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Asus Launching a Wi-Fi Hard Drive

TheFoot writes "The Register reports that Asus is promising to 'change your perception on data storage'. They're talking up a hard drive enclosure capable of taking any 2.5in ATA-100 hard disk. It also contains an 802.11g adaptor and antenna, plus a pair of wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports. US $150 + the price of the hard drive. They've changed my perception--why did data storage just get more expensive?" Now now, this could actually be useful. tempest2i notes that there's a Macworld story as well.

218 comments

  1. question by pvt_medic · · Score: 0, Troll

    would it be possible to make a raid with these?

    --
    30% Troll, 50% Underrated, 10% Interesting
    Score:5, Troll
    1. Re:question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What I'm more interested in is, could you have multiple computers drawing off of one hard drive? Put a big, fast drive on a switch and you've just made a cheap file server...

    2. Re:question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, you could.

    3. Re:question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is probably the stupidest question I've ever seen posed on slashdot.

      You may fail to appreciate that fully.

    4. Re:question by zuzulo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Of course you could do a software raid with these.

      The question is why you would want to. I could maybe see a centralized backup option for your home network or something i guess.

      My pet peeve is why they can call it wireless data storage when I am still plugging the dang thing into the wall for power 24x7, so how exactly is it wireless?

      Now give me one of these that is powered from the USB port and/or battery option and I am actually interested.

      --
      "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
  2. Make your own network storage device... by LostCluster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is an interesting reminder about the "network data storage device" market. Cut those things open, and there's a standard HD plus the interface hardware it takes so that the drive can be reached over the network. In fact, cut open a USB 2.0 or Firewire HD and you'll find pretty much the same thing, and the same goes for external CD or DVD drives.

    So, for $150 plus the cost of whatever HD you'd like to use you can build your own "network data storage device". If you just want a HD hanging on the network, without any need for the rest of the features of a full grown file server, then this is the part you want.

    1. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Dok+Fenderson · · Score: 5, Interesting

      $150 isn't really that bad considering that you need about $40 for a simple USB enclosure. If you're using three network adapters, one of which is wireless, and the controllers for each of those and the hard drive...it's not really that bad a deal. I can remember three years ago when Maxtor was selling 40 GB NAS units for upwards of a grand. $150 plus the drive deosn't seem that craptastic in those terms. Dok

      --
      "You can't screw the system, but you can give it a good fondling." -- Too lazy to look it up
    2. Re:Make your own network storage device... by goalive · · Score: 1

      Yes I would agree that it makes for a great, tiny network storage device. Accessing the WiFi on the drive in promiscuous mode (the good 'ole Prism chipsets) anyone could get access. I am surprised that they only added USB 2.0, however. Previous versions had just 10/100 Ethernet, and adding Firewire would have been very useful instead of having to buy one of those cool Firewire/USB drive enclosures (some are sleek 2.5" aluminum, and powered the Firewire/USB bus). Either way, I'm checking tomorrow to see if I can buy one of these locally. :P)

    3. Re:Make your own network storage device... by SKPhoton · · Score: 1

      What's next? I hope they never try to "Add more RAM over WiFi!"
      Imagine the nightmare with bandwidth dropping from Gbps to 54mbps.

      On a related note, imagine combining this with the recently mentioned WiFi backpack. "A warwalker walked down the street with me and copied all my data!"

    4. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Babbster · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The price for the hardware isn't that bad, as you say. But what about the utility? How would this change my perception of storage? I've been sitting here trying hard to think of a utility for the wireless capability that isn't handled better wired. The only utility I can think of is in an already completely wireless setting where one is too cheap to dedicate a computer to file serving - a situation I would think is pretty rare. Of course, I have a hard time understanding why several computers in a fixed location would be connected via wireless in the first place when going wired is cheaper, faster and more secure. Maybe I'm losing my geekiness.

    5. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Dok+Fenderson · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As far as the wireless goes, I agree. But it also has the wired ethernet adapters on it which would come in handy. If you have a network of mainly older Pentiums or PIIs (they're still out there) that can't really handle a larger internal HDD and don't have USB 2.0 or IEEE 1394 then this would be a decent solution for large, shared storage. Dok

      --
      "You can't screw the system, but you can give it a good fondling." -- Too lazy to look it up
    6. Re:Make your own network storage device... by ottawanker · · Score: 4, Interesting

      In fact, cut open a USB 2.0 or Firewire HD and you'll find pretty much the same thing, and the same goes for external CD or DVD drives.

      This is what's driving me crazy. I'm looking for a cheap Firewire IDE adapter so that I can make a nice fast external hard drive enclosure with about a Terabyte of space that I can connect using 1 Firewire connector. You can buy a whole external case for $40 or $50, but just a simple adapter with 2 Firewire ports so they can be chained together is $60 or $70.

    7. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Libraryman · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Of course, I have a hard time understanding why several computers in a fixed location would be connected via wireless in the first place when going wired is cheaper, faster and more secure.

      Sometimes the speed/security/price advantages of wired in no way make up for the cable clutter. Imagine trying to hack two clusters of half a dozen e/iMacs into a small, school library. You can run wires over the floor (with channel if you are lucky) hubs in the center of each cluster, and presto, you ve ugly wires, trip wires, dozens of wires everywehere! Or one Airport base station, some access cards, and presto, every machine is on the net, nobody trips and calls OSHA on you.

      Now you throw one of these HD enclosures in a corner and host disc images of all your reference cds on it. (although I recognize the wireless is not a clear advantage as long as you're tucking it into a corner anyway)

      Not every application for a network requires speed, especially if all your network does is share internet access. 802.11b is still fast enough for web access, even streaming media.

    8. Re:Make your own network storage device... by cybergibbons · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Erm, surely you have to put the power in for these half dozen iMacs? You wouldn't get away with half a dozen trailing extension leads in a school, it would have to be done properly. So if you need to put the power in (which is quite a job, and has to conform to regs), then it isn't much more effort to put network cables in. I'd also say that the money you saved using network cards costing 2/3 instead of 20/25 makes it worth it.

    9. Re:Make your own network storage device... by esme · · Score: 1

      i agree that, in most cases, a wired connection is better.

      but, there are some cases where wires are a pain, especially given the increasing popularity of laptops. say you've got a laptop at home and no deskop machine. you get a wireless dsl router for your internet access. adding a wirless harddrive to this config makes perfect sense.

      -esme

    10. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Libraryman · · Score: 2, Informative
      That's true, but if you are lucky you have already got power outlets in the floor where you need them. If you're not, you let power availability decide where you put the computers. Computers aren't the first thing ever to need electricity, chances are it was already run to where you need it (or close), BEFORE there was a need for network cabling.

      Look around you, if you are not in a recently built office building I think you will find you are closer to a power outlet than an ethernet jack.

    11. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Kjella · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sometimes the speed/security/price advantages of wired in no way make up for the cable clutter. Imagine trying to hack two clusters of half a dozen e/iMacs into a small, school library. You can run wires over the floor (with channel if you are lucky) hubs in the center of each cluster, and presto, you ve ugly wires, trip wires, dozens of wires everywehere! Or one Airport base station, some access cards, and presto, every machine is on the net, nobody trips and calls OSHA on you.

      Arguably, you'll need at the very least the cable gates for power anyway. I can't remember putting network cables in the same gates being a problem in any place I've been. And if there was, I suppose I'd just as easily trip over the power cord as the network cord...

      Actually, the use that came first to mind was using this along with a laptop - like an extended hard disk, no wires to plug/unplug. But, you're *very* likely to have a wireless router too, so why not simply hook it up there, with a cable?

      The only way I found a need for this is a) if I go to our summer house with my laptop, b) someone is staying at home so the router needs to stay and c) I want to take a couple extra hundred gigs of vids/whatever with me (usually, that's the time when I try to get something *else* done).

      If this was cheap enough, maybe it could be the "floppy" of tomorrow. A couple hundred gigs of data, no wires, just turn on wireless and transfer. Would be rather slick, but in my opinion it's a bit expensive for that use, a CD/DVD is something I can burn and borrow (or hell, give) away, not so sure about this one...

      Kjella

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    12. Re:Make your own network storage device... by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      The wireless aspect of something like this would be fantastic for on-the-spot networking such as lan parties or board meetings.

      This drive is a fantastic idea. For most users they don't want to open any PC to install a hard drive and something like this has the benefit of allowing large data clusters to be shared very easily.

      I'd like to get a couple and slap 300GB drives in them and use them for a replacement for carrying around stacks of DVDs. Rip the DVDs to the drives and port them around in a fraction of the space of the originals.. and a lot more portable than even a small computer (currently I use a tiny mini-itx system for this purpose). I just wonder if they have options as to the methods allowed for sharing the files. For my needs I'd like to use NFS but I doubt that's what these will come with.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    13. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Fishead · · Score: 3, Informative

      I was boxing day shopping at futureshop (canadian version of bestbuy I think) and I picked up a ximeta netdisk for $100 Canadian.

      I bought this thing mainly on coolness factor alone (wife almost made me take it back because she doesn't put the same value on coolness factor I guess).

      Anyhow, it is an 80gig harddrive with USB2.0 and 10/100 Ethernet all packaged in a cool blue metalic case. I also bought an internal harddrive of the same size for $50. I figured not a bad deal, $50 for the portability, and connectivity.

      They also just released linux drivers :-)

    14. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You wouldn't get away with half a dozen trailing extension leads in a school, it would have to be done properly.

      Silly Rabbit, MACS are powered by Steve Jobs' Reality Distortion Field. They don't need ordinary mortal power.

    15. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yesterday I took my old pentium-150 with 48mb of ram and a 1.4 gb hard drive. I put a faster cd drive in it (the old one was 4x), and installed windows 2000 on it. I put a usb2.0 pci card in, installed the drivers, and installed my printers and a usb wifi adapter. I could throw almost any sized hard drive in it, and it would work just like the thing in the article.

