{"id":2205,"date":"2019-03-13T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T11:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2205"},"modified":"2019-03-11T14:25:57","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T18:25:57","slug":"readers-reply-to-cheapest-way-to-network-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/13\/readers-reply-to-cheapest-way-to-network-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers reply to &#8220;cheapest way to network&#8221; post"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In &#8220;<a aria-label=\"What\u2019s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive? (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/27\/a-reader-asks-whats-the-cheapest-way-to-network-an-external-hard-drive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What\u2019s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive?<\/a>&#8221; I suggested a  fully-functional, zero-cost option: Connect the drive to any PC that&#8217;s already on the network, and use the OS&#8217;s built-in <em><strong>network sharing<\/strong><\/em> function (e.g. Win10&#8217;s <em><strong>Give access to\/Advanced Sharing\/<\/strong><\/em> option) to let others access the drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several readers had good follow-on comments and questions, including this, from Steve Fleckenstein:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8220;If supported, see if your home router has a USB connection that accepts a USB hard drive and kill two bugs with one stone. This should put the drive on your network and for Windows machines define the router as the Master Browser, reducing Windows 10 file sharing problems over the network.&#8221;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re right, Steve &#8212; as you say, <em><strong>if<\/strong><\/em> your router allows it. Mine, alas \u2014 a glorious Verizon\/Fios rental \u2014 has live USB sockets that can deliver power to attached devices, but cannot pass any data in either direction: They\u2019re deliberately OEM-disabled for data, with no way to turn it on. Grrr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reader with the nom-de-web of techViews asked a series of related questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>My question would be, if you can do that with a single drive, could you do that with a full laptop? Let\u2019s say I would like to share my laptop with those in the network. Without having to use file\/folder sharing, could I just connect the laptop directly to the router via USB and accomplish the same thing? And if so, would that allow the laptop to have access rights to the other computers on the network?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;If you can do that with a single drive, could you do that with a full laptop?&#8221;<\/strong> Yes, network sharing can work for <em><u>any<\/u><\/em> or <em><u>all<\/u><\/em> PC drives &#8212; external, internal, HDD, SSD, DVD, even floppy drives, if you still have &#8217;em! As PC administrator, you can either grant full access to a drive by sharing its root folder (e.g. <strong>C:\\<\/strong>); or grant selective access to specific folders. You also can set permissions to control which users are allowed to connect; and how many simultaneous connections you&#8217;ll allow (to prevent the host PC from bogging down).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;Without having to use file\/folder sharing, could I just connect the laptop directly to the router via USB and accomplish the same thing?&#8221;<\/strong> No, because a PC&#8217;s drives are mediated by its operating system. Normal PC hardware isn&#8217;t set up for a drive to be directly accessed via an external connection; or for an external physical connection to bypass the active OS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For other PCs on the local network to have access to your PC&#8217;s files, and for your PC to have access to the other computers on the network, you&#8217;d need to set up at least some minimal type of networking, with the PC operating systems involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>USB networking usually involves some kind of extra hardware. It&#8217;s built into some routers and USB hubs (see previous question, above), but if you&#8217;re just connecting two PCs , you can use a simple &#8220;USB networking cable,&#8221; (aka &#8220;USB bridging cable,&#8221; &#8220;USB data transfer cable,&#8221; &#8220;USB link cable,&#8221;\u00a0etc.; <a aria-label=\"examples (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=usb+bridging+cables\" target=\"_blank\">examples<\/a>). The basic ones have a bit of extra wiring or circuitry to crossover the data signals to the correct pins on a cable with male plugs on both ends. These cables usually require extra software &#8212; system drivers and\/or separate apps &#8212; to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More complex cables contain a bit of programmed logic to automate connections under varying circumstances; sometimes doing away with the need for separate software. (Again, some routers and hubs may have this built-in.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there are inexpensive USB-to-Ethernet and USB-to-WiFi adapters (examples <a aria-label=\"here (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=usb+to+ethernet+adapter\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> and <a aria-label=\"here (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=usb+to+ethernet+adapter\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>) that let your PC connect from USB to a wired or wireless ethernet network in one step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;&#8230;Would that allow the laptop to have access rights to the other computers on the network?&#8221;<\/strong> Nope, sorry! Once your PCs are networked, you&#8217;ll still need to adjust the sharing\/permissions on each PC to allow users to access each other&#8217;s files. (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=windows+file+sharing+win10\" target=\"_blank\">Info<\/a>.) There&#8217;s just no way around having to set up at least some limited form of file\/folder sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when you&#8217;re done, you&#8217;ll have full, normal networking, via your USB connection!