How do I set up network storage with no internet connection

[Pecker]

Okay,I have several MBLs and a WDTV Live SMP at home - all great, no problem.  There's about 13tb of media.

I have an old (previous generation) WDTV Live at the family caravan with 2 x 2tb HDDs attached.  I'm thinking of upgrading that unit to a Live SMP, but I also want tomove more media to the caravan on some new MBLs.

The caravan has no telephone line or internet connection, and no router.

I suppose what I'd want (in an ideal world) is to but a few MBLs, a cheap ethernet switch, and attach the MBLs to the switch and the switch to the MBL.

Will this work?

If not, do I need to attach a router, even the router can't be attached to any external internet connection?

Cheers.

Steve W

[Wizer]

You don't need internet to connect to your local network 

[badmem]

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Pecker wrote:

Okay,I have several MBLs and a WDTV Live SMP at home - all great, no problem.  There's about 13tb of media.

I have an old (previous generation) WDTV Live at the family caravan with 2 x 2tb HDDs attached.  I'm thinking of upgrading that unit to a Live SMP, but I also want tomove more media to the caravan on some new MBLs.

The caravan has no telephone line or internet connection, and no router.

I suppose what I'd want (in an ideal world) is to but a few MBLs, a cheap Ethernet switch, and attach the MBLs to the switch and the switch to the MBL.

Will this work?

If not, do I need to attach a router, even the router can't be attached to any external internet connection?

Cheers.

Steve W

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You should be able to connect everything with just an ethernet switch, but you will probably have to set all of your devices to fixed IP addresses as the switch probably won't have DHCP built-in to allocate IP addresses automatically.

[Pecker]

That's fantastic!

Erm...how do I do that?

Steve W

[badmem]

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Pecker wrote:

That's fantastic!

Erm...how do I do that?

Steve W

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If you mean how do you set the fixed IP address, on the SMP go to setup > Network Settings > Network Setup > Wired network > Manual.

Check what IP settings your PC is using and set the SMP to the same, but change the last three digits of the IP address to a different number. So if your PC is using 192.168.0.100 set the SMP to 192.168.0.101

I don't have MBLs but I would think there is a web interface to change the network settings. Just make sure that all of your devices have the same IP settings and workgroup name, but different IP address last digits from each other.  Hope that hasn't confused you too much

[SHoTTa35]

Make it easier, just get a cheap $20 router at walmart. It will handle the networking stuff for you and if you want the WDTV LIve to be wireless then it could then connect to that and stream from the laptop or whatever in the other room via the router of-course.

You don't need an internet connection with a router. It will just fail to find an address but the DHCP will still hand out IP address to devices that are connected. Later on if you get internet, you already have a router so good to go!

Cheap switches are like 14.99 or something - i've seen cheap wireless router (Belkin) for $19.99 so not much more cost.

[Pecker]

Thanks for that, gentlemen.

I was hoping there'd be a simple solution like the second one.  I would need to buy a switch anyway (more than one MBL), so presumably if I buy a router with ethernet ports that'll do both jobs.

Steve W

[Pecker]

I'm in the UK, BTW.

Is this the sort of thing I need?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Wireless-Router-Transfer-F5D7634uk4-H/dp/B003BIEOPK/ref=sr_1_4?s=comp...

Steve W

[SHoTTa35]

No that's a DSL modem with router built in. I guess that could work too but I always avoid those.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Wireless-Security-Network-F6D4230uk4/dp/B002MM27ZU/ref=sr_1_10?s=comp...

That's the cheaper one or check this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Interference-High-speed-Connection-F6D6230UK4/dp/B002XNO6RU/ref=sr_1_...

It's dual-band which is better for streaming wirelessly anyway (5Ghz band) if you do plan on using that.

[badmem]

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SHoTTa35 wrote:

Make it easier, just get a cheap $20 router at walmart. It will handle the networking stuff for you and if you want the WDTV LIve to be wireless then it could then connect to that and stream from the laptop or whatever in the other room via the router of-course.

You don't need an internet connection with a router. It will just fail to find an address but the DHCP will still hand out IP address to devices that are connected. Later on if you get internet, you already have a router so good to go!

Cheap switches are like 14.99 or something - i've seen cheap wireless router (Belkin) for $19.99 so not much more cost.

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Good point. If routers are that cheap it seems like a good solution and it gives you the option of using wireless. If routers don't cost much more than a hub in the UK, it's a no brainer.