Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Make a PC Look Like a Firewire or USB Drive?

Posted by Cliff on from the optionally-attached-storage dept.

buckinm asks: "Here's the problem: I have a Windows laptop that I use for work. When I'm at home though, I much rather use my Mac. Since we use Cisco's VPN client at work, I can't mount the drives on the PC from the Mac. What I'd like to know, is there any software out there that would make the PC act like a Firewire or USB drive? I'd want to be able to mount it read/write. I know I could do some sort of rsync of thing when not connected to the VPN, but that seems like too much trouble. I wouldn't be against writing something like that, if I could get some idea of what is required to listen / respond to traffic on the Firewire or USB ports."

3 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Simplest way: by wowbagger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This probably WON'T work, for the same reason he cannot use Samba over normal Ethernet.

    Most VPN clients, in order to protect the network you are VPN'ing into, will shut down all other connections - they set the VPN interface to be the default route, and then they remove any other routes.

    So doing IP over Firewire will work, right up to the time the VPN client kills it.

    I'd suggest finding a small Linksys/Dlink (but NOT BELKIN) router that has Cisco VPN client support - the router will handle the VPN, and you can plug both your Mac and your PC into it.

    --
    www.eFax.com are spammers
  2. Re:Possible, I think by nuxx · · Score: 4, Informative

    For what it's worth, you hold T and it puts it in 'T'arget disk mode. This is so damn handy for when you've got a b0rked OS install, but you want to recover the data. It's so much easier than pulling the disk and sticking it in an external enclosure, especially in laptops...

  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion