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Re: Is there a device for my needs?

RalfyM
Guide

Is there a device for my needs?

Hello,
I'm throwing good money after bad at the moment to get a particular setup. Without boring you with the details this is what I'm after:

 

1. A LAN extender with Wifi so I can connect to my network using a mobile device from remote areas around my home. My current Virgin not so super hub barely reaches to the top floor. I don't need fast Wifi. I plan to put this extender on the second floor of the house so the Wifi must reach up one floor
2. Gigabit ethernet
3. A router with NAS capabilities. I have 2TB and 3TB USB (powered) HDDs which must be supported (exFat or NTFS) either directly to two USB hosts or via an unpowered hub. Each disk must be independently accessible as I wish to power on each HDD as and when I need it and both may be on at the same time. This means that...
4, The USB HDD's must be mounted by a label that never changes for that particular disk (the same way Windows is able to show a label for a disk regardless of which port it's plugged in to). Basically I want Kodi to be able to access the media on the disks either by Samba or FTP though preferably the former due to my file sync software. Once Kodi has the path and creates a library of the media I cannot have that path change each time a disk is powered on. The path between Kodi and this router will be via ethernet then USB.
5. Must be able to sync to the connected drives from a Windows PC and large files must be supported (30GB files)
6. User security for the NAS function
7. Low power, 20W or less
8. Costs less than £100 (based on Amazon.co.uk prices as a guide)

 

Do any of the Netgear devices meet all of these criteria? I'm really hoping someone can help with this and suggest a device.

 

Thank you very much in advance

 

Message 1 of 4

Accepted Solutions

Re: Is there a device for my needs?


@RalfyM wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply. The R6400-100UKS is within price range, the R7000 is just slightly out. This model can answer requirements 1, 2, 6 and 8. But as I'm finding with most advertised specs there is no information on USB hub support, supported HDD sizes and of particular importance having a static, unchanging name to each drive including after a restart.

 


 

Netgear does publish a list of compatible USB drives:

 

ReadySHARE USB Drives Compatibility List | Answer | NETGEAR Support

 

But it may not be up to date, or even that reliable.

 

If you crawl around this place looking for conversations about Rapidshare you will find that the general view is that Rapidshare is a poor way of sharing stuff over a network. Not just for compatibility reasons, but because it is not really designed for that purpose.

 

AS William10a says, most of the real experts around here advocate using genuine NAS boxes. There is no such thing as a "router with NAS capabilities". USB is not NAS. NAS is storage that you connect to over the LAN not through USB. It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

 

If you want to extend wifi coverage to the far reaches of your mansion, the wifi capable Powerline devices might be a good option.

 

 

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Message 4 of 4

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William10a
Master

Re: Is there a device for my needs?


@RalfyM wrote:

Hello,
I'm throwing good money after bad at the moment to get a particular setup. Without boring you with the details this is what I'm after:

 

1. A LAN extender with Wifi so I can connect to my network using a mobile device from remote areas around my home. My current Virgin not so super hub barely reaches to the top floor. I don't need fast Wifi. I plan to put this extender on the second floor of the house so the Wifi must reach up one floor
2. Gigabit ethernet
3. A router with NAS capabilities. I have 2TB and 3TB USB (powered) HDDs which must be supported (exFat or NTFS) either directly to two USB hosts or via an unpowered hub. Each disk must be independently accessible as I wish to power on each HDD as and when I need it and both may be on at the same time. This means that...
4, The USB HDD's must be mounted by a label that never changes for that particular disk (the same way Windows is able to show a label for a disk regardless of which port it's plugged in to). Basically I want Kodi to be able to access the media on the disks either by Samba or FTP though preferably the former due to my file sync software. Once Kodi has the path and creates a library of the media I cannot have that path change each time a disk is powered on. The path between Kodi and this router will be via ethernet then USB.
5. Must be able to sync to the connected drives from a Windows PC and large files must be supported (30GB files)
6. User security for the NAS function
7. Low power, 20W or less
8. Costs less than £100 (based on Amazon.co.uk prices as a guide)

 

Do any of the Netgear devices meet all of these criteria? I'm really hoping someone can help with this and suggest a device.

 

Thank you very much in advance

 


A router in access point mode could handle the wifi  for the remote location 100 meters or 330 is the limit for a lan cable run but unless you have a very very large home this should not  be a problem most new router support 1gb lan ports for the wired ports today. The router you select will control the amount of power used, and the size of the hard drive you can attach to the usb port is limited by many factors of the router  if your planning a nas type server for for home a true nas server would be better. Readyshare is not a good nas server it is good for backups and limited shearing of files but for what you saying you want a nas srver is a much better choice. The r7000 may be low enough in cost in your area of the world can not say that it would cover the second floor with wifi many factor's control range.

Message 2 of 4
RalfyM
Guide

Re: Is there a device for my needs?

Thank you for the quick reply. The R6400-100UKS is within price range, the R7000 is just slightly out. This model can answer requirements 1, 2, 6 and 8. But as I'm finding with most advertised specs there is no information on USB hub support, supported HDD sizes and of particular importance having a static, unchanging name to each drive including after a restart.

 

Regards

Message 3 of 4

Re: Is there a device for my needs?


@RalfyM wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply. The R6400-100UKS is within price range, the R7000 is just slightly out. This model can answer requirements 1, 2, 6 and 8. But as I'm finding with most advertised specs there is no information on USB hub support, supported HDD sizes and of particular importance having a static, unchanging name to each drive including after a restart.

 


 

Netgear does publish a list of compatible USB drives:

 

ReadySHARE USB Drives Compatibility List | Answer | NETGEAR Support

 

But it may not be up to date, or even that reliable.

 

If you crawl around this place looking for conversations about Rapidshare you will find that the general view is that Rapidshare is a poor way of sharing stuff over a network. Not just for compatibility reasons, but because it is not really designed for that purpose.

 

AS William10a says, most of the real experts around here advocate using genuine NAS boxes. There is no such thing as a "router with NAS capabilities". USB is not NAS. NAS is storage that you connect to over the LAN not through USB. It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

 

If you want to extend wifi coverage to the far reaches of your mansion, the wifi capable Powerline devices might be a good option.

 

 

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