Using the USB storage option on the wireless router.

[varun706]

Hi guys,
I want your suggestions about connecting an external HDD to a router to make it accessible across the network.
I don't know whether this is the right place to ask this question, so please bear with me.
I have a D-Link DSL 2750U wireless router and a WD Passport Slim 1 TB hard drive.
I want to hook up the hard drive to the router so that I can share my hard drive with my roommates wirelessly.

I want to know how that's done and whether I have to format it to use it first.(It has some data on it already.) I want to know how to restrict access to the hard drive and set it so that only I can write data to it while others can only view it.

Do I have to format it when I unplug the hard drive to use it somewhere else?

Does my router have any data storage caps that I have to know about?

What speeds can I expect while transferring files? Can the hard drive be accessed my multiple users simultaneously?
I really want your help with this 'cause I'm about to use this setup in about two weeks or so and I really don't know if this will work or not.
Please help me.
Thank you.

 

[Paul NZ]

Read the manual for it http://global.dlink.com.sg/site_support/DSL-2750U/Manual/DSL-2750U_T1_Manual_v1.pdf

It's under 4.4.9.1

 

[varun706]

Read the manual for it http://global.dlink.com.sg/site_support/DSL-2750U/Manual/DSL-2750U_T1_Manual_v1.pdf

It's under 4.4.9.1

Hi there,
Thanks for the suggestion,
I read the document and now I know how to access the settings for USB storage.

But it doesn't answer whether it has any kind of storage caps. I read in a website that some routers have storage caps like 16 GB max while I'm going for 1 TB and probably more in the coming future.

Also I want to know how to restrict write privileges to me.
Anyway, Thanks again.

 

[Paul NZ]

If it doesnt list anything it probably doesnt have one. Ask Dlink

You would probably have to set permissions in windows before you connect it.

Thats if you've got a Pro version of windows. If you dont you cant

Dont think you can write to it once its connected anyway. Just read

It may have something in the router once you select the USB settings. Like it does on this modem. A TP-link

Supported USB Mass Storage: hard disk, flash disk or memory card reader;

Supported File System Type: FAT32 and NTFS;

Supported Volumes: Only two USB storage devices with up to eight volumes could be activated simultaneously, up to four USB storage devices with about eighteen volumes could be recognized.

Have no idea what that means

 

[digitaldoc]

The storage cap is not usually the issue in getting this to work. However, not every router will power a USB hard drive as they don't have enough power- these things were designed for a flash drive. You will need to experiment to see if a mechanical hard drive will work, or not.

If you want 1 TB of data on a network, than you should setup a dedicated NAS where you can have more control of the data. I do not believe that you can set write permissions through the Dlink router USB port.

 

[varun706]

Thank you all for the input. I guess it will be alright if I can't write data while connected to network. But can I write data onto the hard drive when I unplug it from the network or do I need to format it?

Will it be better to restrict access by MAC filtering by allowing around 5 devices?
What speeds can I expect while data transfer?

 

[Paul NZ]

Why dont you connect the hdd and find out

 

[varun706]

I don't have it with me right now.