So I came across this great article on the web about how you can share your files an all the devices you want without having to transfer those files individually on each device. Now in this day and age, one would think that the only way to do so is by using cloud service. However, cloud storage is expensive and hence not possible to implement on a small scale. But thats not the only way to share your files. There is a simpler and cheaper way. All you need is a USB port on the back of your Wi-Fi router and any USB storage device like a flash drive or an external hard drive.
When its done, all the files on that drive can be accessed by any device (PC, smart phone, tablet etc.) connected to your Wi-Fi network. Here's how you can do it on windows:
Step 1: Choose your drive
The drive you choose can be as small as a pen drive or as large as an external hard drive. Check your router's manual to find out if there are any storage limitations, since some routers have a storage cap. Once you've chosen your drive, plug it into the USB port.
Step 2: Enable USB drive sharing
On any computer connected to your Wi-Fi network, launch your browser and type your router's IP address. You can find the IP address on the back of the router, in the device manual or go to control panel>>Network and Sharing Center>>Click on your active network connection>>Click Details. In most cases, the IP address looks like 192.168.X.X.
When the page loads, you'll be asked to log in with your username and password. If you changed it, you should know it. If you didn't, it's probably still admin (username), and admin (password) by default.
Every router's interface varies, but if yours has a USB port, you'll find a link entitled something like File Sharing somewhere in the settings. In this window, the file sharing server status (also called SAMBA) is set to disable. Change it to enable. Apply the settings and exit.
Step 3: Access the drive
Now you're ready to read and write to your attached hard drive. Open file explorer window and navigate to the Network folder in the left sidebar. Then, clear out the path at the top of the explorer window, and enter \\[your IP address]. For example, it might look like: \\192.168.1.1
With that, your drive will appear. Open it to access its contents, just like any other folder. If you're asked to log in, simply use your router's login credentials (the same one used to log into the Web interface.)
If you plan on leaving your hard drive attached, so that you can easily access it from any Explorer window, right-click the drive and select "Map network drive..." . Give it a name, and the folder will appear in the sidebar.
To access the drive on other computers on the network, repeat step 3.
Try it out and built your own cloud drive.
