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Is there any way I can usb a USB storage device on multiple systems? FOr example could I take a usb hard drive or usb flash drive and split the output? Can I maybe reverse a USB hub, or hardwire connections? Or is there anything I can buy to do this?
Thanks,
Al
How do you mean "split the output."?
You can partion a usb drive just like any ohter and then assign each computer to save files on a particular partion.
Larry
Today seems like a good day to chew through the restraints.
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Well I dont need more then one partition, they can all use the same files. But a usb drive has one usb output... and I want it to connect to more then one pc at a time.
Thanks,
Al
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If you run the computer that the USB drive is connected to and that computer is part of a network it can be fully shared just like any other disk in the network. If the computer the USB drive is connected to is shut down, there is no way to access the drive without physically moving it. So just leave the host computer on. Makes it a server. Installing internal drives is a more cost effective way to accomplish the same thing. The server computer can be the old one you replaced. Doesn't need to be the fastest or newest.
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That will not serve my purpose. I need the drive to be plugged into a system files accesses with no configuration, removed and plugged into another. Network will not work due to configuration. Standard usb drive will work fine because it installs with no drivers or configuration. I am looking for some means to plug the usb drive physically into more then 1 pc like splitting the usb cable into 4 cables.
Thanks,
Al
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A powered USB huib is to split 1 usb port from a PC into 4 ports or more. Did you read my post? I want to do it backwards, split 1 usb hard drive to 4 pcs.
Thanks,
Al
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If you plug the usb drive into the usb hub, every pc connected to the usb hub will have access to the drive.
Or am I missing something?
Larry
Today seems like a good day to chew through the restraints.
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That is not how a USB HUB is to a supposed to work right? USB Hubs only have 1 pc connected to them right? The come out of a usb port on 1 pc and give you 4 ports to connect peripherals like printers, camera, scanners, usb drives, ect... but only 1 pc is connected right? It works similarly to a splitter correct?
Thanks,
Al
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You beat me to the punch, Sabertooth. :)
Here's an Auto switch/USB hub: http://sewelldirect.com/usbautoswitch4to4.asp
Larry
Today seems like a good day to chew through the restraints.
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Sabertooth: thanks this is getting closer to what I want. Although I would want to know if there is anyway for the pcs to access it at the same time, which cant be done with that switch.
How about this. Is there any way a PC could act as a USB Mass Storage Server or something, where I had a drive on the PC that other systems could access simultainiously via a usb connection using the usb mass storage driver?
Thanks,
Al
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"How about this. Is there any way a PC could act as a USB Mass Storage Server or something, where I had a drive on the PC that other systems could access simultainiously via a usb connection using the usb mass storage driver?"
You've more or less come full circle to one of the suggestions give much earlier - a simple network.
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Yeah but I am not talking about a ethernet network because then the systems have to be set to use the network share. I am looking for a off the wall setup, I am looking for all the connecting systems to connect through a usb connection not ethernet because with a usb connection they need to setup they will just use the USB Mass Storage driver included in windows me and above.
Thanks,
Al
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http://www.everythingusb.com/silex_sx-2000u2_usb_device_server.html
There are other similar devices, including wireless.
Either you add your USB device to the network via a "server appliance" or by sharing it as a drive.
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I dont know if this would do it
but there is a usb data transfer cable normaly used to connect like a crossover cable for use in peer to peer networking
it might have the ability
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If you are willing to run USB cables between 4 Computers why are you resistant to running networking cable between them. If you are worried about shares them simply share JUST the USB drive. What do you do for printing on these 4 computers? If you insist that you need external USB network storage then look here:
http://www.lacie.com/products/
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No one seems to understand what I want to do. I am not resistant to running network cable, they are allready there. But since the systems will be changing on a daily basis I don't want to have to setup network shares or have to do ANY configuration. The only way I know how to do that is USB Storage, because it needs no driver and No configuration on windows me and above systems.
Thanks,
Al
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Also I have Usb storage, drives, flash, enclosures. But I wanted one that can be accessed by multiple systems through the usb simultainiously.
Thanks,
Al
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You stated you want to connect 4 (FOUR) computers to a USB drive. Connect the drive to one computer. Allow sharing of the USB drive to all in the workgroup. What is there to change on a daily basis?
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I also said the 4 pcs will not be the same, differant pcs every day not the same systems, so the workgroup/network shares would have to be resetup every day.
Thanks,
Al
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Why? The host computer stays static. Just share the USB with everyone. If everyone can access the same files there is obviously no security issue here. You are making an easy task hard.
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OK, then look at the LaCie drives. They are meant to be network storage and setup just like a network printer. Many different capacities and the are stackable and I believe rack mountable. What they aren't is cheap.
http://www.lacie.com/
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I don't see any option for what youwant to do.
You *could* attach the USB drive to a host pc and then connect all the client PCs to the host PC using USB (using the specialized cable mentioned above ~$40 each). But, you would still need to "configure" the host pc to make the drive sharable - no different than a network setup.
How about this. Just allow access via the network: Create a couple of simple scripts. One script to run on the host computer to share the USB drive and another to run on the client pcs to map the share. This would make the setup take less than a minute. Of course the 2nd script isn't necessary since you could access the drive via the full network name of the share.
Michael J
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