      The only compelling reasons I could see to not use a setup like this would be power, heat, noise, and size.

    16. Re:Make your own network storage device... by sumdumass · · Score: 1

      Here is an aplication that it might be used for. Lets say your at a business meeting or going to one. each person has parts of a project they have been working on on thier laptop with a built in wifi conection. Now you can walk inot the room, find the device and push you information to it no need for a corperate login for each user. Yes you can still have wires there but the elgence is gone and it is harder to just pick up and take back to the office. Now lets say that someone wants to do a systom backup and all they need to do is walk into the room press a couple of keys and go(security aside).

      Wait you right there really isn't anything outside of convienience and looks that this will do that wired network can do better. the 802.11g will give some speed but thats only in theroroy.

    17. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Mr.+Piddle · · Score: 2, Funny

      Erm, surely you have to put the power in for these half dozen iMacs?

      The obvious solution to this is to put a high-power high-density microwave transmission dish on each desk for power distribution. I can't wait to see the smiles on the childrens' faces when they see the clean productive learning environment I...BZZZzzZzzZTTtTTtt...oh dear god!

      --
      Vote in November. You won't regret it.
    18. Re:Make your own network storage device... by spike+hay · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately wifi, in my opinion, is unnacceptably slow for this. 802.11g typically has transfer rates well under the ideal 54 megabits. This network drive would be perfectly fine hooked up to 100mbps ethernet. But 802.11 would be really, really slow. It would take forever and a day to transer your backups.

      But, it would be very portable and would be accessible throughout the antenna's range, so, I can see the advantage.

      --
      If you don't understand any of my sayings, come to me in private and I shall take you in my German mouth.
    19. Re:Make your own network storage device... by BuckaBooBob · · Score: 1

      Wires arn't a problem for the most part.. Use teleposts to hide power and network comming down to the machines... Run the wires inside of the walls... There are tonnes of ways to hide wires ... There are even mats that are raised a bit and have Channels for running wires though them ... Theres alot of solutions out there to hide wires so your not in a trippy environment if you just start looking.

      --
      Who needs WiFi when we can have Packet Over Sheep! http://datacomm.org/PoS-InternetDraft.txt
    20. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I was recently just trying to figure out what I'm going to do with all my old harddrives. I've been keeping a bunch of old computers around and stuffing as many harddrives in them as I can fit (I always seem to need to get at old data, not to mention audio / video storage). I've moved out of my old apartment and all those harddrives are sitting in a u-store-it right now. I do most of my development these days on a swank laptop. I'd love to get a nice raid controller, plug all the drives into it and then be able to jack it into my laptop as needed via USB or something. But wrapping them all in these with wi-fi sounds pretty attractive. I go everywhere with my laptop, and I'd love to be able to take all my data with me too. Plugging in usually isn't a problem, but hauling around a bunch of wired drives simply isn't an option.

    21. Re:Make your own network storage device... by dresgarcia · · Score: 1

      Convinience, I would be interested in this, not only because its easy to share files on my network, but i could just walk it into work and share files on the wireless network, or at my friends house. Also, I have several computers in fixed locations connected wirelessly, the cost of wiring the house was MUCH more costly than buying a router and 2 pci adapters, plus now that I have a laptop and the TIVO connected wirelessly its all worth it. Mac address filters keep it just as secure as any wired connection.

    22. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Feanturi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      3 computers, all IDE, all channels full. I don't want a whole extra server just to have more space, and switching to S-ATA is going to cost more than the $150 to just host an extra drive. Adding drives to boxen you also have to wonder about the power supply handling the extra load. So this looks cool to me, as none of my existing hardware resources need to change for me to wind up with more than I planned for.

    23. Re:Make your own network storage device... by Babbster · · Score: 1
      Much cheaper solutions can be found from, for example, Ximeta. In fact, they have an 80GB Ethernet (plus USB 2.0) hard drive available for less than $150.

      I understand the utility of a networked hard drive (and plan to go that direction for my next storage expansion). I'm only questioning the cost/benefit ratio of going wireless.

    24. Re:Make your own network storage device... by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      The drive also comes with two 10/100 ports. Plenty fast for watching even DVD quality video which in my experience takes between 5Mb and 15Mb of the connection to play smoothly. An app that had a decent sized buffer should be able to play just fine on even a 10Mb connection. I've successfully played it over 802.11b with no problems (although my 802.11b gets up to 22Mb connections).

      Of course for this use I'm assuming you'd only watch one movie off the drive at a time if you were going to use WiFi. For more, or for writing the movies to the drive, you'd want to plug it into the wired network.

      For just about any application the average user would want to do they won't be needing breakneck speeds so I think this would work fine for them. Other than playing with video I can't think of any reason the average user would need to move large bits of data around the network quickly. Possibly you'd be right if you meant to use this as a backup device but then again if you're taking differential backups why not.

      The perfect extra feature for something like this would be to make it so it fits inside a removable harddrive tray so if you had a drawer in your computer you could slide this into that space for a faster connectionn.. then pull it out and take it where needed and let it act as a little fileserver.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    25. Re:Make your own network storage device... by NateTech · · Score: 1

      What's even funnier about this analogy is that the same parents who whine about TV transmission towers and HV power lines running near the schools probably wouldn't say "boo" about every computer in the kiddie's computer lab having a 2.4 GHz transmitter in it.

      The joys of ignorance... neither the power lines, the transmitter tower nor the 2.4 GHz wireless devices pose any threat, but they'd be marching in the streets against one, while allowing the other...

      --
      +++OK ATH
  3. actually a good idea by $n1per · · Score: 1, Interesting

    This actually could be very useful. Will we all carry around wifi miniHD's in the future so we can logon to our data anywhere?

    1. Re:actually a good idea by HoneyBunchesOfGoats · · Score: 1

      Or, perhaps more importany than simply having the data, sharing data simply by being in proximity?

    2. Re:actually a good idea by Feanturi · · Score: 1

      I have a revolutionary idea, we take a wireless base station and put it in a backpack and.. oh wait.

  4. Re:ANd? by LostCluster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Blah Blah blah. Tell me more about Linux and gaming.

    Linux isn't everything. In fact, this is a situation which makes you wonder if your file server really needs to be running Linux. If all your file server is doing is connecting an HD to your network, then this device can do it in hardware alone.

  5. Encryption? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hope it supports WPA. Ohhh, but imagine the fun of an "open" media drive. RIAA and the MPAA will really hate life.

    1. Re:Encryption? by LostCluster · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This brings up a very interesting question. People used to theorise about what would happen if somebody left a laptop full of WiFi-shared MP3s in a coffee shop... but who needs a full laptop to do that, this makes the theoretical cost of such a device close to $200...

    2. Re:Encryption? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, it's a media mine. The price needs to come down though...say closer to the land kind.

    3. Re:Encryption? by PacoTaco · · Score: 1
      I hope it supports WPA.

      Yeah, this product "changed my perception" of other people's data quite considerably.

    4. Re:Encryption? by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 1

      So, how much (or little) do land mines go for these days?

      --
      If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
    5. Re:Encryption? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's hope it's Linux based. Hack the firmware to include an automatic "search & synchronize" protocol and use public transportation...

  6. Thieving from computer stores? by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I remember when the iPod was first released a few people mentioned going into stores, plugging theirs into demo machines and taking copies of all the software they wanted in seconds.

    Without the need to plug anything in, imagine what could be nicked with one of these!

    1. Re:Thieving from computer stores? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interesting idea.. It could work if you could power the device, and if it supported peer networking - rather than need to connect to an access point.

      It might be easier to do with a zaurus. Put a Wifi card in the compactflash slot, and a big SD card for storage & you'd be all set. run ftpd or sshd/scp on the Zaurus, and send all the stuff over.

  7. And still, I loudly proclaim..... by mao+che+minh · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Mobile pr0n!! YES!

    1. Re:And still, I loudly proclaim..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the rest us proclaim, "stfu"

  8. Could be useful for... by dj245 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    erm, uh, toting that hard drive around in your backpack so you can have portable fileserver without a laptop? Thats my only idea, and a poor one at that. 2.5" disks are more rugged than their 3.5" counterparts, but not *much* more. I wouldn't want to be bouncing around everywhere with $250+ worth of fileserver plus NiMH batteries in my pocket. If you really want portable storage, a laptop isn't a whole lot bigger, and a lot more useful. Actually, now that I've read the article, the thing isn't even really portable, unless you hack a battery pack together yourself. Kinda silly premise for a product actually. Why not just make a full-blown router with hard drive? Certainly hybriding a $40 router to a $150 hard drive widget with wireless already can't be all that much more expensive. Just my $.02 Canadian.

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
    1. Re:Could be useful for... by JPriest · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I wish I could install one in my car, that way I could just drag and drop mp3's over to my car without having to burn them all to CD.

      --
      Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
    2. Re:Could be useful for... by cgenman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Area storage! I would imagine that walking around a physical building and having file sharing available for the location you are at would be kind of neat. The library could serve up interesting articles, while the student center might have PDF files of paperwork. You should still be able to connect remotely, but for simple Samba it would be great.

    3. Re:Could be useful for... by thrash242 · · Score: 0

      Some company, I forgot which, is working on something like this. Something that will let you copy things (music, specifically) from your home computer to your car stereo easily.

      Sounds cool to me.

    4. Re:Could be useful for... by Belsical · · Score: 2, Funny
      Actually, now that I've read the article...
      Score:-1, Read Article

      Psh, someone cancel parent's account...he's obviously not a real /. reader.
      --

      "There are no such things as mutual fantasies. Yours bore us and ours offend you."
      - Bill Maher
    5. Re:Could be useful for... by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      But do you want to buy a new laptop and carry it around for each hdd you want to share? These are small enough and cheap enough that you could easily carry several around. I'd like one of these with a 300GB drive. Put around 50 ripped DVDs or maybe 5,000 ripped CDs and plug them into your set top box. Much easier than carrying around the originals.

