61

5

5.

USB Storage

Access and configure a USB storage drive

This chapter describes how to access and configure a USB storage drive attached to your WiFi

modem router. The USB port on the WiFi modem router can connect only to USB storage

devices like flash drives or hard drives. Do not connect computers, USB modems, printers, CD

drives, or DVD drives to the WiFi modem router USB port.

This chapter contains the following sections:

•

USB Drive Requirements

•

ReadySHARE Access

•

File-Sharing Scenarios

•

USB Storage Basic Settings

•

USB Storage Advanced Settings

•

Safely Remove a USB Drive

•

Media Server Settings

•

Specify Approved USB Devices

•

Connect to the USB Drive from a Remote Computer

USB Storage

62

D6300 WiFi DSL Modem Router

USB Drive Requirements

The WiFi modem router works with 1.0 and 1.1 (USB Full Speed) and 2.0 (USB High Speed)

standards. The approximate USB bus speeds are shown in the following table. Actual bus

speeds can vary, depending on the CPU speed, memory, speed of the network, and other

variables.

Table 10.

USB drive speeds

Bus

Speed/Sec

USB 1.1

12 Mbits

USB 2.0

480 Mbits

The WiFi modem router should work with most USB-compliant external flash and hard drives.

For the most up-to-date list of USB drives supported by the WiFi modem router, visit:

The WiFi modem router supports both read and write access for FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, and

Linux file systems (EXT2 and EXT3).

Note:

Some USB external hard drives and flash drives require drivers to

be loaded into the computer before the computer can access the

USB device. Such USB devices do not work with the WiFi modem

router.

ReadySHARE Access

Once you have set up your WiFi modem router, you can connect any USB storage device

and share the contents with other users on your network.

You can access your USB device in any of the following ways:

•

On Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 2000 systems, select

Start >

Run

, and enter

\\readyshare

in the dialog box. Click

OK

.

•

On Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 2000 systems, open Internet

Explorer or Safari, and enter

\\readyshare

in the address bar.

•

On Mac OS X (version 10.2 or later), enter

smb://readyshare

in the address bar.

•

In My Network Places, enter

\\readyshare

in the address bar.

USB Storage

63

D6300 WiFi DSL Modem Router

File-Sharing Scenarios

You can share files on the USB drive for a wide variety of business and recreational

purposes. The files can be any Windows, Mac, or Linux file type including text, Word,

PowerPoint, Excel, and MP3 files, pictures, and multimedia. USB drive applications include:

•

Sharing multimedia such as MP3 files, pictures, and other multimedia with local and

remote users.

•

Sharing resources on your network. You might want to store files in a central location so

that you do not have to power up a computer to perform local sharing. In addition, you

can share files between Macintosh, Linux, and Windows computers by using the USB

drive as a go-between across the systems.

•

Sharing files such as Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and text files with

remote users.

A few common uses are described in the following sections.

Share Photos

You can create your own central storage location for photos and multimedia. This eliminates

the need to log in to (and pay for) an external photo-sharing site.



To share files with your friends and family:

1.

Insert your USB drive into the USB port on the WiFi modem router either directly or with

a USB cable.

Computers on your local area network (LAN) can automatically access this USB drive

using a web browser or Microsoft Networking.

2.

If you want to specify read-only access or to allow access from the Internet, see

USB

Storage Advanced Settings

on page 67.

Store Files in a Central Location for Printing

This scenario is for a family that has one high-quality color printer directly attached to a

computer, but not shared on the local area network (LAN). This family does not have a print

server.

•

One family member has photos on a Macintosh computer that she wants to print.

•

The photo-capable color printer is directly attached to a computer, but not shared on the

network.

•

The Mac and PC are not visible to each other on the network.



To print photos from a Mac on the printer attached to a PC:

1.

On the Mac, access the USB drive by typing

\\readyshare

in the address field of a web

browser. Then copy the photos to the USB drive.

2.

On the PC, use a web browser or Microsoft Networking to copy the files from the USB drive

to the PC. Then print the files.

USB Storage

64

D6300 WiFi DSL Modem Router

Share Large Files over the Internet

Sending files that are larger than 5 MB can pose a problem for many email systems. The

WiFi modem router allows you to share large files such as PowerPoint presentations or .zip

files over the Internet. FTP can be used to easily download shared files from the WiFi modem

router.

Sharing files with a remote colleague involves the following considerations:

•

There are two user accounts: admin and guest. The password for admin is the same one

that you use to access the WiFi modem router. By default, it is

password

. The guest user

account has no password.

•

On the FTP site, the person receiving the files should use the guest user account and

enter any password (FTP requires that you type something in the password field).

•

Be sure to select the

FTP (via Internet)

check box in the USB Storage (Advanced

Settings) screen. This option supports both downloading and uploading of files.

Note:

You can enable the HTTP (via Internet) option on the USB Storage

(Advanced Settings) screen to share large files. This option supports

downloading files only.

USB Storage Basic Settings

You can view or edit basic settings for the USB storage device attached to your WiFi modem

router.

USB Storage

65

D6300 WiFi DSL Modem Router

You can access this feature by selecting

BASIC > ReadySHARE

, or

ADVANCED > USB

Storage > ReadySHARE

. The USB Storage (Basic Settings) screen displays:

By default, the USB storage device is available to all computers on your local area network

(LAN).



To access your USB device:

1.

Click the network device name or the share name in your computer’s network folders

list.

2.

For SMB://readyshare, click

Connect

.

Note:

If you logged in to the WiFi modem router before you connected

your USB device, you might not see your USB device in the WiFi

modem router screens until you log out and then log back in again.