print
email
The USB Storage Tool on a Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router allows the user to easily manage a USB storage device connected to it. A USB storage device, also called a Network Attached Storage (NAS), lets you store and share content across your network.
Configuring this tool lets you allow or deny access on your shared drive, setup restrictions on your document and media files, or setup login credentials to allow access to specific folders on your USB Storage.
NOTE: To the view the video version of the USB Storage Tool, click here.
IMPORTANT: This tool is not available to the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router N600 Network Manager, EA2700.
There are four (4) tabs found in the USB Storage Tool, namely:
Status
Folder Access
FTP Server
Media Server
The Status tab displays information about your storage device.
IMPORTANT: Ensure that your storage device is properly attached to the USB port of your router. Otherwise, you may see the following message and you will not be able to configure the settings of your device:
If you are using a previously configured hard drive, you will receive the following message. Click Continue in order to use the new USB features. This will not delete any data on the drive.
This section only shows up when your USB storage device is partitioned, dividing the hard drive into more manageable sections for quicker access.
NOTE: This image shows a partitioned Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive 1TB connected to the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router, EA4500 as an example.
For the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router, EA6500, you can see multiple hard drives here because of its capability of connecting two (2) USB storage devices on its USB ports.
NOTE: This image shows a partitioned Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive 1TB and a Western Digital My Passport 1TB connected to the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1750 HD Video Pro, EA6500.
This section shows the name of the USB storage device and how much space is currently being used.
IMPORTANT: It is recommended to click on Safely remove drive if you want to disconnect your storage device. This is to avoid having any issues with your device like losing or corrupting data.
This section shows whether the folders and content on your storage device are accessible to others. If set to Off, the Secure Folder is disabled and anyone on your network can access all content on your storage device. If it is set to On, security is enabled and only specified users can see certain content. Folder access is set in the Folder Access tab. For instructions on how to do this, click here.
This section shows the IP addresses of the storage device. These IP addresses are needed for users to access the storage device contents. For you to do this, you will first need to map this network drive on your computer. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, click here.
This section shows whether you have enabled or disabled access to your storage device using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP allows a user with Internet access to see the content on your storage device from a remote computer. FTP access is set up using the FTP Server tab. To learn how to setup this feature, click here.
This section shows whether your router is configured as a media server, which lets you share media content across your network. Your router can act as a media server if you have UPnP AV (Audio and Video)-enabled or DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)-certified devices connected to the USB port on your router. These devices include digital media players, gaming consoles, or digital picture frames. The media server settings are on the Media Server tab.
NOTE: This feature is not available on the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router N750 Smooth Stream, EA3500.
Folders on your storage device contain content, such as photos, videos, and music. When using a USB storage device, you can decide which folders on the device can be seen and accessed by others. You can choose to have all content on the device accessible to everyone, or select specific content to be seen by specific users. For example, you may want vacation photos available only to specific members of your family but music can be available to anyone.
If this option is turned OFF, all folders on the storage device are accessible to anyone who can connect to your router. If set to ON, folders on your storage device are accessible only to authorized users.
Two (2) user accounts are preset for the router: Admin and Guest. The password for the Admin user is the router password. The password for the Guest user is "guest".
QUICK TIP: For step-by-step instructions on how to enable Secure Folder Access or create Authorized Users, click here.
You can access the folders on your storage device remotely as long as you have an active Internet connection using the FTP server. You can also access the content using a web browser or FTP software.
Turn this option ON if you want to enable the FTP server, which makes content available remotely. Turn this option OFF to disable the FTP server.
This is the port used by the FTP server. Use the default port 21, or change to a different port.
If you set up your router using the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi setup software, the FTP Server Name is prefilled with the name of your wireless network. If you set up your router manually, the default name is Cisco followed by the last five (5) digits of the router's serial number.
This is the encoding (character set) for the transfer of files. You can use the default setting of Unicode (UTF-8), or change to something else.
QUICK TIP: For step-by-step instructions on how to set up the FTP Server Tool on your Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router, click here.
A Media Server lets you share content on your USB device across your network. Your router can act as a media server if it has a USB storage device attached and if you have a UPnP AV (Audio and Video)-enabled or DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)-certified devices in your home. These include digital media players, gaming consoles with a built-in media player, and digital picture frames. You can specify which folders are used by the media server, add and delete folders, and specify how often the folders are scanned for new content.
Turn this ON to enable the media server, or OFF to disable it.
If you set up your router using the Setup software, the Server Name is prefilled with the name of your wireless network. If you set up your router manually, the default name is Cisco followed by the last five (5) digits of the router's serial number
Specify how often folders on the USB storage device are automatically scanned for new content. Scanning can take several hours, especially the first time the device is scanned, or if you add a lot of new content. Subsequent scans should take less time. To scan the folders immediately click Scan now.
These are the folders that are shared on the media server.
Adding more devices to your network
The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Account’s main objective is to provide the best experience to your home network. Click on any of the links below to check out the different tools and features that come with your Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router:
Device List Tool
Guest Access Tool
Parental Controls Tool
Media Prioritization Tool
Speed Test Tool
Connectivity Tool
Troubleshooting Tool
Wireless Tool
Security Tool
© 2013 Linksys. All rights reserved.