      A battery unit would be a useful add-on but for most uses plugging the unit in would work just fine.

      I think using 2.5" disks is a bad design decision (normal drives are cheaper and can hold more) but otherwise these sound like useful devices. Similar to firewire drives but easier to share.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    6. Re:Could be useful for... by 0x20 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      How about always-on file serving that isn't dependent on any particular computer?

      For instance, I have 4 PCs in my house that are used as "media centers" at times. The problem is, my main storage drive is by necessity attached to the PC in my bedroom. I can't leave that PC on all the time because it generates noise and heat and uses energy. But if I want to watch movies or listen to music on the downstairs machine or the one in my daughter's room, I have to turn on the PC in the bedroom. This makes it difficult to keep mapped network drives on the other PCs, and difficult to share a unified media catalog. I want to have the same media available to any location throughout the house. (Especially nice for taking the laptop out back by the pool to work and study.)

      This product would be very useful to me. A centralized, location-independent, quiet media library/fileserver that can be left on 24 hours a day. Also it's cheap. I will definitely be buying one.

  9. Networked, but which protocols? by MavEtJu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It might be a NAS, but which protocols does it speak? NFS? Samba? FTP? DAV? Which authentication methods is it capable of? Can it authenticate against my (insert your favourite authentication service).

    Anybody has any ideas?

    --
    bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
    1. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's probably just a little linux box, so all of the above.

    2. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by richard_za · · Score: 4, Informative

      It supports NFS and CIFS (which is basically the latest iteration of SMB) so it should so you can network with NFS or Samba, Windows/Linux.

    3. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by jfbus · · Score: 2, Informative

      Could be iSCSI (scsi over TCP). I dont't see any other protocol that is standard/open/... that could be used.

      iSCSI works on Linux & Windows. All the traditionel NAS (Network Attached Storage) vendors use iSCSI to access block devices over the network.

      The other protocols are too much OS/application dependant, and I think it would be a bad idea for a vendor to use only one of them. Using both NFS (for Linux) & CiFS (for Windows) wouldn't be cost-effective. Plus not all apps work on such protocols (especially with CiFS : ie you can't put a SQL db on a CiFS drive, but you can put an Oracle db on a NFS drive).

    4. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by zurab · · Score: 1

      It doesn't say that in any of the two linked articles!!! Are you reading something else? It says Sony once tried making such a device with NFS and CIFS. The only thing the articles say about the device in question is that it will support HTML web-based administration and sharing.

    5. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by richard_za · · Score: 1

      It looks like you missed the Macworld article

    6. Re:Networked, but which protocols? by zurab · · Score: 1

      Quoting the MacWorld article:

      Sony tried with a WiFi-connected file server in early 2003. The FSV-PGX1 was a 20GB hard drive controlled by an embedded Linux system that turned it into a file-server. It could be used by up to 250 people who accessed it by CIFS, if using Windows, or NFS if using Unix/Linux.

      [emphasis mine]

      It says nothing about the Asus HD in question having any of those. Read the article yourself.

  10. Cheap non-wireless Ethernet enclosures? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    What's the cheapest non-wireless Ethernet hard drive enclosure available? Anything less than USB 2.0 or FireWire enclosures?

  11. This wouldn't be bad at all by Dan+Farina · · Score: 2, Informative

    It'd be pretty useful to just carry around a storage tablet from place to place, although large transfers would just kill some of the usability for regular users of the networks, since last I checked bandwidth was split N ways between N clients.

  12. Other interesting Wi-Fi Storage by Revvy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While the idea of an enclosure is nice, I think I'd rather spend the same amount of money on something that could be an access point, too. Netgear surprised me with their new router, the WGT634U, which offers a USB 2.0 port for attaching storage devices in addition to 108Mb turbo wi-fi. This is a trend I like.

    It's not the gear, it's the functionality.

    1. Re:Other interesting Wi-Fi Storage by -tji · · Score: 4, Informative

      Or, if you've already got an access point, the USR 8200 firewall/vpn/router has firewire and USB 2.0 ports for network storage use.

      This device is quite cool.. it's based on an Intel Network Processor with crypto acceleration. So, it can support line speed routing on the 100Mbps interfaces, and also high speec IPSec.

  13. Add to an iPod or other music player by Sean+Clifford · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Add the WiFi capability to an mp3 player with a hard drive like the iPod and all sorts of fun comes to mind. With 802.11g it wouldn't be as fast as firewire or usb 2.0, but it would be fast enough to suit most folks. Wirelessly update your music, or share it. Use it as a wireless hard drive, a personal backup device, storage for a wearable, and etc. etc. Bluetooth for wireless headphones and mike, integration with phone (to capture conversations, video or pictures from your phone's mexapixel camera).

    Then there's all the iPod cracking fun. "Let's see what that jogger has on his iPod..."

    1. Re:Add to an iPod or other music player by nametaken · · Score: 1

      Then there's all the iPod cracking fun. "Let's see what that jogger has on his iPod..."

      All you have to do is keep up.

    2. Re:Add to an iPod or other music player by redled · · Score: 2, Informative
      --

      --
      "Insert witty quote here."

    3. Re:Add to an iPod or other music player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and meet a jogger who has an ipod that somehow magically broadcasts through wifi....

  14. How is it better than USB or FireWire? by tftp · · Score: 2, Informative

    The RF bandwidth is 2 or 10 Mbps, but really less, and not even guaranteed. Compare to 480 or 800 Mbps achieved over the wire, or Gbps over SATA. I see absolutely no reason to use such a device, except maybe in some obscure situations - such as when you have all-wireless network and need a portable network storage. But even then this would be a poor choice - you'd want RAID.

    1. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by LostCluster · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Network storage drives aren't as much about performance as much as simplicity. Afterall, if speed really matters to you, the data should already be local to your PC if possible.

      This is just a way to eliminate the needless parts from a low-end simple file server. Who needs to use a full-blown OS for that? Simpler software is often the most secure and faster.

    2. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by tftp · · Score: 2, Insightful
      This device is a strange mix of "simple user" mentality with much more advanced "wireless" and "server" concepts. I don't think there is a customer that fits.

      A simple, single user stores everything on his own HDD, locally. With modern HDDs starting at 80 GB it is not a surprise. Most users won't fill that HDD in whole usable life of the computer, and they don't need the server.

      A little more advanced user has several computers (a family, for example.) They may need a server to store shared files on. But such a setup most definitely involves Ethernet, at least near the router. So they would plug NAS right there, and be done with it. But even this scenario looks contrived, because how many families *need* a common file server?

      Businesses really need the server because of multiple employees accessing shared files. But a business needs a real NAS, with RAID and on a UPS, not just a single HDD. It would be stupid otherwise. The server is needed anyway to do other things, such as authentication, mail, DHCP, NAT, etc. This device does not fit anywhere in a business environment (or anywhere else.)

    3. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by Forgotten · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually I've gotten appallingly bad performance when I try to copy from one 802.11 client to another over a base station (any brand). I'm not sure why, but I suspect the collision rate goes through the roof as the device being copied from saturates the link on the way to the base station, and then the base station competes with it to forward packets to the device being copied to. Either that or I'm just doing something wrong.

      Anyone else successfully copied large files this way - wireless to wireless across a basic service set - with reasonable performance? I don't get anywhere near 11 Mbps, or even 2 Mbps. By contrast I get great performance between a wired peer (or the Internet) and a wireless one.

      If it's the same for this hard drive kit, I can't see it working well.

    4. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by tftp · · Score: 2, Informative
      When you plug a USB cable, the whole bandwidth of the cable is yours alone. When you use 802.11 you share this "cable" with everyone in radius of 500 ft. around you.

      Generally, performance-wise, wire is better than radio. You can't even compare the two, so different they are in terms of reliability. Given that modern USB and FireWire drives are 100% plug-and-play right out of the box, the wire definitely wins.

    5. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by ender81b · · Score: 1

      if you think about it, 2-10mbps is fine for certain application (also note it's 802.11g, which is roughly 60some mbps iirc). For example, if you want to stream music or video to a pc in your living room that much bandwith is plenty. Not everybody wants to run wires all over the place :).

    6. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by bakawally · · Score: 2, Informative

      RTFA: The enclosure also contains an 802.11g adaptor and antenna, plus a pair of wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports.

    7. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by TummyX · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I've been waiting for one of these things for a while.

      It'll let me use my pocket pc as my car MP3 player. I can have massive *wireless* storage in the boot or glove box. The bandwidth is fine for MP3 & video playback and the simplicity and tidyness of the setup makes up for the price.

    8. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by tomstdenis · · Score: 3, Informative

      Um, you plomp a 200GB disk in the thing. Sit in the middle of your house and have a massive file share between all of your computers. Sounds like a good idea specially if your house is wi'fi'ed up.

      You don't need a lot of speed for applications like streaming media, loading applications, saving documents, etc...

      I wouldn't use this as a primary drive of course for the speed issues but that doesn't make it totally useless.

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    9. Re:How is it better than USB or FireWire? by Babbster · · Score: 2, Informative
      KTFT ("know" and "tech"): LaCie is just one company that already offers ethernet drives like this (sans wireless), and with much larger and faster hard drives than are possible with a 2.5" drive enclosure. Ximeta is another company in this field, and their 80GB Netdisk device (drive with Ethernet already on-board) is available right now at a price cheaper than this enclosure WITHOUT a drive. (Search Outpost, CompUSA, etc. for more information - I try not to link to retailers.)

      In short, unless there is a really good reason to want the wireless aspect, this enclosure is a monstrous waste of cash.

  15. Overkill? by LostCluster · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why does this device need to be both wired and wireless? Most users will use the device either by the wire, or as part of a purely WiFi network... who would use both interfaces? Seems like this device could be cheaper if it came in two different versions, one with the wired ports and the other with the WiFi parts.

