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R7800 - connect USB hub?
Someone point me to the post if there's one already.
Windows 11 PC
If I have four 3.5" USB HHDs connected to a hub, and connect that to one of the USB ports on the router , can I access them as four distinct drives, so same as if they were connected directly to a PC on the network?
Or will recognize only one of the drives?
I am well aware I can buy an enclosure or software to have the four drives be recognized and perform as a single storage device.
Multiple external USB drives connected to a USB hub, connected to one of the USB ports on the router, are recognized as individual drives by ReadySHARE. Running Win 11, File Explorer sees them as a single volume, but I can Map Network Drive, enter the UNC Path for one of the drives and it's found as a separate. Interstingly, when I enter the Path and click Browse, in the "Browse For Folder" window Win 11 shows "readyshare" as a Network location. Within File Explorer it doesn't show that way.
6 Replies
I'll be interested to see how this turns out.
I used my router as a nas before but once I wanted more storage/faster speeds I upgraded to a nas.
And then when that wasn't enough, I went to a server.
So I can't say I've ever tried doing this.
If you're truly looking at doing something like this, I'd be looking at something like a raspberry pi that connects to a hub. Something a little more dedicated
Hoochee wrote:
If I have four 3.5" USB HHDs connected to a hub, and connect that to one of the USB ports on the router , can I access them as four distinct drives, so same as if they were connected directly to a PC on the network?
And that hub is?
I have an R7800 with a 8TB Seagate USB box in one port and a 4TB WD Element USB box. (Let's not go into the drive plugged into the eSATA port.)
The Seagate has two USB ports that I van connect USB drives that show up as independent devices in ReadySHARE.
This doesn't answer your question, hence the question about the hub, but it does give a few clues as to what you can do with ReadySHARE
michaelkenward I don't see how it matters what hub it is, let's call it a Hub-a-bubba
Drives daisy chained off the Seagate show as separate drives in ReadySHARE so I expect drives connected through a hub will be recognized the same. Will give it a go and report back for the benefit of others. Thanks for the input.
Fine.
Multiple external USB drives connected to a USB hub, connected to one of the USB ports on the router, are recognized as individual drives by ReadySHARE. Running Win 11, File Explorer sees them as a single volume, but I can Map Network Drive, enter the UNC Path for one of the drives and it's found as a separate. Interstingly, when I enter the Path and click Browse, in the "Browse For Folder" window Win 11 shows "readyshare" as a Network location. Within File Explorer it doesn't show that way.
Hoochee wrote:
Interstingly, when I enter the Path and click Browse, in the "Browse For Folder" window Win 11 shows "readyshare" as a Network location. Within File Explorer it doesn't show that way.
This is not my experience. But with a slightly different arrangement of USB drives.
My "hub"is actually a pair of USB ports on the front of an 8TB Seagate USB drive. So I manage to have five drives connected to an R7800 router.
One 4TB WD Elements drive + One e-Sata drive + 8TB Seagate USB drive with two USB drives attached.
All of these are clearly visible in the ReadyShare branch in Windows 11 Explorer.
Oddly, I also have a USB CD drive that, no matter how I attach it, hub or directly plugged in, does not show up as a drive in Explorer. It does appear when I enter the drive letter into Explorer.
