External backup drive and streaming media

[rgrossjr]

Two things I am trying to confirm.

1st - Can I access a drive connected to the 700gE for backing up to it. In other words, can I attach an external drive to the router and use it as a network backup drive for my PC.

2nd - What device do I use to stream media to my TV? I did not see Asus making one. Can I use any 3rd party piece of hardware. What has anyone here used?

Thanks for any info.

[houli-mouli]

I would be very pleased when www.oxyl.de software can be run one day on the WL700gE since it can be run on windows and linux systems.
Would be nice when apache server could be realised on the WL700gE.
The Oxyl-Box server could then be the streaming manager and I finally could use my www.neuston.com 500-series media box to get data from the router instead of having my PC running all the time.

b.r.
Aldi

[MaxCorvette]

Yes, you can connect 1,2 or even 3 USB-HDD to your WL-700.
They will all be accessible by your computers so backingup on them won't be a problem.
You can even setup a mirror on an USB-HDD connected to the WL-700 and use it as a raid1 setup [that is what I'm using now]
To backup you need to use software on your desktop, there is no option to backup automatically on the WL-700.
Mirror option is in the WL-700 under disk managment.

[rgrossjr]

MaxCorvette, thanks for the info, that is exactly what I was hoping for.

As for the streaming media feature, does anyone know what you do to get the video or music to your tv? Asus' site says little, just that it can be done, and their support knew even less when I called.

[arctic]

I am a newbie...

What I wanted to do was to connect an external disk to my wl700ge and get is to mirror the contents. So I would always have a backup.

I just connected an external disk (brand new pre formatted, FAT) to the USB port on the front. I cannot see this external disk from my PC. When I log in to wl700ge, it shows the external disk as a foreign disk. I selected the mirror option, but wl700ge said there was no disk available to mirror. When I return to the disk mgmt page, the tooltip for the foreign disk says I must trash the data on the foreign disk before I can use it. Well, the previous wl700ge I had died when I upgraded the firmware (I think the version I downloaded was bad). Luckily this forum could help be get it alive again. So, I am a little apprehensive about doing anything drastic without knowing what I am doing.

MaxCorvette, you wrote that you are running raid now - and I saw from your postings on another thread that you must've had some trouble getting it to work. Can you understand from what I have written why this isn't working for me? Could you be so kind as to tell me the steps you took to make it work for you?
I'd even be happy just seeing the external disk from my PC ;-)

Thanks for any advice!

[MaxCorvette]

Hi arctic,

You can only make a mirrror of an external usb-hdd on another usb-hdd not on the internal disk.
This means you need 2 usb-hdd. 1 to mirror the other.
Or mirror the internal disk to an usb-hdd. Then you only need 1 usb-hdd.

What I did was, put all the data on the internal disk and then connect 1 usb-hdd to the router.
You have to erase it and format it with the diskmanagment of the router. After this you make the usb-hdd mirror the internal disk.
I connected an 240GB usb-hdd to the back of the router into the usb slots there.
So I now have the usb-hdd mirror the internal drive [160GB]. The remaining space is now a new share that is not mirrored.

The filesystem on the usb-hdd is now the same as the internal disk. this means it CAN'T be read by windows if you connect it to a windows computer.
It should be able to be read by Linux, haven't tried it yet though [a bit lazy], but it should work
But the shares can be read by any computer through the network.
I hope I explained it good enough.

[fireflash]

MaxCorvette, thanks for the info, that is exactly what I was hoping for.

As for the streaming media feature, does anyone know what you do to get the video or music to your tv? Asus' site says little, just that it can be done, and their support knew even less when I called.

Streaming video to your TV off the WL700g is possible, if you have something attached to your tv connected to your network that can stream video files across your network. For instance, I use my Xbox (original, not the 360), thats been software modded. Then I use XBMC (Xbox Media Center) that can stream audio and video across my network to my TV. Works pretty good.

[rgrossjr]

I see, so any third party streaming device, like the Dlink Media Lounge or the Buffalo DMS, should work to stream to I assume. Thats fine.

[fireflash]

I see, so any third party streaming device, like the Dlink Media Lounge or the Buffalo DMS, should work to stream to I assume. Thats fine.

Yes. The files will reside on your 700g's HD, from there you can access and play them.

[arctic]

Hi Max Corvette,
Thanks a lot! I've been away for a while, and will try what you explained!
arctic

[infoanarchy]

You have to erase it and format it with the diskmanagment of the router. After this you make the usb-hdd mirror the internal disk.
...
The filesystem on the usb-hdd is now the same as the internal disk. this means it CAN'T be read by windows if you connect it to a windows computer.

So to sum up, there is no way to use the WL-700ge's RAID1 feature without formatting the drives involved to the reiserfs filesystem. that totally sucks.

More info here:
http://wl700g.info/showthread.php?t=6484

And here, an Asus FAQ page re configuring a mirror:
http://tinyurl.com/yjnde2

[cpnhowdy]

Streaming video to your TV off the WL700g is possible, if you have something attached to your tv connected to your network that can stream video files across your network. For instance, I use my Xbox (original, not the 360), thats been software modded. Then I use XBMC (Xbox Media Center) that can stream audio and video across my network to my TV. Works pretty good.

may I ask what wireless adapter you are using on your Xbox? Im thinking of getting this wl700g to stream to XBMC but Im not sure which wireless adapter works well with the Xbox original.
Thanks