Question Using External HDD with USB-to-Ethernet adapter

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Shujee

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Oct 24, 2013
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So I'm trying to setup an continuous backup plan. I need the following features in it:

  1. Act as NAS (a storage device connected to my router through Ethernet)
  2. Act as external HDD which I could connect directly to my laptop through USB (without requiring a separate power source)
  3. Budget friendly

After spending several hours researching, I haven't found any off-the-shelf stuff that could handle all this. So I came up with another plan. What if I buy the following:

  1. A cheap external HDD like Seagate Expansion 2TB that provides USB 3.0 (5Gbps) interface (powers through USB)
  2. A USB-to-Ethernet adapter like Tp-Link TL-UE300 (USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet)

and attach the disk to my router through this adapter. I could then detach it from the router and connect directly to my laptop when I need to.

Before actually spending the money, I though it would be wise to ask from the experts if this plan has any of the following loopholes:

  1. Will it actually work? Is there anything that I'm missing?
  2. How will the speeds be? My only reason of going for Ethernet connection is speed. My router has got a USB 1.1 port that allows connecting external storage to it, but it only allows FTP connections which are damn slow (not sure if FTP is responsible for it or is it the USB 1.1 thing).

Any words of wisdom are welcome.
 
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SkyNetRising said:
Nope.
USB to ethernet adapter - USB part goes into a computer, ethernet part connects to network. You can't connect it to USB storage device.
Click to expand...
mmm... why not? what specifically is missing? The storage device gives me a USB port to connect and the adapter gives me a USB port.

What do I need to add to this setup to make it work? What other options do I have?
 
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Shujee said:
mmm... why not? what specifically is missing? The storage device gives me a USB port to connect and the adapter gives me a USB port.
Click to expand...
Doesn't work that way.
And you can't connect that way also. USB-ethernet adapter and USB HDD - both have male USB plugs. They do not connect to each other.

Shujee said:
What do I need to add to this setup to make it work? What other options do I have?
Click to expand...
Either connect USB HDD to router directly via USB 1.1 port or get actual NAS device with USB port.
 
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Has this been solved? I have an almost identical problem. My WD Lan-attached disk isq 15 years old. It works perfectly, I can access it even from mobiles and tablets. It has an Ethernet port. But nothing lasts forever, and I'm looking for a replacement.
Current external drives all come with USB connections, not Ethernet (at least in a normal consumer price bracket). So the question is, how to route between Ethernet and USB. The USB port must also be able to provide power to the HDD or SSD (undecided).

I looked at the cheaper hubs which have both Ethernet and USB ports. But they all seem to direct traffic to a laptop or desktop. No mention of routing between ports. It all goes to the main feeder port.

Then I looked at the slghtly more expensive routers. Strange enough, I couldn't find one which supports both Ethernet 1000Mb and USB 3.

Any ideas ?
 
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Fair enough. I'm preparing to absorb the extra price of NAS+Sata. But would have been nice to be able to use the USB ports of a NAS, to plug in further cheap storage. However, there is a deluge of complaints about the USB port being slow on otherwise respectable NAS brands like Synology, Qnap, etc. I cannot win -:)
 
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