Network Hard Drive Recommendations, Please.

[KarenMarie]

As the title suggests, I am looking for an external hard drive that I can plug into my modem/gateway.

I have a network now with an external hard drive on the desktop and I can only access the files on it from the other systems if the desktop is on. I want something that I can put my music, pictures, work files on, so I can access it from either system... whether the others are turned on or off. I also want to be able to print from any system. The printer is now connected to the desktop and only can only be accessed from other systems if the desktop is on.

So, basically what I want to do... is hook up something to my gateway/modem (which is wireless). I want to be able to listen to music, view pictures, create/change/delete data files/documents from it. If I create a document on one of the laptops, would like to print it, whether the desktop is on or not. I would like all new docs/pics/music to save to the network drive.

I know that there are quite a few companies that do these sort of things, but with my not knowing much about them, I am a bit unsure. I have read pros and cons on all of them, but figured I would ask the smart ppl of anandtech their opinion.

thanks in advance!
🙂

 

[NuAlphaMan]

Sounds like you want a print server and NAS. Here is a thread where they talk about NASes and make some good suggestions. Print servers are relatively inexpensive and doing a search in the forums will net you any number of suggestions. Hope this helps.

 

[KarenMarie]

I do not think I am looking for anything so complicated as what is in that thread.

I was thinking more along the lines as stuff like this:
http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCa...bCategory=481&name=Network-Hard-Drives

Unless of course they wont do what I described above.

That thread seems to be more along the lines of big and complicated stuff.

 

[Kelemvor]

Why not just use the desktop you already have as your File Server. Then just leave it always on and everything will be fine. Can put as many HDDs in it as you want, hook up a Tape Drive for backups, connect the printer directly to it, etc. And since it's on all the time, can also use it as a Torrent box, PVR, etc...

Otherwise you could just get any Network Hard Drive and then a separate Print Server. They have devices that you plug our parallel or USB printer into the print server and then just plug that into your network.