Wireless USP Connection.

BlueSpud

I have a usb HDD that I can connect to my pc or laptop via USB cable. However, I want to keep the box a good distance away and the cable is not long enough. Is it possible to get a pair of wireless thingies that will allow me to basically extend my usb cable. What I would like to do is to put a usb cable in the HDD (it uses a mini-usb connection), and have a wireless thingie on the other end, then have the regular usb connection in my pc, connected to a matching wireless thingie. I.e. I want to replace the middle of my usb cable with a matching pair of wireless dongles(?). Anyone know if this can be done, and where I can get the kit.

zilog_jones

Not exactly the solution you're looking for but you can get a USB NAS server box thing like this (not sure of an appropriate name for this, "NAS server" usually includes HDDs too) which you can connect to your wireless router (assuming you have one for your net connection) and access your external HDD through your network.

(The link is just an example, I don't know if it's any good)

BlueSpud

zilog_jones wrote: »

Not exactly the solution you're looking for but you can get a USB NAS server box thing like this (not sure of an appropriate name for this, "NAS server" usually includes HDDs too) which you can connect to your wireless router (assuming you have one for your net connection) and access your external HDD through your network.

(The link is just an example, I don't know if it's any good)

Thanks, but it's not the answer I am looking for, as it is the physical cable I am trying to avoid.

zilog_jones

But the cable will be connected to the NAS thing which connects to your router - your laptop will be wireless. Do you understand?

BlueSpud

zilog_jones wrote: »

But the cable will be connected to the NAS thing which connects to your router - your laptop will be wireless. Do you understand?

Yup, I understand. It is not wires going to the PC that I have the problem with, it is the wires to the HDD/NAS box. The HDD (a basic media box) is in one room and the modem/router and PC are at the other side of the house and not worth cabling.

The box itself is supposed to have NAS functionality, but I cant get the NAS s/w on the box to fire up when I connect to it to the router via a cable ( a temporary solution, while the wife is not around to complain) running along the ground. I can get the box to access files on the PC via it's own s/w so the devices are talking to each other.

It was this failure with NAS that prompted me to see if I could find a USB solution as I can easily manipulate the box from my PC by physically connecting the box via usb. I currently bring the box to the PC, do my stuff, then put the box back, not a very elegant solution.

zilog_jones

Ah I see your problem now. There's such a thing as Wireless USB and UWB (Ultra-wideband) but these are only really designed for short range connections (<3m) at USB-like speeds i.e. they are meant to be a wireless replacement for a USB cable. Also, product support for these technologies are as good as non-existant from what I can see.

I think the only reasonable solution for cross-household wireless is to get NAS working on your WLAN somehow. Have you tried the support forums for whoever makes your media box, or is it some cheap chinese yoke? What is it exactly? If it has no built-in wireless support (upgrade or otherwise) then if you can get the built-in NAS function working you can connect it directly to a wireless access point.

BlueSpud

It is a CnM Lifestyle Media player, yes a cheap chinese yokie-me-bob, but it does the basics pretty well. It is supposed to have WLAN capabilities, but the CnMLifestyle FAQ section states that you must use the CnM USB Dongle for that. I am not going there because as it is, I cant get the NAS functionality working even with a network cable (the temp one run along the floor).

I have done some googling but not come up with much.