    1. Re:Overkill? by MavEtJu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why does this device need to be both wired and wireless?

      It's probably cheaper to produce one unit which can do both than to make the two additional units (with all support/documentation/troubleshooting).

      --
      bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
    2. Re:Overkill? by caitsith01 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Um... presumably because, being external, part of the point of this is to move data between different PCs at will. Not all PCs have wireless, ergo, it is a good idea to have both options.

      --
      Read Pynchon.
    3. Re:Overkill? by blowdart · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Setup reasons for a start. If it only has WiFi, and your access point has WEP enabled (and if it doesn't, why the hell not?), how is the enclosure going to get the key to connect? You're going to have to plug it into a wired LAN (or crossover cable) to allow it to get an initial IP, fire up your web browser, browse to it, set the WEP key, let it connect then remove it from the wireless LAN.

      As an aside, whilst this is funky, no RAID is a drawback for me. That and my firewall at home is in transparent mode as I had a nice block of routable IP addresses that seemed more than enough 2 years ago when I just had 3 servers and a desktop. Now I have 3 servers, the xbox, the firewall, the wireless access point, 3 laptops in day to day use, another laptop which gets used by guests and if I add a NAS whammo, one IP left. It's going to be a pain to setup NAT *sigh*

    4. Re:Overkill? by bonhomme_de_neige · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Why does this device need to be both wired and wireless? Most users will use the device either by the wire, or as part of a purely WiFi network... who would use both interfaces? Seems like this device could be cheaper if it came in two different versions, one with the wired ports and the other with the WiFi parts.

      Maybe so you can get the convenience of wireless access for small files, but can wire it up if you need to quickly copy across several dozen gb?

      --
      "Why are you watching the washing machine?"
      "I love entertainment, as long as it's clean"
    5. Re:Overkill? by cortez · · Score: 1

      If I was designing such a device, I'd have it start its own ad-hoc network on a free channel.

      --
      Paizurishitetai desu ka?
  16. Interesting.. Hide your stuff.. by Moocowsia · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you had one of these stashed in say a neighbors house with some illegal stuff on it and you got raided you could probably get away with it.. This could also be good for a close range offsite back up. Just have an agreement with a neighbor to keep a harddrive of eachothers at eachothers house in case of fire or some other disaster.

    --
    Moo!
    1. Re:Interesting.. Hide your stuff.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Better idea. If you think you're going to be raided (or are doing anything worth being "raided"), take the cost of this device, and buy a bus ticket somewhere else...

    2. Re:Interesting.. Hide your stuff.. by ziggy_zero · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Pffft. Everybody knows that you should hide it in the A/C duct in your room!

      --
      I belong to the ______ generation.
    3. Re:Interesting.. Hide your stuff.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A TICKET? for what this costs, you could probably buy a 3 month Metropass. A single bus ticket should only be around $2, not $200.

      A bus wouldn't be that good for really getting away, though. Better to rent/buy a car and drive to a completely different city. Swap out the license plates for bogus ones, and disable any tracking devices (I think rental cars have them, but i'm not entirely sure).

  17. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, but Embeded linux would also do a good job of this also...

  18. flash computing by theguywhosaid · · Score: 1

    boot a bunch of laptops off it and have a more homogenous cluster.

  19. vulnerable by dirvish · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think I have made my hard drive sufficiently vulnerable by installing Windows on it. Adding a Wi-Fi adapter directly to it seems a little over the top.

  20. This is awesome. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The $150 price tag is steep, so hopefully that will go down.

    But right now, I've got an almost fully wireless setup going with my 12" power book. Bluetooth mouse/keyboard, SE T610 phone for controlling iTunes, and an AirPort base station.

    This could be really usefull for storing iTunes music, bittorrents, etc, and sharing it across multiple computers easily.

    1. Re:This is awesome. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The $150 price tag is steep, so hopefully that will go down.

      Well if you're paying $150 you'd want it to at least go down.

  21. modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

    I had this idea a few months back that is fairly similar to this Asus thing.

    First there are big ribbon cables inside PCs
    Then, there are rounded cables for better airflow

    But, I suggest... how about wireless. Working with standard mobo and HD and CD parts, you plug special new little wifi adapters into the standard connectors (a pair of rx/tx happiness for each component).

    Of course... just for fun. To be wacky. Therefore, never gonna happen. Right?

    Well, maybe.

    Or there might be mobo with this in mind, no adapters necessary. Same for the components, for that legacy-free fresh scent.

    1. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moocowsia · · Score: 1

      I dobut it.. Most modders also want high performance, right? I dobut this will be nearly as fast as a SATA HD.

      --
      Moo!
    2. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      Dude... I said for fun! Not for speed.

      Btw... dobut??? lol

    3. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by OC_Wanderer · · Score: 1

      Forget airflow. I just want the tangled mess out of my case. If I had high-speed wireless with a range of only about 24 inches, it would be fast and secure. No fuss, no muss, and I wouldn't be pinching my fingers trying to get a cable in place or removed!

      --
      -- There is no spoon. Only fork.
    4. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by nametaken · · Score: 1

      A neat idea, but you'd need a faster, close proximity, wireless technology. You'd also need neato hardware-level security. Perhaps such a thing exists, but I don't know. I'd also probably build a mesh transmission barrier (there's a proper name for this?) into or around the case. At this point maybe it's just easier, cheaper, and more effective to use existing techniques. A good convo for a modding site though!

    5. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Yeah, because your computer works great when you cut the bandwidth to the primary storage system by a factor of 100.

      Heh. Don't hit the swap file. You'll be gone for a week.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    6. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by c.emmertfoster · · Score: 1

      mesh transmission barrier

      Like a Faraday Cage? That's quite clever, if it would work. I'm no electrical engineer, though.

      --
      We can neither love nor pity nor forgive. If you make a slip in handling us you die!
    7. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Hanzie · · Score: 1

      They work. They've been used for many years in high security areas.

      Generally, when something very sensitive was going to be discussed, folks would say "Let's talk about that behind the screen door"

      --
      ********* sig: If you don't like the law, get filthy stinking rich, and buy a better one.
    8. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by nametaken · · Score: 1

      THAT's what I was looking for, methinks. I know they used one of those cages on an episode of Myth-Busters trying to block cell phone usage. I'm currently reading about Ultra Wide Band (UWB) radio data transmission technologies. I guess they provide for much faster data transmission rates, but only in close proximity.

    9. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      oh come on! ... don't you ever think of solutions to problems that don't exist?

      not everything has to work well, or even at all. some things are just fun to tinker with.

      if you don't understand that, then you're not an engineer or hobbyist. I think you probably do understand, just glossed over the part where I was saying "just for fun...to be wacky". :)

    10. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Uh, yeah, but since I think through the solutions to problems, I typically don't destroy the utility of the device in question.

      I AM an engineer. Engineers judge the quality of solutions based on utility.

      Dude. It's a stupid idea. Get over it.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    11. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I hear ya.

      I'm a software engineer. Professionally for just over 20 years. And, in that time I've worked with many a stuffy boring people with attitudes just like yours. Have fun with it, man! Smile! Be creative. Don't sweat looking like some smart-genius so much that everyone you work with ends up thinking you're a smart-... something else instead.

      For all I know, though, you are a fun person in real life and your problem is only in resisting that thing that /. seems to bring out of 90% of people here... an urge to be heavily negative and critical, and an obsessive need to appear smart as well as have the last word.

      Since I said the idea wasn't likely to ever be done, and I don't have the desire or money to pull it off myself... your wish that I "Get over it" is granted.

    12. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moofie · · Score: 1

      *sigh*

      I'm not any fun, because I think the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on wireless ribbon cables is ridiculous.

      Right.

      No, I DON'T know what the appeal would be of destroying the performance of your computer (like, to the point where I think it'd take about 20 minutes to boot) just because it's wireless.

      It's bad engineering, lousy design, and a really stupid idea. There are many more fun ways to waste your money.

      (Software engineer...that's amusing.)

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    13. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      You're a rocket scientist? Not according to your own resume.

      Boy, you are one of those dudes that loves the appearance of big-time.

      How funny. You're just a kid fresh out of college with a summer job testing video games under his belt.

      Yeah... attention everyone... Lee here, a rocket scientist, has some excellent engineering and project management skills! Line up here to get his wonderful insight!

      OK, I get ya now. Lol. Hey! Have fun with your next reply. You can't resist... but, I won't bother reading it, kid.

    14. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      Oh, and BTW... with today's tech, wifi would be 7.5X slower than peak ATA/100.

      Boy, yeah, that's the end of the world as we know it!

    15. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Yep. BS Aerospace Engineering. That's a rocket scientist, buddy.

      Yep. I'm just out of school. And I've built more aircraft than you have.

      But, hey...you have a wireless hard drive cable idea. And 20 years in "software engineering". I'm glad that makes you happy. Your penis is big.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    16. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Yeah, because the numbers on the box are real sustained throughput numbers. And there's not a lot of EM interference inside the case (from, oh, I dunno, that 2.4 gigahertz processor you might have) You're right. I can't believe I was so pessimistic.

      Dude, I stand corrected. If you build it, they will come. I recommend sinking your entire retirement portfolio into this idea. It'll be the biggest thing, like, EVER!

      Even better, I think you should license your idea to Intel. I think wireless hard drives inside laptops will be the perfect complement to their Centrino brand.

      Go on with your bad self. I am now your biggest fan.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    17. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by cubic6 · · Score: 1

      The thing you should be looking at is latency. Wifi latency is orders of magnitude higher than hard drive latency, and also significantly higher than wired ethernet, unless you're the only person on the link, sitting 2 feet away. If you're transferring a 2gb file, you might not notice it as much, but if you have to transfer 2000 1mb files, you're gonna feel the pain.

      --
      Karma: Contrapositive
    18. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by ilikecaffeine · · Score: 1
      not everything has to work well, or even at all...
      uf you don't understand that, then you're not an engineer

      Exactly. Like bridges, and stuff.

