Question about network attached storage...

[Edwin]

I figured there was more than enough IT wizardry here on Acorn to be able to answer this puzzler:

Is it possible to have a network hard drive that also attaches to a specific computer via USB?

In other words, what I have in mind (bad ASCII diagram):

PC1----usb---->NAS<-----network-----PC2, PC3 etc.

PC1 wouldn't be on the network at all in the above scenario i.e. would be used "offline" only but would be able to effectively share files with PC2 PC3 etc. via the intermediate of saving them to and loading them from the NAS (the alternative being to walk the files across the room on a memory stick)

(Many of the NAS solutions I've seen have USB ports that are explictly for chaining several NAS together to create a larger storage unit, rather than for connecting the NAS to a PC)

 

[Skinner]

You should be able to do that, I think you would need to use something like the HP Proliant Micro Servers tho. These are essentially mini PCs which can be run as a nas/fileserver. You could access that via USB and via Network cards.

The problem with readybuilt NAS is, usb is meant to backing up TO the nas, not accessing files, since usb isn't a network protocol. Usually devices with USB and multiple bays are usually just dumb mass storage boxes nothing else.

 

[baldidiot]

Would this work: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products2.aspx?id=1140

So you'd connect PC1 directly to the My Cloud using usb or ethernet, and have the other PC's access the files via wifi.

 

[Edwin]

Would this work: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products2.aspx?id=1140

So you'd connect PC1 directly to the My Cloud using usb or ethernet, and have the other PC's access the files via wifi.

Unfortunately not, according to the user manual http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705103.pdf (see p.3 and p.8)

As I mentioned, PC1 shouldn't be networked at all and so nothing can be connected to it by ethernet. Thanks for the suggestion, though...

 

[Skinner]

WD also require Proprietary software to be installed least they do on the my book range.

Look at the cheap hp micro servers, throw in freenas and your away. I did buy one but sold it to a mate as a minecraft server so only had it a few weeks so I can't test it.

 

[Edwin]

Thanks for all the help. That kind of matches what I've dug up too: even on the rare occasions where a device will address both ethernet and USB, it's not the same data area therefore putting paid to my idea of using it as a place to "pass files across" from a non-networked PC to a networked PC.

Oh well, there's always a cheap and cheerful plan B: 2 long USB cables, a 2-way USB switch and an external HDD that then gets "shared" between 2 machines, just not at the sime time