This came to me last night in a dream, well not really but anyway my question is this:

Let's say you have a USB thumb drive or a regular hard drive in an enclosure with a USB connection.

Is there some kind of router or USB splitter that would allow you to have this external drive connected to a computer or other device and still have another cable that could be attached to another computer or laptop in order to share files.

Imagine a network hard drive that multiple computers can access but instead, using USB. Does such a device exist?

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Lots of routers have USB inputs for this reason, basically maps it as a network drive. I'm pretty sure there are ways to use a printer server like this too.

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Many routers have USB ports that allow sharing of a printer or drive, some are even more flexible and allow multimedia devices to be shared.

The downside is the speed of most USB devices, the 2.0 and 1.1 standards, is pretty slow.

In this situation, I'm not hooking to a network. I was just using that as an example of what I'm trying to do with USB only.

This is what I'm envisioning:

Computer A ------>Device<------Computer B
..............................|
..............................V
.....................USB Hard drive

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Network Attached Storage, Network Storage, NAS - Newegg.com

__________________
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$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

Computer A and Computer B might not communicate directly with each other in your diagram but it is technically a network. The role of Device is most easily filled by a router with a USB port as mentioned.

Alternatively, you can try something like this - IOGEAR - GUB231 - 2-Port USB 2.0 Automatic Printer Switch but a router offers more features for about as much money. Mind the caveat that it's only automatic for printers. You have to select manually to use it with a storage device.

Sixto
87 300D

In this situation, it can absolutely NOT be an ethernet connection/router. Assume that neither computer has network capability in this example.

The 2 way switch comes the closest to what I'm talking about although, I would like to see something fully automatic for storage devices.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

It's been awhile since personal computers didn't have Ethernet.


Amazon.com: Kensington ShareCentral 5 for USB Device Sharing (K33901US): Electronics

For the sake of this exercise, we'll just imagine there's not such thing as a network and the only way to do this is via USB. Also have to do this with existing drivers, no software to intervene.

I may have to break down and simply use a switch as you've linked here. That will be easier than unplugging and plugging the drive.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Even if you unplug the drive from one computer and plug it in another computer to share files it is still technically a network. We used to call it Walknet