    19. Re:modder's airflow paradise! by PipsqueakOnAP133 · · Score: 1

      Cubic6 is pretty much right. The latency will kill you more. Mod him up.
      Heck, while your mentioning bandwidth; ATA/100 bandwidth is pretty much useless anyhow since the hardware of the drive can't dump more than 30 Megabytes/sec. Yeah, sure the cache and track buffers empty nice and fast but your OS should be supplying a fat disk cache already, so essentially those of you saying "my SATA subsystem will own your ATA/133 setup" isn't really faster than ATA/66....which is about to be owned by my quad 10k rpm wide SCSI RAID system. ....With each pair on their own independent 40 megabyte/sec channel.

  22. Howz it wireless if it needs to be plugged in? by gum2me · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Am i the only one who's initial reaction was "it still needs to be plugged into an outlet." It's not as if hard-drives are these hulking eyesores that we all wish we could hide under the kitchen sink.

    If their target is the home market, i don't know many people who go around thinking "gee, i wish i could have a hard drive sitting around hidden away, but not inside my computer case."

    If its a corporate market, i doubt any company would want their access being cut-off by some employee using a microwave to heat his lunch.

    just my thoughts. :)

    1. Re:Howz it wireless if it needs to be plugged in? by Libraryman · · Score: 5, Interesting
      If their target is the home market, i don't know many people who go around thinking "gee, i wish i could have a hard drive sitting around hidden away, but not inside my computer case."

      That's not so unlikley. If you do most of your computing on a laptop, or a tablet, or if you have a mythTV box, network attached storage that was always available would let you shut down your big desktop for a significant energy/noise savings.

      I'd love to have my a firewire-to-ethernet bridge to let my external FW drive beaccessible (albeit slowly) without crossing the room and plugging in. Plugging in the FW is still an option when copying DVD images or making backups, but if I just want to pull A file out of a backup, or access the gigs of mp3s that I moved off my laptop because I was running out of storage, why should I have to plug anything in, let alone leave an entire PC running turning money and electricity into heat while it does nothing.

    2. Re:Howz it wireless if it needs to be plugged in? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      Also notice that it has a 2.5" hard disk. Most FireWire drive enclosures that take a 2.5" disk are bus powered (and half the price), so you need exactly the same number of wires to use a drive like this wireless as you do wired.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:Howz it wireless if it needs to be plugged in? by Feanturi · · Score: 1

      If their target is the home market, i don't know many people who go around thinking "gee, i wish i could have a hard drive sitting around hidden away, but not inside my computer case."

      If that household has more than one network device (which is becoming more common) many of those people would be saying, "Hey cool! We can put all the music on this!" or whatever. This is much more attractive than a dedicated file server PC, in the average household.

  23. *gasp* *drool* by NilObject · · Score: 1
    The tinkerer side of me sees some really cool and, well, "shady" uses for this. Imagine, have the drive in your pocket and walk to the demo computers at computer stores and grab some free programs, walk up to a coworkers computer and discretely copy a few, uhh... Oh nevermind.

    But honestly! How cool is this! Put hearing-aid headphones on with voice command, and put the hard drive in your pocket - bam - the new iPod- 60GB in your pocket, voice controlled, no wires.

  24. The obvious. by Perianwyr+Stormcrow · · Score: 4, Funny

    from the if-you-don't-have-wifi,-what-do-you-have? dept.

    wires

    --

    What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity.-Edward Abbey

  25. Alternatives? by caitsith01 · · Score: 1

    This is what I've always wanted for my less... um... public files. I would love to have one of these things stashed discreetly around my house, with the power switch easily accessible. That way, if there are any issues it's simply a matter of flicking a switch and anything incriminating/sensitive disappears from the network.

    I would like to know what security this thing has, though. Would it be possible to use PGP or similar to encrypt the contents and thereby limit access only to certain physical computers with the appropriate keys?

    Is anyone aware of any similar alternatives, other than laptops?

    --
    Read Pynchon.
    1. Re:Alternatives? by Hanzie · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yeah. You can do this with an entire PC with an encrypted file system. Just use an 802.11b network connection for it, and you can power it off when the black vans pull up outside.

      I would recommend a journaled file system like ReiserFS. I wouldn't use a laptop for this, since killing the AC will only make it run on batteries.

      If you're extra paranoid, just make sure you have a very similar looking PC with the same IP, and other names and plenty of legit files you need to access (I recommend harmless bikini-clad models), and the same encryption. This will prevent the "hey, why did we see lots of 802.11 traffic and you only having one WiFi device? What's it talking to?"

      Also the "Why is it encrypted, what do you have to hide?" to which you reply "my mother visits a lot, and I don't want her stumbling on my Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model collection".

      Another alternative is the "hidden server". A server at University of North Carolina running Netware 3 was accidentally drywalled into an alcove. A network admin found it a few years later when trying to figure out the "extra machine" on the network. He finally traced it's ethernet cable to a blank wall.

      You could do the same, and just unplug the ethernet cable. An easy way to accomplish this would be if you've wired up your home with CAT5. Just have one socket connected to the server on the back side, then when the thugs show up, or when you aren't using it, unplug the cable from the wall to the router.

      Good luck.

      --
      ********* sig: If you don't like the law, get filthy stinking rich, and buy a better one.
    2. Re:Alternatives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take a look at PGPdisk - it's what I use for this purpose. One hotkey unmounts the disk, and your passphrase is required to remount it. The disk image is encrypted with, well, PGP.

      So all anybody can see without the passphrase is a big file named "SecureData.pgpdisk".

  26. Re:ANd? by zmedico · · Score: 1

    If there's no concern about security then maybe no software is needed. When it comes to securing it, Linux or other software may come in handy though.

  27. Useful? by cmallinson · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I don't think this will be useful for many people. If you have a WIFI network, then I would assume you have a computer on the network that could hold a shareable hard drive, should you wish to have more disk space. Sure, the cool factor is there, but is it very practical?

    1. Re:Useful? by absurdhero · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes. It is. The fact that someone marked such a stupid question insightful is idiotic. Questions rarely provide insight and obvious questions like that never do. Anyway, enough ranting. To answer your question, I would really like one of these because I have a wireless laptop that I only plug in when i need it at my desk. Like, to plug in my ipod or my current firewire external drive. I plug it into an ethernet network in this case. But if I am on a my couch wireless, I cannot access that drive. "But wireless has such low bandwidth!", you say. I would not want to do large backups wirelessly, but lets say I want to stream a video file over it. Or perhaps have my iTunes playlist and songs on it. Its perfect for these uses. Not to mention as a central sharing point. Alas, this device is useful.

  28. Cheap wired version? by isny · · Score: 0

    Somewhat offtopic, but does anybody know of a cheap wired NAS device? What would be great would be a hard drive that I can plug into my router. With this, I can leave the hard drive on all the time, and access it from across the network, without leaving a pc/server on. The only one I found didn't use DHCP at all, but required some special Windows drivers. :-(

    1. Re:Cheap wired version? by aleclee · · Score: 1

      Define "cheap". I recently got a Buffalo LinkStation (120 gigs + expandable via USB2 external drive) for $300 shipped - $50 rebate. You can get a non-expandable 80 gig NAS box for a bit over $200.

      It's still a significant premium over a recycled Linux box with a big drive but it's a lot easier to provide uninterrupted power to a device that only draws 17W (and is the size of a largish book).

      --
      This message composed using 100% recycled electrons.
    2. Re:Cheap wired version? by isny · · Score: 0

      Cheap meaning less than the price of either (a) a standalone PC, no matter what power processor, even free -- because, as you mentioned, the power is pretty wasteful, and (b) a NAS, the cheapest which seem to hover around the $550 level. I didn't see anything like what you mentioned around the $200 level.

  29. offsite data backup by SKPhoton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, this might be a fun solution for off-site data backup. Go hide one outside somewhere (preferrably in a locked, powered container) and mount a pringles can off of the antenna. Assuming no one walks off with your new drive, you've got offsite storage!

  30. Wow, this thing is amazing by Pan+T.+Hose · · Score: 5, Insightful

    With no doubt, this must be the biggest security hole I have seen lately. 802.11g directly to the hard drive. Bravo. Is this an April Fool's joke posted prematurely or are they really out of their minds thinking that anyone would be so stupid to buy such a hard drive, which is basically asking to be cracked? I find it insulting. I hope script kiddies will have lots of fun.

    --
    Sincerely,
    Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
    "Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
    1. Re:Wow, this thing is amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't get it.

    2. Re:Wow, this thing is amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is off-topic, but it is also potentially interesting or insightful -- mod as you will.

      I have a strong suspicion you're trolling. However, on the off chance (say, 0.1%) that you simply decided to vent your self-loathing on Slashdot, I will say the following: The best thing for a college geek to do is meet other geeks. Don't bother talking to the "cool" people -- they are often just pompous asshats anyways. Strike up a conversation with someone else in EE or comp sci, about something geeky and technical. Talk about a class you're both in. There is an instant bond between geeks. Meet lots of them, and spend time with them. This rapidly branches from strictly geekspeak and academic complaining into true, well-balanced social interaction and is beneficial for all involved. Geeks can and do have relationships, too -- my girlfriend is a physics major and fellow geek. We met through our jobs working as research assistants for a physics prof. Join clubs, too -- that's a great way to meet friends and is generally a low-pressure environment socially since everyone is focused on some activity other than simply making conversation.

