I purchased the USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter in hopes of connecting a 1TB external Segate HD to my router. I installed the software, I used a Female to Female connector and connected the USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter to the 1 TB HD but I get no activity lights when I plug the Cat 5 into the USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter and into the router. I may have misunderstood what the USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter does. Appreciate any assistance possible. Steve
Hi Steve,
The Plugable Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter is a USB 2.0 male A to RJ45 female adapter supporting gigabit ethernet at USB 2.0 speeds. It adds another ethernet interface to your PC/laptop, via USB.
The most common usage is for people who want to add an additional network interface to their computer/laptop via a simple USB adapter to improve the connectivity speed when a Gigabit Ethernet network is available.
As with all typical USB devices, the Plugable Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter only works when it is connected to an upstream computer host. The installation of drivers and configuring of network settings for this device is done on the host. Without any network settings, no connectivity is possible between the LAN Adapter and the connected router.
Similarly the Seagate External HD also needs to be connected to an upstream computer host through USB in order to be able to function properly. In other words, the setup you are describing will not work.
If you want to share your external HD through the network, you need to connect it to a Laptop/Computer which is connected (you can use the CAT 5 for connecting) to the router and configure the Hard Dive to be shared. In this setup, the external HD can only be shared as long as the host computer to which the Hard Drive is plugged in is ‘on’.
Another option is to attach a network storage adapter to the router and connect the External HD directly to it via USB. In this setup a host computer does not need to be present between the External HD and the router.
If you do not want to use the Plugable Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter to connect the laptop/computer (you wish to use as a host) with the router using the CAT5 cable, I advice you to return the product for a full refund. We never want customers stuck with products that are not right for them.
We offer no-hassle 30-day returns via http://www.amazon.com/gp/css/returns/…
Let us know if you have any trouble with the Amazon process.
If you need any additional information, feel free to post it here or shoot us an email at support@plugable.com . We are here to help!
Regards,
Roze