Help with network setup (printer and HD)

Hi all -
I'm new(er) to networking and have a trivial question. I'm looking to set up the printer and HD to the router so I don't have to have the desktop always on. The intent is for the family to be able to print via laptops and have an external HD to share. Oh and not really wanting to buy a dedicated NAS (too expensive)

Currently I have a Netgear router (older with no printer server capability).

We're going to buy a new printer (with network capability...I think its an RJ45 connection or something to that effect).

How do you think is the most efficient way to accomplish this? By buying a new printer, that solves the printer issue...however how should I go about doing the external HD? Again, I'd like for us to use the HD to set up folders, backup, etc.

Thanks much for your advice!

 

Since your router is already old, the simplest solution is probably to replace that router with a new router that includes a USB port to which external hard drives can be connected.

As an example, there is the Linksys WRT350N which does exactly that, although Linksys calls the USB port the "Storage Link;" however, the description confirms that it's a USB 2.0 port that permits the attachment of external USB hard drives.

 

Thanks Shyster1 -
What would be the difference then by connecting a USB external HD and utilizing a NAS in the network?

Thanks!

 

At the basic level, probably not much, because that external hdd would essentially be Network Attached Storage at that point. However, depending on the sophistication of the firmware the router uses to manage that external hdd, you will probably get a lot more fine-grained control over access permissions from a dedicated NAS solution than from that external hdd; e.g., one thing that comes to mind is that, unless the router is equipped to check whether incoming requests originate from systems located on your private subnet or not, anything on that external hdd might be accessible to someone who manages to get into your private subnetwork via your internet connection. The finer access control you'd get with a dedicated NAS device would/should permit you to filter requests by, e.g., IP and/or MAC, and deny access to any system that isn't considered a trusted system.