      As for learning how to handle romantic interactions? Google for FAQ's. Seriously. Never kissed? Read two dozen different "kissing guides". They all say different things, but that's because there is no right way to do it. These hokey and often overdone webpages will give you the basics of what to do and what no to do so you don't make a fool of yourself like I did the first time. It's supposed to be fun, and it is once you get the hang of it. The key rule for geeks who want to start dating? Kick your own ass and make yourself grow enough balls to talk to the girl you like on a regular basis. Do not admire from afar -- they don't get the idea and just think you're strange. Go out of your way (somewhat) to see her. Do and say things that make her feel special. Bring her daisies on the first date (not roses). Complement her on things that you genuinely like and that she has some control over (e.g. "I really like that sweater", not "you're so beautiful" or "that's a great X" where X is not really great at all).

    3. Re:Wow, this thing is amazing by smallpaul · · Score: 1

      With no doubt, this must be the biggest security hole I have seen lately. 802.11g [schneier.com] directly to the hard drive.

      You use the term 802.11g but then you link to a three year old article on problems with 802.11b (which I think have been fixed even in newer 802.11b gear). That's pretty deceptive.

    4. Re:Wow, this thing is amazing by Jagasian · · Score: 1

      802.11g has the same problems associated with 11b. Both use the same type of encrypted communication protocols, which are easily cracked.

    5. Re:Wow, this thing is amazing by smallpaul · · Score: 1

      You don't know what you are talking about. The security protocols have changed alot. "TKIP, or the temporal key integrity protocol, packages three improvements to replace the flawed wired equivalent privacy protocol (WEP). With Wi-Fi, data sent over the wireless network is encrypted, but sharing the keys that encrypted the information has always been a problem. TKIP scrambles the keys using a so-called hashing algorithm and ensures the keys haven't been tampered with by adding integrity checking."

  31. Though I shouldn't post this... by MacFury · · Score: 4, Funny
    I remember going to a CompUSA...I had written a little shell script that would copy all the files I wanted to a hidden directory on my iPod. I launched the script and set it as a background task. The CompUSA employee came over to ask what I was doing with my iPod connected to the machine. I simply explained that I was testing out the new FCP with video clips on my iPod. He stood over my shoulder while everything copied, unbeknownst to him.

    I thanked him for his time, and left with what I wanted. :-)

  32. Does this small 'computer' run Linux? by clusterix · · Score: 1

    Not that I read the article, but this sounds like an access point with a hard drive slot. Sounds good for the price, but what OS is it running and can we hack it to do our bidding? If so, then it is really cool.

    1. Re:Does this small 'computer' run Linux? by absurdhero · · Score: 2, Informative

      There is likely no operating system on it. Once upon a time, software did not drive hardware. Hardware is perfectly capable of tasks like this all alone. Now, if there is an authentication system and such, there may be a small embedded bit of code on a chip that runs through a tiny thing that resembles the processor that you are familiar with. This code would monitor the state of the system and would trigger various hardware events when necessary, and would store network data. an operating system in the modern sense might be almost a waste.

    2. Re:Does this small 'computer' run Linux? by clusterix · · Score: 1
      Uh, well I was going on the fact that there are no OSless embedded hardware systems that can do wireless (these are small mips or other architectures and some run linux) or support a standard hard drive that will do NAS, much less provide a way for the user to configure it.

      I am not sure what hardware you are referring to as most hardware in the last 20 years require firmware to operate in any way independently, though most would not be called a full OS.

      I think it is hardly possible that this thing can do all it does without a full OS stored in some accessible firmware (though it may be small). The fact the hard drive is add-on might mean the OS is in a DOC or IDE compactflash that can be easily modified.

    3. Re:Does this small 'computer' run Linux? by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      A lot (by no means all, or even really most) recent computer hardware does require some firmware, but many/most firmware systems are OSless - they don't do memory management, multi-tasking, file management, or any of the other crap OSes handle.

      As to OSless for this - I'm with you, it probably isn't, since I recall it being web-configurable, which implies a web server, which implies multi-tasking. But firmware != an OS, generally.

      --

      ---
      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
      (I read with sigs off.)
  33. Think LAN/pr0n PARTY!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Think LAN/pr0n PARTY!!!!!

    Everyone knows that the real reason many ppl go to LAN parties is to get the latest software/music/pr0n at 100mb full duplex speeds....

  34. Don't bitch by AvantLegion · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Just because you don't have a use for it, doesn't mean that nobody does.

  35. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As could the hundreds of other embedded operating systems out there. Most of which won't even require you make your OS available in GPL.

  36. Some possible uses by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Informative
    Say that the only PC you got is a laptop you use both at home and at work. Now a decent laptop has got a fair bid of storage so unless you have specific needs having one of the firewire/usb external drives is probably obsolete for office use. Anyway there are heavy duty laptops with dual HD's.

    But when you add home use people might want to store movies and music and ehehm nature programs on their laptop but not actually have it present on the laptop. Sure you could then at your desk at home have a usb/firewire external drive but that means you loose the mobility of a laptop. It can be fun working on the floor or sofa. Some laptops have tv outs so put the laptop on the tv and watch your downloads on the big screen.

    This wifi drive would then allow you to access your own files at home without any need for plugging in cables. Just put the thing somewhere central and your laptop is hooked up just like you use a wifi network station to allow you to use the laptop without cat5 cables.

    Frankly this is the only real use I can see. The WIFI-HD needs to be powered by a powercord and that means it ain't all that mobile. So it can't be used to give you PDA a storage boost. Using it in the office is pretty lame as it ads another security risk, an other piece of software to admin and its function can be easily duplicated with the existing file server.

    But for people with only laptops at home it could make sense.

    Only other possible use might be people with a PDA who are not close to a PC like setup but who are closed to something like a car. But it would have to be small operations as something like the Police Ambulance would have access to far better solutions. Maybe something for a mechanic? Store all the schematics and data on the WIFI-HD. Give him a pda and as long as he is within range of his car he got all the data in the world. Cheaper then pulling data over mobile phone lines.

    Mmmm, might not be such a bad gadget after all.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:Some possible uses by Engineer+Andy · · Score: 1

      Your points on the home usage of this hard drive make sense in terms of isolating "work" data from "home" data. I think that this same outcome could be achieved with a standard outboard USB hard drive though, and probably at lower cost.

      --
      "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World" 1 John 4:14
    2. Re:Some possible uses by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 1
      but at a loss of mobility. Laptop I can use in my entire house. If you got a wifi-router then you are essentially cable free. Then adding a USB drive would tether you to the drive.

      Not a major pain but this would solve it.

      Anyway the cost is not that high. Only 100 more then a usb solution. Peanuts really.

      Only thing I can't figure out is why they went with 2.5 inch disks. Such a device would have to be on day and night to achieve that true "get in range and play" usability and laptop drives are not exactly designed to run 24/7

      --

      MMO Quests are like orgasms:

      You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  37. Although I doubt they carry them at Wal-Mart... by c.emmertfoster · · Score: 1

    According to this paper, land mines are as little as $3.

    --
    We can neither love nor pity nor forgive. If you make a slip in handling us you die!
  38. Light Storage by nfotxn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I guess bluetooth isn't fast enough. But it would rule to see small form factor, low power consuming hdd's with battery built in. Then whatever devices utilizing the media off the hdd can be smaller and you can stow your mp3s, video, pictures etc. in your backpack or back pocket or something. We're not talking high performance here. I'm sure you could stream an mp3 over bluetooth with the right sized buffer. 802.11b/g seems like overkiller for a portable application.

    --

    _nfotxn

  39. And my perception of hacking too by tigersha · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Firewall, what firewall?? (Unless, of course, its made of lead).

    You just need to get close!

    --
    The dangers of excessive individualism are nothing compared to the oppressiveness of excessive collectivism
  40. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why does it matter if its GPL? who cares, the tech is in the hardware (man i feel like im IBM right now)

    but seriosuly the design is hardware, any software can do it now. its the point of providing a nice tiny hardware based solution

  41. slam two pieces of technology, you get crap by Wellmont · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "they've changed my perception--why did data storage just get more expensive?"

    -and complicated (obviously not for the likes of us, but needless to say the likes of us can figure something less expensive and far more useful out.)

    I fail to understand why the industry is trying to decentralize the elements of computers and electronics. At the same time it's still just as easy and less expensive to put it in a computer or share a hard drive on the network.

    EVEN plugging an existing external hard drive into a computer with wireless capabilities is probably simpler and cheeper.

  42. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "hardware alone"

    What hardware exists that requires no software to interface with to gain any functionality?

  43. Netgear's version runs linux and is a router too by levram2 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Netgear makes a device like this, the WGT634U, which is also a broadband router with hard drive support. The product literature only lists versions of windows as supported. But the USB Hard disks can be formatted with FAT, FAT32, NTFS (read only), and Linux file systems according to a support page. The drive can be accessed by ftp or smb.

    Netgear has gpl source for a few of their models here: ftp://downloads.netgear.com/files/GPL/

  44. wireless ipod by the_unknown_soldier · · Score: 2, Interesting

    what about an ipod dock, or attachement, that is a wireless adpater. think about it "update your music collection while its plugged into your cd player" that would be very cool and would help the uptake of 40 gig ipods methinks. id prefer to pay $150 for that!

  45. Decent speed boost... by LilGuy · · Score: 1

    I suppose you could consider it a massive upgrade to ethernet when you fill up 80 gigs of movies and then just move the hd into the other room for the other computer to use. Can't beat pushing 80 gigs from one side of your house to the other in just a minute or so.

    --

    You're nothing; like me.
  46. Are they going to advertise which wifi hardware... by SensitiveMale · · Score: 1

    it uses?

    PC wifi equipment is known for only working with the same manufacturer's equipment.

    So will they sell a HD with Uniden Wifi?

    and one with D-Link Wifi?

    And Belkin Wifi?

  47. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    What hardware exists that requires no software to interface with to gain any functionality?
    My foot and your ass.
  48. Usefull when the secret police come by Aggrav8d · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Keep your WiFi HD in a vent or something. Recharge as necessary, maybe run a power line into that secret spot. If politzei raid your house and steal - i mean, confiscate everything that looks techie, you wait until they are gone and then run to someone you trust with your WiFi HD. let them copy it, and return before the bad guys return to say "ho, wait a minute, we have records here of another drive. hand it over." you gladly and apologetically give them the device knowing that (a) your data is safe and (b) anything incriminating was *totally* removed when you visiited your friend.

