the network. Either way would work.

 

[arrow8807]

What I would like someone to do is to tell me if I were to connect a print server to my wireless router....via ethernet cable....could I then connect my hardrive to the print server and access my harddrive wirelessly through my router network (ie like the hardrive was attached to my computer)

 

[Alvin.C]

What I would like someone to do is to tell me if I were to connect a print server to my wireless router....via ethernet cable....could I then connect my hardrive to the print server and access my harddrive wirelessly through my router network (ie like the hardrive was attached to my computer)

Hello. Yes, as Dr. IP and DoubleHelix have said, this can be done. But if what you're looking for is just to have Network Attached Storage (i.e. a storage device(s) connected to and accessible on your network) using your existing USB hard drives and flash drives, then what you need is a ethernet NAS device with USB ports, not an ethernet print server.

The Linksys NSLU2 is an example of a device which allows you to connect USB storage devices to a network via ethernet (as suggested by DoubleHelix).

Alternatively, there are ethernet NAS SATA / PATA hard drive enclosures which you insert your hard drive into.

If what you want is to be able to print over the network (and not through a computer) as well as have Network Attached Storage, then as Dr. IP already said, you can find ethernet NAS devices with print servers. Alternatively, instead of a 2 in 1 device, you could have separate devices connected to your router (i.e. an ethernet NAS sevice and an ethernet print server connected to the router).

 

[mikesgroovin]

Hello. Yes, as Dr. IP and DoubleHelix have said, this can be done. But if what you're looking for is just to have Network Attached Storage (i.e. a storage device(s) connected to and accessible on your network) using your existing USB hard drives and flash drives, then what you need is a ethernet NAS device with USB ports, not an ethernet print server.

The Linksys NSLU2 is an example of a device which allows you to connect USB storage devices to a network via ethernet (as suggested by DoubleHelix).

Alternatively, there are ethernet NAS SATA / PATA hard drive enclosures which you insert your hard drive into.

If what you want is to be able to print over the network (and not through a computer) as well as have Network Attached Storage, then as Dr. IP already said, you can find ethernet NAS devices with print servers. Alternatively, instead of a 2 in 1 device, you could have separate devices connected to your router (i.e. an ethernet NAS sevice and an ethernet print server connected to the router).

Thanks Sometimes is tough for me to convey messages in a manner/format in which the OP was expecting