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Networks and external drives

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SKesselman:
Hi,

I'm on Windows 7.
All of my data is kept on an external drive, and everything else is on my laptop.
But, this is very new to me. I keep forgetting that the drive is there, and dropping it when I pick up my laptop.

Maybe it's because I've been on laptops for 7 years without one, and 3 months with one, I don't know.
Although it happens much less frequently now, I'm still forgetting it.
It's happened so many times now, that the USB ports in my VAIO are actually getting loose.

Is it possible to set up a wireless network with just  laptop and and external hard drive?
Or, should I hook up one 6 ft. USB extension cord to another, to another?

Perhaps someone out there has a better idea than either of these?

Thanks in advance  :)

ljbirns:
I have a Western Digital My Book network drive.  The drive is plugged into my D-Link  wireless router.  My laptop can access that drive. I am  running Vista but I don't think
it would be a problem on Win 7.

Lew

kyrathaba:
Sounds like you need Network Attached Storage.

4wd:
Depending on how much data you shift around and access from the external storage I would suggest that WiFi connection be your last choice for an alternative.

In my experience, WiFi is only useful for traffic that's sent in packets that is not time critical, eg. WWW, email, etc.  Any large transfers will take a long time at ~300kps which all I ever get on 802.11g at a distance of 700mm.

The most obvious alternative is to modify your behaviour, as a suggestion to help you:
1) Take a length of nylon string.
2) Tie one end to the PSU cable just behind the DC output plug.
3) Tie the other end to the external storage' USB cable just behind the plug for the PC USB port, leaving no more than 1-2cm of slack between the two, ie. just long enough to reach the USB ports closest to the power input on the laptop.

Now when you remove the power to move your laptop you should remember to remove the USB plug or at least wonder, "Who tied string to my power cord?"

Otherwise, if your WiFi router also has network ports then any of the devices I suggested here.

Oh yeah, if you really have been dropping your external storage you might want to consider backing it all up to another HDD.

SKesselman:
Wow. Thanks all, for your suggestions. You got me on the right track.

I can't do the string idea as I have 2 power supplies & I'm forever unplugging from the back of the pc in one room, then plugging another one in, in another room. So it sounds like there would be a good amount of attaching/reattaching.

But I'm scrapbooking your replies, including that great link to all of those different models, until April or May, when I have the time and money to fix this.

Thanks again, this is great info for me to have.

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