networked usb bulk storage?

Not quite sure this is OT for any of these groups, but you're
knowledgable people.

Does anyone know of (or can think of a hack for) a device a device
that emulates a USB bulk storage device that's accessible over a
network? I'm not talking about one of these
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...21384&doy=19m9 USB
network server, but rather what I want to do is to be able to load
content over the network on to a device that is simultaneously plugged
into the USB port of a host - so that as far as the PC's concerned
it's a standard flash drive, but I can access the content from
elsewhere over the network *simultaneously*?

What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
in the drive.

Anyone seen a suitable solution?
Ric

ric wrote:
....
> Does anyone know of (or can think of a hack for) a device a device
> that emulates a USB bulk storage device that's accessible over a
> network? I'm not talking about one of these
> http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...21384&doy=19m9 USB
> network server, but rather what I want to do is to be able to load
> content over the network on to a device that is simultaneously plugged
> into the USB port of a host - so that as far as the PC's concerned
> it's a standard flash drive, but I can access the content from
> elsewhere over the network *simultaneously*?
....
> Anyone seen a suitable solution?
> Ric
>
Not sure. Freecom do a drive that has ethernet and usb2 ports; whether
it will use both /at once/ isn't clear.
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3400
They also do a 500GB version. What network protocols are on offer also
isn't clear. I suspect it's smb not nfs.


(Oddly, I noticed this this morning for the first time in novatech's
catalogue when it arrived.)

Might be worth asking freecom or novatech.

--
Mike Scott (unet <at> scottsonline.org.uk)
Harlow Essex England

ric wrote:

> Not quite sure this is OT for any of these groups, but you're
> knowledgable people.
>
> Does anyone know of (or can think of a hack for) a device a device
> that emulates a USB bulk storage device that's accessible over a
> network? I'm not talking about one of these
> http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...21384&doy=19m9 USB
> network server, but rather what I want to do is to be able to load
> content over the network on to a device that is simultaneously plugged
> into the USB port of a host - so that as far as the PC's concerned
> it's a standard flash drive, but I can access the content from
> elsewhere over the network *simultaneously*?
>
> What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
> music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
> play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
> connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
> in the drive.
>

I'm really not sure exactly what you're trying to do, but the Freecom
Storage Gateway (FSG-3) seems likely to fit the bill. It's essentially a
versatile network attached storage device with a hard disk, USB ports and
an inbuilt router (which can be disabled/configured as a switch or whatever
if not needed as a router) and there is a version available that also has a
wireless card.

The device actually runs a version of Linux and is in effect a compact
computer in its own right, and hence very configurable. It gets more
configurable if you install OpenFSG, a community-supported alternative
operating system.

Rob



--
Rob Kemp
(E-Mail Removed)

"ric" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ps.com...
> Not quite sure this is OT for any of these groups, but you're
> knowledgable people.

Dunno what it has to do with uk.comp.os.linux, so I removed it for
Followups.

> what I want to do is to be able to load content over the network on to a
> device that is simultaneously plugged into the USB port of a host - so
> that as far as the PC's concerned it's a standard flash drive, but I can
> access the content from elsewhere over the network *simultaneously*?

If a USB-attached device appears to be a Mass Storage Device, whatever it is
attached to will assume that it has complete control over the data stored
(ie it is the only entity that will cause writes to the device), and is
likely to be "unhappy" if it gets changed behind its back.

> What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
> music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
> play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
> connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
> in the drive.

I can see the attraction of the idea, but I doubt it is feasible while the
device remains connected to the head unit. Also, it would be faster to
connect it to a computer (especially so if it is a hard drive rather than
Flash).

Alex

In article news:<(E-Mail Removed) ups.com>,
Ric wrote:
> What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
> music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
> play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
> connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
> in the drive.

What you actually want is a head unit with WiFi, isn't it?

Unfortunately I don't think you're going to be able to achieve this by
just plugging a USB WiFi network interface into the head unit's USB port
... I very much doubt that the head unit will contain the necessary
drivers, and you'd need some way to set up an SSID, encryption, etc..

How much memory does the head unit have? Is there a limit to the size of
flash drive it can read from (does it have an interface to let you
choose what you copy, or does it just suck the data in indiscriminately
until the memory is full)?

It sounds like a battery-powered (or USB-powered) USB external disk (or
portable MP3 player) might be the best solution -- back up your entire
music collection to it and then plug it into the car's head unit.

Cheers,
Daniel.

On Oct 4, 1:12 pm, Daniel James <wastebas...@nospam.aaisp.org> wrote:
> In article <news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com>,
>
> Ric wrote:
> > What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
> > music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
> > play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
> > connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
> > in the drive.
>
> What you actually want is a head unit with WiFi, isn't it?
>
> Unfortunately I don't think you're going to be able to achieve this by
> just plugging a USB WiFi network interface into the head unit's USB port
> .. I very much doubt that the head unit will contain the necessary
> drivers, and you'd need some way to set up an SSID, encryption, etc..
>
> How much memory does the head unit have? Is there a limit to the size of
> flash drive it can read from (does it have an interface to let you
> choose what you copy, or does it just suck the data in indiscriminately
> until the memory is full)?
>
> It sounds like a battery-powered (or USB-powered) USB external disk (or
> portable MP3 player) might be the best solution -- back up your entire
> music collection to it and then plug it into the car's head unit.
>
> Cheers,
> Daniel.

Yes, that'd be ideal, but they don't exist. What I *do* have is a
head unit that acts as a USB host though, so the ideal would be a USB
bulk storage device that's loadable via wifi. Not sure it's possible
though.

Ideally I'd park the car outside, and it'd just sync up automagically
overnight. I have actually tried something similar using a Windows CE
PDA and wireless activesync but it's not exactly elegant!

One bodge might be a Linksys SLU2 "slug" powered via 12v, with a USB
hard disk plugged into it. Leave it in the car and I can wirelessly
load it up remotely over the network. When I get in the car, unplug
the USB HDD from the wireless box, and plug it in the head unit...

Ric

In article news:<(E-Mail Removed) oups.com>, Ric
wrote:
> On Oct 4, 1:12 pm, Daniel James <wastebas...@nospam.aaisp.org> wrote:
> > What you actually want is a head unit with WiFi, isn't it?
>
> Yes, that'd be ideal, but they don't exist.

Well, you could make one ... a mini (or nano) ITX motherboard will fit in a
car audio bay, and you can get pop-out LCD screens ... you could build a
little media centre PC with WiFi communications and control the whole thing
remotely. I'm not sure you'd want to leave it powered overnight, though, as
it'd draw quite a bit more power than a conventional car head unit (and
they're usually powered off when the engine's not running).

You could use it as a GPS, too ...

Ideas here: http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=52&pp=52

> What I *do* have is a head unit that acts as a USB host though ...

Have you confirmed that it only acts as host to USB mass storage devices?

Cheers,
Daniel.

On 2007-10-03, ric <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> What I'm actually trying to do is to find a way of wirelessly synching
> music to the car: I have a head unit that has a USB socket on it to
> play MP3s off flash drives, and I'd like to juryrig a wireless
> connection to the house network so I can update it whilst it's parked
> in the drive.

I haven't been following the thread much so don't know if this has
been suggested, but how about a wireless USB extender? You could then
plug the head unit into it and the other end of the wireless link
could be attached to a USB drive in the house that you can update from
your desktop.

http://www.cyberselect.co.uk/product/1292

But I suppose you might as well just take the USB drive outside!
However if you can persuade a desktop machine to act as a USB slave
which is possible with some chipsets...

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!