Pretty basic question from newbie..please help?

[lithnights]

I am new to networking. I currently have a CPU in my office hooked up to a wireless router. I have my laptop in the kitchen which wirelessly connects to the wireless router so I can surf the web.

I have also set up some basic wireless networking so I can view CPU files on my laptop and vice versa.

The problem is.. I am running out of hard drive space on my CPU and laptop. I have many music files and digital pics and the 80GB and 60GB respectively is filled.

I want to set up a system where I have a large single hard drive (350GB or so) in the office that can be acceessed by either the CPU or laptop. My brother mentioned something called a network hard drive. I'd love to put ALL my files on that network hard drive and access them from the CPU or wirelessly via my laptop. Is a network hard drive what I should be looking into? If not, what?

Another thought was to just get a new CPU with large hard drive, store everything there and connect wirelessly to the laptop. But that would require me to keep that CPU powered on all the time when I don't need it to be. Right?

What would you do?

Thanks in advance for any help

[Snurfen]

Yep, a network hard drive would do the trick, but would probably cost you quite a bit. I don't know how much they are in Philly, but google your local techie shops for a network attached hard disk.

Typically, you get an enclosure which has an onboard network card that will accept hard discs. Plug this in to your router, follow the dancing dot installation instructions, and voila! a load of storage reachable by anything using that router.

Alternatively, you can just buy the biggest hard disc you can reasonably afford, and space withstanding, stick it in the desktop (the CPU). Configure it as a secondary drive, and then the desktop will see it automatically, and you can set it up as a shared drive so the laptop can see it.

When you've made a decision on which route suits your purse and your confidence in taking the desktop to bits or otherwise etc etc, we'll get you sorted out with the exact commands and activities you need to get this much needed extra space!

If you're really in the dark, we can also recommend actual part nos and suppliers for what you need.

[lithnights]

Yep, a network hard drive would do the trick, but would probably cost you quite a bit. I don't know how much they are in Philly, but google your local techie shops for a network attached hard disk.

Typically, you get an enclosure which has an onboard network card that will accept hard discs. Plug this in to your router, follow the dancing dot installation instructions, and voila! a load of storage reachable by anything using that router.

Alternatively, you can just buy the biggest hard disc you can reasonably afford, and space withstanding, stick it in the desktop (the CPU). Configure it as a secondary drive, and then the desktop will see it automatically, and you can set it up as a shared drive so the laptop can see it.

When you've made a decision on which route suits your purse and your confidence in taking the desktop to bits or otherwise etc etc, we'll get you sorted out with the exact commands and activities you need to get this much needed extra space!

If you're really in the dark, we can also recommend actual part nos and suppliers for what you need.

I probably should have clarified that my existing CPU is 8 years old and is on it's last leg. I'm not sure I want to utilize that as my solution (by buying and adding memory to it). Would you agree? Also, that still means that I would have to keep that computer on all the time in order to link to it.

I googled network hard drive and it looks like a 300GB runs around $250 or so. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/471770-REG/HP_Hewlett_Packard_PE592AV_Media_Vault_300GB_Netwo rk.html Sound about right? That price isn't too out of my budget.

BUT....Since I will be getting a new desktop in the next year, I would imagine the cheapest route would be to get a new desktop with a huge amount of memory. Then put everything on that and network to it. The only drawback is the point I keep harping on..having to keep that computer on all the time to network to it. IS IT TRUE THAT I HAVE TO KEEP IT ON?

Thanks!

[oracle128]

If you have a hard drive hooked up to a computer, whether this be internal, USB, Firewire or whatever, then yes, the whole computer has to be switched on and logged in, in order for the hard drive(s) to be used (and shared over network). It cannot be off, in standby, or Hibernated. Without power, the hard drive isn't on, the operating system doesn't run, and it can't communicate over a network - the basic services required to share the drive. But you can leave the monitor off, in fact it doesn't even need a monitor.

You are correct in stating that one route would be to buy a whole computer that will remaining always switched on, which shares the hard drive(s), plus printer and other services, over the network. This would be called a file server. (And if it share a printer, it would also be a print server.)

And yes, the alternative route is to buy a network drive - Network Attached Storage (NAS) as they are called. It is, effectively, a really tiny integrated computer whose sole purpose is to share the drive over a network. It, too, would of course have to remain switched on in order for the drive to be accessible. But, since its only use is to share the drive on the network, it doesn't require nearly as much power to keep running as a whole computer. It's also a fair bit cheaper than just buying a budget PC to use as a server, but the difference is not as large as you might think.

You can also get NAS devices which are just the box, allowing you to add your own hard drive of desired size. The disadvantage is that you generally can't have more than 1 drive attached per NAS box (except for the really expensive models (http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/terastation/)), and extra features (like print serving, FTP/Web access, choice of file system, even drive spin-down when inactive) are bonuses features that you will have to shop around for and won't have much access over, rather than just being software you can download and setup in 5 minutes.

[Snurfen]

I probably should have clarified that my existing CPU is 8 years old and is on it's last leg. I'm not sure I want to utilize that as my solution (by buying and adding memory to it). Would you agree? Also, that still means that I would have to keep that computer on all the time in order to link to it.

I googled network hard drive and it looks like a 300GB runs around $250 or so. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/471770-REG/HP_Hewlett_Packard_PE592AV_Media_Vault_300GB_Netwo rk.html Sound about right? That price isn't too out of my budget.

BUT....Since I will be getting a new desktop in the next year, I would imagine the cheapest route would be to get a new desktop with a huge amount of memory. Then put everything on that and network to it. The only drawback is the point I keep harping on..having to keep that computer on all the time to network to it. IS IT TRUE THAT I HAVE TO KEEP IT ON?

Thanks!

All things considered, the 250 bucks would be the more cost effective solution here. An 8 year old pc probably isn't worth upgrading - it would be more sensible to replace it, as you will be doing in the next year or so.

The model you've shown would perform the duties you are asking of it more than adequately and of course, when you do get the new pc, it would integrate perfectly. Also a useful tool to haul the data off the old pc.

Let us know if you go ahead with the purchase.

[lithnights]

All things considered, the 250 bucks would be the more cost effective solution here. An 8 year old pc probably isn't worth upgrading - it would be more sensible to replace it, as you will be doing in the next year or so.

The model you've shown would perform the duties you are asking of it more than adequately and of course, when you do get the new pc, it would integrate perfectly. Also a useful tool to haul the data off the old pc.

Let us know if you go ahead with the purchase.

Wow, thanks for the great replies. This really clears things up..it is good to know that one does indeed need to keep their main CPU on if they want to network to it.

Regarding what to buy.. I think I will end up getting a new CPU sometime later this year, and I will also be looking into a network hard drive. We just hit a unforseen financial snag so I will likely be waiting until summer or later to plop down the cash for that. I will continue to research and may post back at that time to get any recomendations for exact brands/models.

Thanks for everybody's help!!!