Splitting an External Drive

Trying to split a USB drive

[aaronjf]

We are using a Lacie external USB 2 hard drive to hold all the sites and graphics. The problem is the drive is connected to the primary Mac and to access it the other computers have to log into the machine to get to it. Is there some kind of part that will split a USB port into two ports so two machines can share a drive? Is this possible?

[Macguru]

What is network protocol?

[aaronjf]

OS X Local network

[Macguru]

aaronjf,

Maybe I dont get the question right. How about allowing guests to the drive with minimal security requirements and put an alias of it in the startup folder of every Mac allowed to it?

[aaronjf]

Macguru,

Security is not the issue. What I am trying to do is spilt the upstream from the external drive. That way it plugs into two machines. The main problem is when I need to run a diagnostic on or restart the main computer it cuts off the connection to the other machine. The external dirve is plugged in to the main computer.

[Macguru]

Sorry I can't help here. Anybody else can?

[aaronjf]

Here is a diagram of what I am trying to do... PS this is a non commercial site.. and you are only going to see the diagram....

[robertwygle.com...]

[aaronjf]

What about USB switches? Do they allow more than one computer to access a peripheral at a time. Or is it just a switch?

[jimbo_mac]

Can't you turn on file sharing to the USB hard drive.
That way computer 2,3 or 4 can all access,update etc the files.

[Macguru]

That is what I would do. No harware required. The solution seems simple. What kind of benefits can you get on top with a hardware split?

Booting all Macs to the main one with some alias in the startup folder would instantly make the drive available.

There must be something I dont get in the question. The solution takes a minute and does not cost anything. Something I miss?

[aaronjf]

Ok, here goes.. If the external drive is connected to the comp 1, and comp two needs to access the drive comp two has to connect to comp 1 to get to the drive. Not a big deal when "launch at startup". Here is the problem. Comp 1 crashes and comp 2 has been working with a file on the external drive for an hour. Comp 2 can't save and looses the file becuase comp 1 crashed and the line was severed... Getting the problem now. I am trying to save myself the expence of a file server by splitting the external drive.

[Macguru]

I believe (means I am not sure) that if comp 1 crashes the line will be severed anyways since it was feeding power on UBS drive too.

Not sure about this.

[aaronjf]

No, it is a self powered 120 Gig Lacie USB drive

[aaronjf]

I forwarded the question to Belkin. I will post their response.. .it will probably be "buy a file server nut job.."

[aaronjf]

Apparently no one makes such a creature. And no one is sure even if it did exist how an external drive would react to this sort of use. I guess I am off to buy a file server after all.

Thanks for all the input guys