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\" class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em><strong>Permalink: <a href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2205\">https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2205<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"104\" height=\"6\" data-attachment-id=\"1999\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/10\/around-boston-the-nearly-snowless-winter-continues\/seperator-short-grey\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/SEPERATOR-short-grey.png?fit=104%2C6&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"104,6\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"SEPERATOR short grey\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/SEPERATOR-short-grey.png?fit=104%2C6&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/SEPERATOR-short-grey.png?resize=104%2C6\" alt=\"[seperator]\" class=\"wp-image-1999\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:left\"><strong>COMMENT \/ QUESTION<\/strong>  on <strong>THIS ITEM?<\/strong> <em>See the<\/em> <strong>Comment box<\/strong> <em>at bottom of this page!<\/em><br><b><em><br><\/em>NEW QUESTION? <\/b><em>Ask<\/em><b> <u><font color=\"#000117\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/font><\/u><\/b>!<br><br>(<em>Want free notification of new content? Click<\/em><b><strong> <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/09\/get-free-automatic-notification-of-new-content\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a><\/b>!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In &#8220;What\u2019s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive?&#8221; I suggested a fully-functional, zero-cost option: Connect the drive to any PC that&#8217;s already on the network, and use the OS&#8217;s built-in network sharing function (e.g. Win10&#8217;s Give access to\/Advanced Sharing\/ option) to let others access the drive. Several readers had good follow-on comments&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25,21,24,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-inbox","category-misc","category-reader-comment","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-zz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2177,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/27\/a-reader-asks-whats-the-cheapest-way-to-network-an-external-hard-drive\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":0},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;What&#8217;s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-02-27","format":false,"excerpt":"How about $0.00? Plug the drive into any PC that's on the network; use that PC's built-in OS tools to \"share\" the drive on the net. For example, let's say you plug the drive into a Windows 10 PC. When Windows recognizes the drive and assigns it a drive letter,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2820,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/23\/can-a-mac-and-pc-share-a-network-hard-drive\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":1},"title":"&#8220;Can a Mac and PC share a network hard drive?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-05-23","format":false,"excerpt":"Sure! Although only one operating system can \u201cown\u201d the drive, it can share that same drive with one or more other OSes. Let\u2019s say a Windows PC shares one of its drives to the local network; its permission can be adjusted as you like, but in general, any device on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/ethernet_cables.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/ethernet_cables.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/ethernet_cables.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2402,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/25\/how-to-solve-uefi-boot-and-startup-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":2},"title":"How to solve UEFI boot and startup problems","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-25","format":false,"excerpt":"The column reprinted below was originally published in the December 11, 2014, Windows Secrets newsletter. Today, it supplements a new LangaList column scheduled for the March 25, 2019, AskWoody Plus Newsletter. Click on over for a look! (I\u2019m reprinting selected Windows Secrets columns here to help ensure readers can find\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AskWoody Plus&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/W20141211-TS-UseDevice.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":782,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/19\/a-reader-asks-how-much-open-space-does-a-drive-really-need\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: How much open space does a drive really need?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-19","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Liz G asks (via the CONTACT link) how much open space a drive really needs: I know installed hard drives need 15% breathing room. How about portable external hard drives? I have 7 Western Digital drives ranging in size from 500GB to 2TB and the only thing on them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3012,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/02\/about-that-optane-based-pc\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":4},"title":"&#8220;About that Optane-based PC&#8230;&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-07-02","format":false,"excerpt":"LangaList readers are sending in questions about some of the details in the recent three-part series on spec'ing, buying, and setting up a new Optane-equipped PC. Quick recap: In Part One, Taking the plunge with a new PC (AskWoody Plus newsletter 2019-06-03), you saw how I used Windows\u2019 built-in performance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A reader asks...&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/passmark-hp-32gb-final-edit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/passmark-hp-32gb-final-edit.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/passmark-hp-32gb-final-edit.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1700,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/22\/a-reader-asks-what-is-the-best-software-to-recover-deleted-android-files-by-a-pc\/","url_meta":{"origin":2205,"position":5},"title":"A reader asks: &#8220;What is the best software to recover deleted Android files, by a PC?&#8221;","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-22","format":false,"excerpt":"It depends on where the files are located. If the files are on a removeable memory card, it's easy! Just shut down the phone, remove the memory card, plug the card into a PC's card reader and use any of the gazillion free and paid file-recovery tools available. (Examples.) 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