Tech Support > Computer Hardware > Storage Devices > Does a network storage to USB drive converter exist?
Does a network storage to USB drive converter exist?
Posted by abonne on April 26th, 2008


Hello:

I wonder if any converters are out there, to make a networked storage
(SMB share, NDAS, ...) appear as a USB drive. That would be a small box
with a USB male connector and a 1GB Ethernet socket, remotely
configurable to access the specific networked storage.

Thank you in advance for any pointers.

-- A.

Posted by Bill Todd on April 26th, 2008


abonne wrote:
I don't have a pointer to one that's available today, but I own an
inexpensive USB-to-RJ45 converter cable (not even a box) that (with the
installed software) allows me to access my local network through a USB
1.1 port on my old laptop (which lacks a built-in network port). It
would not make the remote storage 'appear as a USB drive', though: it
would just look like networked storage.

- bill

Posted by abonne on April 26th, 2008




Bill Todd wrote:
So it presents itself to the host system as a network card, like this
device:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/N...-152000210.htm

, right? It looks like a network card, not a storage, it is up to the
system to make further conversions.

I am looking for a different device - which would present itself to the
system directly as a USB disk drive.

Thanks.

-- Andy

Posted by Arno Wagner on April 26th, 2008


In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage abonne <abonne@free> wrote:


Not easily done and requires a full computer with USB drive emulation
software an a spciel USB slave interface card.

Short form: Forget it. What are you trying to do? Maybe there is
a different way?

Arno


Posted by Eric Gisin on April 26th, 2008


Not really possible.
USB drives are block devices that can be formatted,
and SMB is file based and does not provide block access.

It would be possible with iSCSI, but there is little market for that.

"abonne" <abonne@free> wrote in message news:48131668$0$21060$426a74cc@news.free.fr...

Posted by abonne on April 26th, 2008




Arno Wagner wrote:
Ok. Let's forget it. I have a set-top box that can record to a USB
drive; I don't want to put a dedicated drive next to it, but rather use
the shared storage accessible via my home network. Another (im)possible
option would be a virtual USB cable extender that works over the
Ethernet... (I know there are USB extenders that work over the Ethernet
*cable*, but I'd rather use the general network.)

-- Andy

Posted by Arno Wagner on April 26th, 2008


In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage abonne <abonne@free> wrote:


Hmm, tricky. Best find out whether this box can record to network,
e.g. via samba, ftp, or the like.

If not, an USB extender (not over the netwrok, as that has the
prblems I originaly mentioned) is your best option.

Arno