External HDD... connecting to two computers

[tonymaclennan]

I have an external HDD. Nothing special, just a standard 60GB device. It cam with this sort of cable:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-DUAL-POWER-Y-2-x-TYPE-MINI-B-CABLE-LEAD-WIRE-/140424429659?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20b1f2c05b

But when I connect to two computers only one of the computers is able to view the device contents.

Do you think its just a dodgy cable? Or am I missing something about how it can be used?

Many Thanks

 

[Twinbird24]

Not possible to hook up 2 PCs to one HDD the way you wan't to with the USB cables. You could just attach the HDD to one PC, then access it through your network from the other one.
Read this, it will help. You could also purchase a NAS drive.

 

[Drenlin]

^ That

Networking will be necessary for this, but I think you can achieve the same end result that you were looking for.

That split-end cable is used to draw more power from a second usb port, not to connect another computer. The second connector has no signal leads, only power.

 

[tonymaclennan]

Right... thanks.

I have been looking at the links supplied, so I am correct to assume one of the following will work:

- Buy a HDD which has its own power supply and can be plugged in. But then I am confused as to how to connect to 2 computers as I have just learnt from Deenlin the true natuure of such is for plugging in to same computer for increased power/functionality...

and this one is an option:

- Buy a NAT HDD which can be networked on both computers. Will this one for example be suitable?


I hope I understand you both okay..? Your responses as simple as they seem have completely thrown me out of whack! So much to understand with technology

The purpose is for work...
3 computers...
2 with inhouse rogrammed POS software...
-- each s'ware connects to a single database on this HDD.
-- each s'ware stores the photos supplied by customers on this single device
the third computer is used for the processing of these files and sent to print as it has its own backend software.

So how would networkin come in to this?
Connect a HDD to the router (all computers are connected via cable to the router for web access). Then store and access the HDD using the designated IP address?



Hardware is a very week topic of mine so please excuse my questions if I have missed to point or something!

 

[Mitchell]

i assume you are using windows xp, correct?

 

[Twinbird24]

The HDD on eBay would work just fine, you just need to download the drivers from the website on all the computers. You hook up the HDD to the router using an ethernet cable and all the computers should recognize it.