hooking USB up to network

[oldtimer]

A few yeears bac I got a tp link adapter (thanks to Dave IIRC) to hook 2 usb external drives to my network.  I have used it as  extra st6orage and as a backup device.  It is not a de-luxe solution but it works and I fancy setting up another.  The TP link adapter is still available but is only USB2.

Anyone know of a more up to date device – say USB3 or USB C?

Of course cost will come into the equation at some point and it might be cheaper to get a 2 drive network storage device.

The advantrage of the prtent device is that it depends on the activation of a driver so is only available when the PC is switched on which I reckon probably makes it more secure.

Its easy when you know how

[Dave Rice]

I’ve only seen USB sharing on (usually) higher end routers, but TBH all those I’ve tried have been painfully slow. You might want to check out the £35 TonidoPlug which is an adapter for a 2.5″ or USB2 drive. I used the Tonido software on a PC back in the day and it did what it says.

As for security, a Synology or QNAP NAS enclosure is extremely secure. They run Linux with a custom GUI on top (so no Linux skills needed) with proper user accounts, encryption if you want it, etc. They are also actively supported so you get security and feature patches in a timely fashion. They can do much more than just file sharing too.

[oldtimer]

Thanks Dave

I looked up TonidoPlug but it seems a bit more than I can handle these days.  If it requires mores than simply plugging something in and following a curser then it does far more than I need.  The normal NAS type kit might be good and a few years back I might have gone down that route, but now I am afraid it is a step too far.  My current solution miight not be very elegant but it has served me well and it is simple. Speed is not really important for me – just nice to have.

Perhaps I should just get another TPLink.

Or I could set up an old unused PC to do the job if only I could find out how to access it through W10.  I can get to the drive but then it asks me for a password but I have never entered a password for it and under W7 it worked perfectly without passwords.  The other problem is that it is a sledgehammer to crush a nut

I will keep thinking about it and thanks again for your interest in my problems

Its easy when you know how

[Dave Rice]

Windows 10 networking is a minefield, steer clear 😲

Buffalo do some good basic NAS at decent prices, I used them before Synology came on the scene. The Buffalo LinkStation 210 2TB 1-bay (1 x 2TB) is £84 at E-Buyer. Data sheet here.

They are set up from a PC app which guides you through setting up the admin account and a basic share. That may be all you need, but the software also lets you do more advanced stuff should you ever want to. It also bundles the NovaStor PC backup app which IIRC does the job as well as anything.

As usual it’s Linux under the bonnet so you know it’s built on solid foundations but you’ll never go near a command line 😊

[oldtimer]

Thanks again Dave.

From what I can see, this comes fitted with a 2TB drive so not bad value

Its easy when you know how

[Author]

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