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Forum Discussion
Connect External Hard Drive to Orbi network?
Hi guys I have just swapped over to an orbi Wi-Fi system for better covaerage which it’s done great. But how can we put/ hook up an external HDD, as there is no USB and from I have read you can’t but what is stopping me from hooking up a GS908E switch and using one of the USB on there then mapping drive.
Has anybody tried this?
Can it be done?
I really didn’t want to hook up HDD to network through computer.
Has anybody tried this?
Can it be done?
I really didn’t want to hook up HDD to network through computer.
2 Replies
Orbi doesn't support external USB drives. The USB port is for USB printers.
Downunder666 wrote:
Hi guys I have just swapped over to an orbi Wi-Fi system for better covaerage which it’s done great. But how can we put/ hook up an external HDD, as there is no USB and from I have read you can’t but what is stopping me from hooking up a GS908E switch and using one of the USB on there then mapping drive.My guess is "no". The product description claims those two USB ports are "for charging your smartphone or tablet". i.e. providing power for charging. https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/switches/lifestyle-switches/GS908E.aspx
A second reason is that USB hard drives are not "self contained". They require software on the device that they are connected to, such as a computer or one of the many routers that support USB hard drives. That switch will have no drive management software.
As you have discovered, when Netgear announced the Orbi product back in 2016, there appeared to be the intention to port Netgear's "ReadyShare" capability to it (and match existing Netgear routers). Somewhere along the line, that concept disappeared, and Netgear even stopped putting a USB port on the Orbi products. One of the top complaints from purchasers.
