[SOLVED] wireless router with NAS that handles Linux FS too

arad · 06-18-2010, 10:34 AM

I would like to buy a wireless router that also has a USB connection for a NAS. As NAS I would connect an external HD that has both Linux and NTFS/FAT32 partitions.

I am looking for a simple way to share photos, music etc. between computers (some running XP, other FC12), but would prefer to also have access to the Linux partitions from the Linux machines.

I was wondering which routers would give access to both file systems.

Does anyone know whether Cisco Linksys E3000 (http://homestore.cisco.com/en-us/Rou...VVviewprod.htm) can do this?

Thanks!

keithieopia · 06-18-2010, 03:47 PM

Doesn't look like it's capable of this according to this review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WIPKOGKC9P51

Quote:

Long story short, After talking to LinkSys chat support (Tushar) and posting both on the Cisco and Western Digital forums, a LinkSys forum administrator wrote back and confirmed that the router will only work with FAT32 and NTFS partitioned disks.

Doesn't even look like you can install custom firmware such as DD-WRT on it: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtop...c93f338f1f9d99

Quote:

This router was presented as a successor for WRT610Nv2. There are no reports of successful dd-wrt installations. Any attempt to flash K26 builds for 610N will brick this device! Be careful!

Why not buy a cheap old computer instead and install Linux on it and turn it into a Router/NAS?

michaelk · 06-18-2010, 05:18 PM

linux has very good NTFS read/write support so if you want to connect the drive locally it would not be a problem. It also does not matter when connected to the router since it is really the router that does the reading/writing and not the client computer.

I have not looked at many routers with USB capability to know of any that support linux filesystems. Many hardware NAS devices do.

arad · 06-19-2010, 12:03 PM

Thanks very much!
Hope sooner or later there will be a dd-wrt for most routers. That might take care of the linux FS, at least.

jefro · 06-19-2010, 12:14 PM

You should just get a real NAS rather than play with trying to get a router that has usb.

The routers are almost all based on linux anyway. You just can modify many of them.

Normal NAS's are linux based but that has nothing to do with how it provides files. It provides files based on IP based protocols. FTP and HTML are the most common ways. Many have ssh and some may have nfs and others.