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Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

autigers1970
Aspirant

USB attached storage with WNDR4500

I have a Netgear WNDR4500 that has two USB ports on the back for USB attached storage or printers.  I have a new Seagate Expansion external USB hard drive I'd like to use with it to create network attached storage.  I've formatted the drive (I'm on MacOS Sierra) but when I plug it in the USB light on the front doesn't turn on and I can't see the drive from the computer.  Is there some trick to this I need to know?  The documentation on this seems rather thin.

Message 1 of 7

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Retired_Member
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Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

Drive's require resources, Router USB resources are limited, compared to a USB port on a PC when the 4500 was designed YEARS ago the hard drives were 250Gb or less....now drives average 4tb and a router designed years ago Doesn't have the resources required to support larger drives.

 

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Message 4 of 7

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Retired_Member
Not applicable

Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

Use this guide to see which drives are compatible, I checked and your Seagate Expansion isn't listed.

 

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18985/~/readyshare-usb-drives-compatibility-list?cid=w...

Message 2 of 7
autigers1970
Aspirant

Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

Wow, that is a short list of hard drives that will work.  Don't understand why any USB hard drive, properly formatted, won't connect.

Message 3 of 7
Retired_Member
Not applicable

Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

Drive's require resources, Router USB resources are limited, compared to a USB port on a PC when the 4500 was designed YEARS ago the hard drives were 250Gb or less....now drives average 4tb and a router designed years ago Doesn't have the resources required to support larger drives.

 

Message 4 of 7

Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500

What are "resources"?

 

Which resources does the drive need?

 

Is this a reference to power?

 

Message 5 of 7
Retired_Member
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Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500


@michaelkenward wrote:

What are "resources"?

 

Which resources does the drive need?

 

Is this a reference to power?

 


Plug in Play is what most USB drives are. When plugged into a PC USB port the OS AKA Windows detects and then loads whatever software is needed. Router USB ports don't support Plug N Play fully and or have Limited software support, power & CPU

 

"Very few external hard drives actually require software to be installed into the computer directly, as most USB external hard drivers are what is known as plug and play, as in Windows will detect them automatically and install the required software. If necessary, however, install the software from the manufacturer"

 

Message 6 of 7

Re: USB attached storage with WNDR4500


@searay wrote:

@michaelkenward wrote:

What are "resources"?

 

Which resources does the drive need?

 

Is this a reference to power?

 


Plug in Play is what most USB drives are.

 

 


 

You mean plug 'n' play. (It is short for plug and play, aka plug and pray.)

 

USB needs power. Then the USB link handles the data.

 

The problem is that newer USB devices, especially USB3, need more power than some USB ports can deliver.

 

Even if there is enough power, the compatibility issue rears its head.

 

Windows does not install "software" as most people know it when you plug in a USB drive. If needed, Windows installs "drivers". This is where the compatibility issue comes in.

 

Describing drivers as "resources" is confusing and unnecessary when there are simpler and more accurate descriptions available. That is why I asked what the heck "resources" might be.

 

 

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