  49. Awesome for your general purpose LAN ftp server. by drfreak · · Score: 1

    Just don't expect it to protect sensitive data. If you do, well, you're already an idiot anyways.

  50. Re:ANd? by zurab · · Score: 2, Interesting
    If all your file server is doing is connecting an HD to your network, then this device can do it in hardware alone.

    What do you mean "hardware alone?" It needs to run something to be able to communicate with clients and share files:

    It will have a Web-based management interface through which the drive can be accessed. Files will be freely shareable, have read-access only or be restricted to password-owning users.

    The info lacks details but it looks like all access and sharing will be done through a web server. How useful is that? I don't know, since the article also mentions that previous attempts by other manufacturers in this direction have failed, including what I thought was a better solution:

    Sony tried with a WiFi-connected file server in early 2003. The FSV-PGX1 was a 20GB hard drive controlled by an embedded Linux system that turned it into a file-server. It could be used by up to 250 people who accessed it by CIFS, if using Windows, or NFS if using Unix/Linux. The WiFi version was 11Mbit/s 802.11b, which meant that file-server access speeds weren?t great, particularly with several people sharing it. Again, it was a light device, weighing in at 320g.

    I could actually see a use for such a device for home users with multiple computers or a very small office; but I don't think it's a good idea at all. Given from what I've seen the security (or lack thereof) most people use to set up their wireless networks, this type of device will make all sensitive data directly accessible and available to everyone nearby without even needing to have any computers turned on.
  51. hahaha coppers! by iamhassi · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    "Asus Launching a Wi-Fi Hard Drive"

    Good luck finding my kiddy p0rn now! -- Michael Jackson

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone
  52. Device and story submitter -- both cheap. by fmaxwell · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They've changed my perception--why did data storage just get more expensive?"

    That's like bitching that a 40GB iPod is $500 when you can go to Best Buy and get a 40GB hard drive for $60. This does so much more than a bare hard drive that comparing the two on a cost-per-gigabyte basis is absurd.

    With the Asus device, you are getting an ultraportable network attached storage device (with a pair of wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports) that also speaks WiFi over 802.11g. It has security managed with a web-based interface which allows you to specify which clients have read access, read/write access, no access, etc.

    What a neat filesharing device! Load it up with your favorite MP3s (for which you hold copyright, of course), set it on a table. and let all of your friends access the music, adding or removing as they see fit.

  53. a workaround... by sarvik · · Score: 3, Funny

    get a reasonably long cable, spread it across the room,
    attach your new ATA hard disks to it and don't bother
    closing the case

  54. Silly idea by Lurgen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Data storage that not only is seriously expensive, but far too slow for any real use. I have an 802.11G wireless network here at home and while it's fine for basic tasks like Internet access and moving small files around it's slow.

    Despite claiming to be 54mbit, it really only gets 8 - 20 mbit even when I sit right next to the access point. There are a bunch of technical reasons why this is so, but the bottom line is that disk should be fast. ATA20 isn't a disk standard because people want ATA150. They'd buy ATA600 if it were possible, because disk is already the slowest part of our computers.

    Making it slower is just stupid marketing guys trying to figure out how else to get rid of 15 million spare wireless chips.

    1. Re:Silly idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? My 802.11G network usually runs at about 54 Mbps. In fact, it is right now.

    2. Re:Silly idea by Lurgen · · Score: 1

      Saying it runs at 54mbps is one thing, but try getting that much out of it... Even with high-end Cisco gear it doesn't actually deliver that much throughput thanks to the overhead of the 802.11g protocol.

    3. Re:Silly idea by PipsqueakOnAP133 · · Score: 1

      Freakin' a..... You guys gotta realize that ATA/66 is enough for most of your rigs now cuz your crappy 7200 rpm drives can't flood that bus anyways. Hell, my 10k rpm server drives can't do it. Getting ATA/133 over ATA/66 is pretty much useless but it's great marketing. It's kinda like this. You got the transmission system of a Subaru WRX sti rally car. But you got a 1.5 HP lawnmower engine under your hood.

  55. Hardware, spyware? by cpghost · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A Wi-Fi hard drive can also be a security nightmare! Anyone with the right equipment (a wifi card and a decent laptop) could eavesdrop, and even modify data on-the-fly. Using encrypted filesystems is a *must* in such a case, and even then, data integrity would still be in jeopardy.

    It may be possible to turn the tranceiver off, but you must trust the manufacturer that no back-door can be remotely opened.

    So how do you shield such drives? TEMPEST protection is already hard enough without this...

    The biggest issue here is not to stay clear of such equipment (if you have security objections), but to ensure that vanilla (non-wifi) hardware doesn't have WiFi chips you don't know anything about!

    It's a bad feeling to know that your computer could (passively, thus undetected) listen to RF, and behave in strange ways. We're on the brink of hardware that could be used as spyware. A scary thought!

    --
    cpghost at Cordula's Web.
    1. Re:Hardware, spyware? by OPR33 · · Score: 2, Funny

      "So how do you shield such drives?" - - Simple, wrap it in aluminum foil :>

  56. Great, but can you... by Etienne+Steward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...boot from it? This would be an interesting option to explore... You could have a completely mobile, moduluar computer...You want to change hard drives, or have a faster CPU, no sweat -- connect to a different component.

  57. Re:ANd? by balloonhead · · Score: 1
    I wish I had some mod points for that.

    --
    This idea was invented by Shampoo.
  58. Captive Portals by SWroclawski · · Score: 1
    Yet another example of why having a "Captive Portal" on your wireless network will cause problems.

    How will the hard drive log on?

    I wrote about this in my blog yesterday before the story came out:

    http://www.tux.org/~serge/archives/permalinks/2004 -03-26T07_44_37.html

  59. the Han Solo response by No+Such+Agency · · Score: 1

    You can buy a whole external case for $40 or $50

    Yeah, but who'd fly it? Wireless file serving ain't like dusting crops, kid! /too lazy to look up the exact quote

    --
    Freedom: "I won't!"
    1. Re:the Han Solo response by Dun+Malg · · Score: 1

      HAN: But who's going to fly it, kid! You?
      LUKE: You bet I could. I'm not such a bad wireless network architect myself!

      --
      If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
    2. Re:the Han Solo response by No+Such+Agency · · Score: 1

      Hehe, thanks. God bless the Internet.

      --
      Freedom: "I won't!"
  60. Storage for home theatre PC by Henry+Stern · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One of the primary design constraints for home theatre PCs is that they need to be absolutely silent. Since hard drives can be noisy, keeping the number of drives in your system to a minimum should be important. Many people (myself included) use networked fileservers to serve media to their HTPCs.

    These little boxes seem like just the ticket. Imagine a diskless HTPC. All that you would need to do is boot it over the network and mount the drive in the Asus enclosure as your root filesystem. If you were to use a Via C3-based motherboard and a power supply with passive cooling, you could then have an HTPC with no moving parts and thus, totally silent.

  61. Printer by pmeunier · · Score: 1

    Why can't they do this with a nice little laser printer (Mac compatible)? I'd buy *that*.

  62. Future Conversation by Craig+Maloney · · Score: 1

    "Dude, i think somebody just uploaded a whole bunch of warez to my WiFi disc from the parking lot".

  63. "Cloud Computing" by bigattichouse · · Score: 1

    With all this wireless crap, you start wondering about "cloud computing", where wireless processors, storage, software, etc could have a "central node" for a cloud and then you could have processes spawn spontaneously on processors/storage as they came into the cloud.

    --
    meh
  64. CD-Rom? by xanadu-xtroot.com · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can we get this in a CD drive? I wish there was a way to have a "remote" cd drive. That is the only thing holding me back from tossing my machine in the closet. I can get a 25 foot KVM cable, but, when I want to play a game (no-cd "fixes" aside), I have to go over there and pop in the CD. Can I have a CD drive sitting on my desk with the machine itself sitting in the closet?

    --
    I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
    I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
    1. Re:CD-Rom? by topham · · Score: 1

      get a Firewire (or USB 2.0) based drive. Not perfect since you'd have to run a cable, but it would be workable.

    2. Re:CD-Rom? by xanadu-xtroot.com · · Score: 1

      Well, I've been trying to type a reply, but the lamness filter is blocking everything I'm trying to do.

      Please see: http://xan.drirc.net/reply

      It's just a text file.
      Thanx.

      --
      I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
      I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
    3. Re:CD-Rom? by SomeGuyFromCA · · Score: 1

      Google up CloneCD. It basically lets you rip a cd to an image and then mount the image as a virtual cdrom drive.

      Not only does this make my desktop life much easier, I no longer have to haul a folder of CDs everywhere with my laptop - backpack space saved. (at the expense of hd space, but hd space is cheap.)

      The only problems are with games that a) expect the game cd always to be in the drive letter it was installed from or, b) react badly to being alt-tabbed out of but need you to switch CDs (you can sometimes get around this by creating multiple virtual drives and mounting *all* the images)

      --
      if the answer isn't violence, neither is your silence / freedom of expression doesn't make it alright
  65. Gigabit ethernet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why go with retarded 10/100 Mbps?

    Gigabit ethernet has more bandwidth than Firewire and USB 2.0 combined!

  66. Wow! I read that... by efextra · · Score: 1

    Ass Launching a Wi-Fi Hard Drive

  67. ho---hum--- by andrewleung · · Score: 1

    been there, doing it.

    Sony Portable File Server

    great way to share info and to keep it centralized on you. runs linux and has built in: SMB, NFS, HTTPd, FTPd, and hell even telnet. you can TELNET into this baby!

    beats reaching around to the computer to connect through all that cabling...

    now if it could also PULL information...heeheh... >:-)

  68. Re:Are they going to advertise which wifi hardware by Aliencow · · Score: 1

    Wtf are you talking about?
    I've used Linksys cards on Cisco APs, orinoco, Cisco cards on Linksys and DLink APs..

