wireless backup?

[xwrench3]

so i saw a 4TB external hard drive on sale, which is something i want to get anyway. but a thought popped into my head, thinking about the 3 laptops in our family.  could i attach a wifi adapter to the external hard drive, so we would not have to connect a wire to each laptop once a week or so? and if not directly, could it be done thru my computer hard wired to the Ex.HD with the wifi in my desktop? for me, plugging the cord in is no big deal, but my wife and kid are another story.

[Starelementpoke]

19 minutes ago, xwrench3 said:

so i saw a 4TB external hard drive on sale, which is something i want to get anyway. but a thought popped into my head, thinking about the 3 laptops in our family.  could i attach a wifi adapter to the external hard drive, so we would not have to connect a wire to each laptop once a week or so? and if not directly, could it be done thru my computer hard wired to the Ex.HD with the wifi in my desktop? for me, plugging the cord in is no big deal, but my wife and kid are another story.

Probably, but it would take alot longer.

[xwrench3]

length of time to do a backup is not all that important. i could just have them do it when they go to sleep for the night. and their computer would never have to leave their room.  right now, they are not doing ANY backups. mostly due to lack of education of how to do it, and secondly, no where to put the data. i have an external hd, but it has been connected to my computer for about a decade, and its full (its only 350gb). i figure that 4TB should last all of us for another decade.

[paddy-stone]

Yeah, would take longer than direct wiring USB to backup.. but on the other hand you could connect it to your router (on most newer routers) by USB 3.0 and simultaneously backup maybe.

[xwrench3]

now THERE is an idea! thanx! i didn't think about plugging it into the router. that would make everyone's life much easier. now all i have to do, is TEACH everyone to do it.

[paddy-stone]

 

8 hours ago, xwrench3 said:

now THERE is an idea! thanx! i didn't think about plugging it into the router. that would make everyone's life much easier. now all i have to do, is TEACH everyone to do it.

No worries, it's not gonna be great speedwise over wifi, so I'd get them to do it at a time when they won't need to use it for a bit though. See how you go, and if way too slow might be time to think of getting a small NAS box to make life easier

 

[edit] ignore most of above, lol... I didn't see your earlier reply about getting them to do it when they go to bed... much better idea.