Connect HDD to router USB.

[SlinkyMike]

Total noob question but the Google is not being very clear on this one...

I have a Siemens gigaset router, it has USB ports on the back of it.

I have 2 HDDs that I would like to connect to it directly.

Now obviously there needs to be some interface to allow computers connected to the router to access the file system on the HDDs. I am fairly certain that my particular router does not have any such thing built in.

Siemens web site has this device listed but I cannot find anything on that page that explicitly states what the damn thing does...

Thoughts/ideas?

[Madman88]

No... You still need some kind of processor to control the HDD's, and I'm pretty sure that a router would not have file server capabilities built in, or it would not be called a router..

[davemc]

Go carefully through the router configuration. Look for any standards being supported by the router itself, these standards would then be supported by the software monitoring the USB port.

Once you know what standards are supported, you can figure out what you can plug into it.

[Cadavre777]

That USB port on your router interfaces with a USB network controller. Connecting the HDD to the router will only serve as a power source if it does not damage either one of the devices if not both.

[b4 u born]

got a belkin and tp-link routers and i've got usb hard drives plugged in, sharing on LAN

[GazzaL]

some newer routers have the usb port, for exactly that (ie to access hdd over the network)......the belkin n+ wireless modem router is what i have, and i access a usb hdd on the network , this is what belkin say about their routers :-

Belkin's N+ Wireless Modem Router is based on 802.11n 2.0 technology, which provides a wireless network that has the range to easily cover any-size home or office. The N+ Modem Router has the bandwidth and speed for handling media intensive applications that take up large amounts of your bandwidth.

A USB Storage port on the back of the router enables you to connect USB storage devices such as an external hard drive or thumb drive to the network. Now you can centrally store and share media content and files from the USB hard drive to every computer on the network.

The N+ Wireless Modem Router is the central connection point of your wireless network. You can add up to 16 computers to your Wireless Network with additional desktop and notebook adapters. Position your Belkin Modem Router in between your Broadband ADSL line and your computer to start sharing your broadband Internet access.

[Flidiot]

The main thing would be to go through your specific routers manuals and configurations.

Quite a few routers actually do have a USB port on the back which can be utilised as either a print server, or to offer SMB services for an attached hard drive.

I think it was my old Telkom Netgear router (can't remember the model - white one from a year or two ago), that had a USB port - I managed to access a drive connected to it but there were stupid issues - speed, limited file system formats etc. Think it could only access FAT32 or something.

Would be interesting to see though if you can get that set up on your router, do you have a specific model number maybe?