Simple question...

[Jasont41]

I would like to connect an externally powered Hard drive to the RPI and access said drive on my windows laptop through an ethernet port or a local wireless connection.  How would I go about this?

[ulysses]

1.) Mount the drive on the RPi as normal

2.) Use Samba on the RPi to export that directory

3.) On the Windows side, go to RPi-IP-address\exported directory

[Jasont41]

Would connecting the two with a single ethernet cable work?

[Chromatix]

Probably - as long as the two machines get compatible IP addresses.  If your laptop has an auto-crossover capability, it doesn't even have to be a crossover cable.

If IP addresses turn out to be a problem (but just try it first), you could run a DHCP server on the R-Pi after giving it a static address itself.  The DHCP server then tells Windows which IP address to use while talking on your miniature network.

[Jasont41]

What if the Raspi was connected to my home network? And I simply share the drive and find it in windows?

[Chromatix]

Your home network should give out suitable IP addresses already (usually from the broadband router).  Accordingly, the chances of it "just working" go up a bit.

[Jock in a Frock]

Chromatix said:


Probably – as long as the two machines get compatible IP addresses.  If your laptop has an auto-crossover capability, it doesn't even have to be a crossover cable.

If IP addresses turn out to be a problem (but just try it first), you could run a DHCP server on the R-Pi after giving it a static address itself.  The DHCP server then tells Windows which IP address to use while talking on your miniature network.


The Ethernet port on the R-Pi has Auto MDI/MDIX functionality. In other words, it will auto detect and switch the Tx and Rx legs of the ethernet connection. So it doesn't matter if your PC has this functionality, or whether you use a straight or a crossed Ethernet cable.

[Burngate]

MDI / MDIX = 0.994698476

If the laptop also has Auto MDI/MDIX the two could get tied in knots. Is there a way to switch it off? I can't find it in the data sheet for the 9512 used on the pi.

[Steady_Bear]

Burngate said:


MDI / MDIX = 0.994698476

If the laptop also has Auto MDI/MDIX the two could get tied in knots. Is there a way to switch it off? I can't find it in the data sheet for the 9512 used on the pi.



Disclaimer: I have no experience of MDI/MDIX

Surely the feature was created to allow the simple connecting of two devices in the absence of a controlled network. The most likely scenario of this is with two laptops on the move. Therefore the specification for the ports should already consider the possibility of the two ports both being of the auto switch type.

I could be wrong though. I've seen some awful design decisions in my time.

[Tomo2k]

Burngate said:


MDI / MDIX = 0.994698476

If the laptop also has Auto MDI/MDIX the two could get tied in knots. Is there a way to switch it off? I can't find it in the data sheet for the 9512 used on the pi.



I've never had any issues connecting Auto MDI/MDIX machines together.

Happens (almost) every time I connect my laptop to a switch, and every time I connect my laptop to the front panel Ethernet jack of the embedded controllers I service and configure.

[Jock in a Frock]

Yep, it's never been a problem for me, and as a telecoms engineer I have plugged in more devices than you could shake a stick at. Biggest deployment I had was 1,200 IP Phones and PCs into a call centre in Cardiff.