Question Which External WiFi Hard Drive ?

oakmead

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Apr 15, 2015
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I'm looking for an External Hard Drive to kind of create a WiFi Home Network on a Windows based laptop or maybe a pc; although I may even consider an Apple/Mac.

I wish to copy iPhone photos and videos to it wirelessly, store My Documents on it and utilise the drive very much like I would an Internal C Drive.

The OS and all Programs will remain installed on the Internal Hard Drive of the computer.

I only require the WiFi connection for the iPhone, although it would be useful to connect a laptop wirelessly; it's unlikely I would need to access the HD from a different location.

I would like to transfer newly captured photos and videos directly from my iPhone SE via WiFi; thus initiating the transfer directly from the iPhone and without the need to switch on the computer.

It would be ideal, if the Ex HD could automatically detect the WiFi signal of my iPhone, connect to it, and download new photos and videos automatically.

I don't necessarily require the HD be powered 24/7 as I don't mind switching it on as and when required, even to wirelessly transfer photos, although I want it powered and operational independently of the computer.

I've searched the web and I've not managed to find a device which offers what I'm attempting to achieve, hence my post here.

The nearest I've found is the Seagate Wireless Pro but it's a mobile Ext Hard Drive which requires regular charging; also, I'm wondering whether it's robust enough to be continuously accessed in a manner of a C Drive.
 

ktriebol

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Feb 22, 2013
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I have given some consideration to an external wireless hard drive too, but arrived at a different conclusion, although your situation may be somewhat different than mine. I have a desktop, laptop, and android phone. I keep the desktop on 24/7. I wirelessly access the storage in my desktop over the network from my laptop and phone, and store data as you described on the desktop drive. I also have an additional drive in the desktop that I use mainly for storing backup images from the laptop and desktop. When storing laptop images on the desktop, it is done wirelessly as well. I can easily store and retrieve data to that drive from my laptop and phone wirelessly over the network. It works well and is convenient to use. The only issue may be that in your case, it won't be quite as convenient if you don't keep your desktop on 24/7.
 

oakmead

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Ktriebol...... Thanks for your very thorough and prompt response.
Yeah, I don't like the idea of leaving a laptop or PC switched on 24/7, I don't use a computer that often, hence, why I wish to transfer photos etc directly from my iPhone to a HD and without the need of switching on a computer and waiting for it to start up etc.
 
I don't think you are going to find a little wireless NAS that automatically syncs with /downloads from your phone in the same fashion as iCloud, as iphones seems to want/demand authentication with every device they are connected with...

Connecting it with any Windows 10 computer that has I-tunes installed makes syncing about as easy as can be, short of icloud...
 

oakmead

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Currently both my iPhone and Android phone automatically connect to my WiFi router and also a WiFi hot spot of my Android phone, yeah I had to authorise the connections the very first time but now both devices recognise the WiFi signal and connect the moment I arrive home.

I'm hoping to find an external Hard Drive or configure it in such a manner, which my iPhone can connect to automatically, like it does now to the WiFi router.

An automatic iPhone photo back up can be utilised on the WD My Cloud, although apparently, it will only back up automatically when the iPhone screen lock has been unlocked and the screen lock time-out set to never, otherwise, the back up stops when the iPhone screen locks.
 
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