  69. I'm working on something like this cept more so... by stvangel · · Score: 2, Interesting
    My version is a little more advanced:

    Mini-itx motherboard in a portable enclosure, although I might switch it down to a Nano-itx now that they're becoming available.

    250gig 3.5" hard drive instead of a 2.5 mainly cause they're half the price and hold twice the storage.

    CD-RW

    802.11g

    FM audio transmitter

    Small battery pack. It only needs to run everything for 10 minutes.

    12-volt Power Supply

    No screen; No keyboard

    The idea of this is a portable storage / mp3 player. All controls are through it's Apache server, so I connect to it from a PDA or a laptop with a wireless card. It runs off 12 volts, so you can use it anywhere. As long as you can keep it within a few hundred feet of you you can use it.

    The original idea was for an MP3 player for my truck that I didn't have to dedicated to it or physically install. All I have to do, is carry it out of the house and plug it into a cigarette lighter. The battery keeps it from having to reboot when I move it from outlet to outlet. a 15 volt wall-wart and my auto-cigarette lighter adapter has enough voltage to run it and keep the battery topped off. It broadcasts to a nearby FM receiver or can stream the audio, although sometimes I just connect to the MP3 library over Samba. It automatically synchronizes with my home network when it's in range.

    When I'm at work, I just leave it in the truck and I've got enough range to connect to the FM headset and PDA I carry with me. When I'm at the gym, I park close to the building and queue up a long playlist before I leave it and the PDA in the truck. The best part of the whole thing is that it's inconspicuous. I don't have to leave an expensive looking gadget sitting in it all the time. I built it into a small, cheap looking plastic toolbox, so I can carry it anywhere without anybody paying any attention to it.

    It keeps growing. I'm currently experimenting with adding moving-map GPS using a USB GPS receiver. My big problem there, is updating the display on the PDA properly. I'd also like to synchronize my email / contacts / calendar / notes / tasks to it. It's an easy way to transfer large files back-and-forth between work and home and wherever else I happen to need them.

    I'm also considering with adding a second wireless adapter to it. The primary that controls it is highly secure and doesn't broadcast. The second one would be completely open and would scan for access-points. Partly so it could automatically connect to the net as I was driving around. Partly so I could use it as a gateway to the net from the PDA.

    I'd really like to get it all down to something I could actually wear on my belt. I could already get away with a smaller version if I ditched the CD drive, went to an embedded motherboard, switched to a small HD, and added batteries. It this point, it wouldn't be as powerful and would be twice the price. Maybe in a couple years...

    Toys...

  70. "in a blog somewhere in the future" by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 1

    Day 1. Me sets up my 300 GB wifi disk, had to disable WPA to get it running.
    Day 2. Moved 50 GB of junk out on the drive
    Day 3. It's Friday, party'n'drinking
    Day 4. It's Saturday, party'n'drinking
    Day 5. It's hangover Sunday, staying in bed watching tv, surfining on my wifi notebook. Wondering why my internet connection is so SLOW.
    Day 6. Found 250GB of programs on my wifi disk that I didn't knew I had. Internet connection still slow.
    -----
    Day 7. My internet is fast again, horray!
    Day 8. Discovered that I had unplugged my wifi drive yesterday, dammit.
    Day 9. Internet slow again, what gives?

  71. Re:busted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    so it was _you_!
    return my pr0n immediately... I feel so... cheated

  72. Portable Storage for Digital Photography by GoCal92 · · Score: 1
    When I read this, I stared thinking that this would be excellent as portable storage for digital photography. I shoot with a Canon 10D digital SLR, and when I'm in the field, I'll shoot about a gig a day, more if I'm photographing wildlife. For trips into the wilderness where I can't carry too much gear, this sounds ideal. I could carry a PDA with WiFi and a compact flash card reader. I just dump the flash card into the PDA, and move my files over to the hard drive in my pack. The drive could be kept in a protective case so that I would never have to expose it to the elements.

    I've tried a number of different solutions: an iPaq with dual sleeves and PCMCIA hard drives, a dedicated portable storage device (40 Gb Tripper), and a laptop. I liked the PDA solution a lot since I already owned one and could view the pics. However, getting enough storage was not as cost efficient as getting the storage device. And, most PDAs can't host USB/Firewire hard drives - though there have been some successes. The laptop, while the best solution, is simply too heavy and power hungry.

    This would also be good for watching movies or listening to MP3's on my PDA. Having a lightweight, large capacity, rechargeable storage device that can be easily accessed by my PDA would be great.

  73. Add storage without opening the box by mabhatter654 · · Score: 1
    The key problem with the USB and Firewire HDDs is that once you have 2 PCs its a pain to share them between PCs. Sure most /.rs can do it with ease, but most home with 2 PC have some form of neworking already...typically one of those Linksys wired or wireless routers. I know I've got 2 empty ports on mine and this would be a great tool.

    Also, it's a great plan for OSS adoption! These types of products are exactly what we need more of...because they're not reliant on machine specific drivers!!!

  74. Re:Are they going to advertise which wifi hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > PC wifi equipment is known for only working with the same manufacturer's equipment.

    -1 WRONG.

    I've used D-Link, M$, Intel, and Dell Truemobile (Broadcom chipset) wireless cards with M$, ASUS, Linksys and Netgear routers.

  75. 90% of market is Windows by billstewart · · Score: 1
    iSCSI isn't mainstream yet. Windows file sharing protocols are, and that's 90% of the market. I don't know if Macs can access Windows file sharing, but I assume they can and Linux can?

    As far as not all apps working on them, if you're a Windows user you're used to not all apps working... The ones that don't can run on a wired box.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  76. Broadcom have SOHO NAS available Q3 $99 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I submit the story about broadcom NAS last week.

    Broadcom will have Entry-level products based on the BCM4780 chipset, and can retail for $99 (without drives), and require no CD installation process.

    Braodcom Press release Braodcom NASoC tech spec PDF

    It will take standard 3.5" desktop Hard drive, have raid and encryption capability.

    Asus kit only takes 2.5" notebook drive. Looks like Broadcom will have a large market share for the low cost NAS marekt in SOHO.

  77. Combined with other products ... by ReidMaynard · · Score: 1

    Put on a little velcro and attach it to one of these. Then, when you roam out of range, just call it back in.

    --
    -- www.globaltics.net

    Political discussion for a new world

  78. maybe a stupid question by waspleg · · Score: 1

    what in the hell could you possibly want off a generic compusa display machine that would make you go through so much trouble?

  79. Canonical hiding places by billstewart · · Score: 1
    Of course, if your A/C duct is made of metal, that's not too effective, though you don't have to worry about cooling problems :-)

    The other canonical hiding place is that hollowed out book in your bookshelf - the one with the power cord coming out the back...

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  80. Use encrypted file systems by billstewart · · Score: 1
    Obviously 802.11foo doesn't have useful encryption, so if you're worried about that black van parked across the street or your downstairs neighbor's high-school kid illegally copying your MP3 collection, you need more protection than that. And 802.11g is potentialy more dangerous than 802.11b, because its range is probably better, ymmv.

    But that just means you need to only use encrypted file systems on top of the network file system you're carrying over the wireless, so you only store encrypted data blocks. That's not a bad policy in general, even for wired networks.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  81. Laptop Disk Storage by billstewart · · Score: 1
    It's not going to give you a huge boost in storage capacity, because it is designed for 2.5" laptop drives rather than 3.5" desktop drives, which generally have lots more capacity and much lower prices per volume. Your movie collection would be much better off on a 200 MB desktop drive.

    On the other hand, this thing sits safely on the shelf at home, while you're going to carry your laptop around, drop it occasionally, have it xrayed by the goons at the airport, spill coffee on it, and do things that are generally risky, so if you've only got a laptop, you really need some storage at home, though that usb/firewire external can do that more cost-effectively.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  82. Right idea, wrong technology? by zubzub · · Score: 1

    Doesn't this seem sort of a great idea, but the wrong way to go about it? 802.11 is functional and nice for home networking, but a pretty crappy protocol in all reality, and Bluetooth is designed specifically to be a great low-power high-speed protocol FOR DEVICES.

    I'm sure they're just aiming to be the first in the wireless storage market, making a splash, etc. because 802.11 is actually out there and Bluetooth isn't really widely accepted yet. I would expect to see this thing die off within the year in favor of Bluetooth-based storage devices, though.

    The only argument I can see for 802.11 is that 802.11g is way faster than the highest-powered Bluetooth system. Still, that's not a very good argument.

  83. Alot of cool stuff :-) by MacFury · · Score: 1
    Again...though I shouldn't post...how about Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Keynote, M$ Word, etc. My CompUSA keeps their demo machines well stocked. :-)

    I've since actually purchased legit copies of Final Cut and DVD Studio...but M$ won't get money for a product I don't use. :-P

  84. Re:ANd? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    :D

    Yeah, but what functionality does that interface bring?

  85. 200 gb? won't happen by way2trivial · · Score: 1
    show me a cite for a 200gb 2.5 inch, ata/100 hard drive. then show me the price

    the killer is the 2.5 inch.. this box holds LAPTOP drives.

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    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  86. Wireless Easy? by Deliveranc3 · · Score: 1

    I never thought I`d say this but I am going to wait for them to get the bugs out before going wireless. I allow almost all of my data to be freely accessed but the security concerns of wireless and ease of use issues are just horrendous at this point...

    It`s a technology with a lot of potential but I will wait for it to mature... Does anyone have any stories about ease of use that might convince me otherwise?

  87. Did anyone notice... by electrofreak · · Score: 1

    that these 2.5 inch hard drives are laptop size? You aren't going to find a drive much larger then about 80GB.

    --
    I need a sig.