Posted: 2/23/2011 10:02:27 AM EDT
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So I have a wireless router that came with my cable modem but it doesn't have any USB ports on it.
I have another wireless N Router can I connect that to my SMC router via CAT5 and plug my WD Bookshelf HDD into it so I can access it? Would I be able to daisy chain multiple bookshelf HDDs together? |
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So I have a wireless router that came with my cable modem but it doesn't have any USB ports on it. I have another wireless N Router can I connect that to my SMC router via CAT5 and plug my WD Bookshelf HDD into it so I can access it? Would I be able to daisy chain multiple bookshelf HDDs together? Can you? Probably. Is it a good idea? No. |
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1) You don't need multiple routers. If you want to use the N-router and not the SMC then just swap them out.
2) I have no idea about the daisy-chaining. That would be a function of the WD drive. I would imagine they don't work well with multiple drives chained together. But some do support addtional storage via the usb port on the external drive. 3) if you really want multiple drives then go with a networked one, like the WD mybook world edition. Then each would just plug into your network. |
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So I have a wireless router that came with my cable modem but it doesn't have any USB ports on it. I have another wireless N Router can I connect that to my SMC router via CAT5 and plug my WD Bookshelf HDD into it so I can access it? Would I be able to daisy chain multiple bookshelf HDDs together? Can you? Probably. Is it a good idea? No. Why is it a bad idea? I don't want #2 to broadcast, just basically be a dumb switch without having to buy new hardware. |
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So I have a wireless router that came with my cable modem but it doesn't have any USB ports on it. I have another wireless N Router can I connect that to my SMC router via CAT5 and plug my WD Bookshelf HDD into it so I can access it? Would I be able to daisy chain multiple bookshelf HDDs together? Can you? Probably. Is it a good idea? No. Why is it a bad idea? I don't want #2 to broadcast, just basically be a dumb switch without having to buy new hardware. ok, I phrased badly. Daisy chaining bookshelf USB HDDs is a bad idea. Using a second router is silly, but should work fine. Make sure you don't use the upstream port on it, only use the hub/back. |
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Why is it a bad idea? I don't want #2 to broadcast, just basically be a dumb switch without having to buy new hardware. Is there some reason you think you need to have *both* routers up and running? I could swap them out I suppose since the SMC doesn't have any USB ports but I think I may just get a networked bookshelf and forget it. |
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I use a network USB hub to connect all my printers, hard drives, etc. together. http://www.belkin.com/networkusbhub/#  |
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Quoted: So I have a wireless router that came with my cable modem but it doesn't have any USB ports on it. I have another wireless N Router can I connect that to my SMC router via CAT5 and plug my WD Bookshelf HDD into it so I can access it? Would I be able to daisy chain multiple bookshelf HDDs together? Can you? Probably. Is it a good idea? No. Why is it a bad idea? I don't want #2 to broadcast, just basically be a dumb switch without having to buy new hardware. Because two routers would be each trying to do the same job and nothing would work correctly. You need to use the N router. With cable the connection is dynamic and easy to setup. You can repeat the wireless security settings you have in the other router, or, if you are not using wpa2 with AES encryption, change your security to this. You need to look up online and see if the USB port on your N router will work with a hard drive or if it is for a printer or both. |