Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
baspinall1
Newbie

Since the USB ports on the FIOS MI424W actiontech routers are not really good for anything but charging a device. Can I hang a USB External Hard drive off one of the routers ethernet ports using an ethernet to USB adapter?

TIA - Brian

Tags (1)
0 Likes
1 Solution

Correct answers
Re: Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

The adaptor you linked is for a computer.  It must be plugged into a USB host device that is running an operating system such as Windows, MacOS or Linux.  It will not work with a hard disk.

MyCloud is a wired Ethernet NAS.  It does not have any WiFi hardware.  If you plug it into a router with WiFi, you can access it from your WiFi network.  It is available in 2T, 3T, 4T and 6T sizes.  You can add an external drive as well using it's USB port.  If you need to, you can setup shares and limit access to certain users.  A public share can be setup to allow access from anywhere on the net if you'd like to access your data anywhere (thus the name "MyCloud").  It's can also be a media server for iThings and other media clients.  It comes with decent backup software.

They don't cost much more than a bare drive of the same capacity.  Once you consider all the other features, they are quite useful.  They sometimes go on sale.

Visit the WD site for more details.

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1140

I have a 4T unit and it works great.  It's plugged into my Quantum router using 1G Ethernet.  My computers that connect via 1G Ethernet get very fast access; backup times are quite reasonable.

Enjoy.

View solution in original post

Re: Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

Depends on what type of "Ethernet to USB" adapter you mean.

If you're asking about the type of adaptor used to give a computer an Ethernet port, then the answer is no.  Those adaptors are USB devices that plug into a USB host (the computer).  A USB hard disk is a USB device.  You can't plug one USB device into another.

What you want is "Network Attached Storage," or NAS,  which is a hard disk with an Ethernet port.  WD makes a line of NAS devices called "MyCloud" that work quite well.  You should check them out.

Enjoy.

Re: Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
baspinall1
Newbie

I was looking at something along these lines as far as an adapter.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/office/computer-furniture/network-cabinets/usb-2-0-hi-speed-to-gig...

I have seen the wirless solutions like mycloud and such but haven't seen them any bigger than 2TB I have a 5TB usb External I was just trying to "get to work". Wish they would just fire up those USB ports on the dang routers.

0 Likes
Re: Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
EricW1
Enthusiast - Level 2

What you want is a NAS adapter like this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822242024

Many NAS drives allow you to connect a second drive. So you could get a 1 or 2TB MyCloud drive and connect your 5TB to it.

Re: Installing an external hard drive using a USB to ethernet adapter?
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

The adaptor you linked is for a computer.  It must be plugged into a USB host device that is running an operating system such as Windows, MacOS or Linux.  It will not work with a hard disk.

MyCloud is a wired Ethernet NAS.  It does not have any WiFi hardware.  If you plug it into a router with WiFi, you can access it from your WiFi network.  It is available in 2T, 3T, 4T and 6T sizes.  You can add an external drive as well using it's USB port.  If you need to, you can setup shares and limit access to certain users.  A public share can be setup to allow access from anywhere on the net if you'd like to access your data anywhere (thus the name "MyCloud").  It's can also be a media server for iThings and other media clients.  It comes with decent backup software.

They don't cost much more than a bare drive of the same capacity.  Once you consider all the other features, they are quite useful.  They sometimes go on sale.

Visit the WD site for more details.

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1140

I have a 4T unit and it works great.  It's plugged into my Quantum router using 1G Ethernet.  My computers that connect via 1G Ethernet get very fast access; backup times are quite reasonable.

Enjoy.