Archive for the ‘USB Storage’ Category

Jason Stark asked:




Sharing computer storage on home and office networks has proven to be an effective way to reduce unnecessary duplication of files, videos, mp3 for access on various computers and laptops. By using a central storage repository, files are placed there once and streamed or copied from there as needed, any time and from anywhere on the internal network, even over the internet. One less expensive way to share files, even printers over the home network, is to use a multi port USB, or Universal Serial Bus, Network Storage Adapter.

USB network storage adapter or enclosure is a simple serial bus hub that on one side has several connectors to hard drives, printers, or possibly other serial bus devices, and on the other side has a TCP/IP normal internet connector. You can then “share” the various universal serial bus devices over the common home network.

Many network storage enclosures are currently offered by several vendors that promise simple sharing of serial bus connected devices over the home network. Before you buy any of such universal serial bus network storage adapter, make sure you understand what such “sharing over the network” means and any caveats that may apply. By understanding these before the purchase, you will be able to install and take advantage of their features instantly without delay or frustration.

The three caveats in using universal serial bus network storage adapters are: first, USB devices are not meant to be used simultaneously by multiple users, second, universal serial bus devices, although designed to draw power from the bus, can not be using too much power, and, third, your hard drive may need reformatting before being used inside the network storage adapter.
Caveat 1: Only one user of a USB device at a time

USB devices such as printers, hard drives, cameras, have never been designed to be used by several users at the same time. Unlike a normal networked hard drive, in some network storage enclosures, a user must request access to a particular device, and the dedicated connection must first be established before the drive or device can be used. That adds an additional step to the process and, for some purposes, can make the universal serial bus “shared” device truly unusable. Not all USB network storage enclosures have that requirement. So check ahead.

Caveat 2: Connected universal serial bus devices can not take up too much power

Many universal serial bus devices require power over the USB connection itself. Hard drives especially can take up a significant amount of power. So, especially when connecting several hard drives to one USB network storage enclosure, either choose hard drives that get their own power from the mains, or make sure their power requirements of the bus connector are manageable and sufficiently small.

Caveat 3: Your hard drive may need reformatting to be used inside a USB network storage enclosure

This can be an unpleasant surprise when you take your external hard drive that you have been using on Windows, install it in a network enclosure, follow directions (that leisurely advise you your data may be lost), and find all your data on your hard drive disappear. Likewise, since the disk format that these drives use will not be compatible with Microsoft Windows, pulling the hard drive out of the enclosure, and inserting it back into the connector on your computer or netbook will not provide your data.