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[Offlinex]

I set up a simple external hard drive containing videos and pictures connected to my Wi-Fi router's (Linksys) usb. I can access the videos and pictures through my two tv's (LG and TCL) but I can't seem to figure out how to access it through my phone, do I need a certain app on the phone (its an google pixel 4a)?

Also I can find the file on my pc and it comes up with a bare bones display of whats on the drive like 30 videos and 150 pictures but I cant access them, except through windows media player (yuck) does vlc work?

 

[lantis3]

You need a DLNA (~UPNP) client on your smartphone I suppose.

Regarding VLC
https://superuser.com/questions/191736/how-do-i-connect-vlc-to-a-known-dlna-server

If you want to read/write those files on Dlink router from PC, you should turn on Samba server or file sharing feature of the router.

You router probably has Secure Folder Access
https://store.linksys.com/support-article?articleNum=48884

Router model?

 

[js2]

I set up a simple external hard drive containing videos and pictures connected to my Wi-Fi router's (Linksys) usb. I can access the videos and pictures through my two tv's (LG and TCL) but I can't seem to figure out how to access it through my phone, do I need a certain app on the phone (its an google pixel 4a)?

Also I can find the file on my pc and it comes up with a bare bones display of whats on the drive like 30 videos and 150 pictures but I cant access them, except through windows media player (yuck) does vlc work?

Never go the simple route, its often insecure. Cisco own Linksys, so you can use their media hub server software if you don't want to use Plex. The Linksys app should do the trick with your phone.

But it's best to not just "turn on everything" and share everything to everyone on the network.

 

[bill001g]

Never go the simple route, its often insecure. Cisco own Linksys, so you can use their media hub server software if you don't want to use Plex. The Linksys app should do the trick with your phone.

But it's best to not just "turn on everything" and share everything to everyone on the network.

Accessing router based shared files is always tricky from phones.

I am not sure about the advise on a linksys app.

The other information about cisco and linksys is extremely old. More than 10 years ago cisco sold linksys to belkin. Belkin has always been knows a "value" router maker. They did very little with linksys stuff. Then about 5 years ago the whole belkin company was sold to foxconn. Foxconn is mostly a equipment manufacture you hear a lot about them making apple product. Pretty much after this you see very little about linksys and belkin product lines. They still exist but it is hard to say where the people are that design and support these. They moved a lot of office around and laid people off. This might have all moved to china.

 

[Viking2121]

You could set up a file share on a computer and then also use CX File Explorer a free android or IOS app and access it within your network, you can set up permissions so only you or someone can only look at them or play them, though I'm not sure how the TV would see them. But im not sure how or if it will see the storage hooked up on your router, some require their app to use it.