wireless router w/ USB ports that can share an ext. drive AND printer?

[Packy]

Hey all!

I'm attempting to simplify my home network situation. Instead of a desktop & laptop connected through a wireless router and no NAS, I'm going to just have a laptop and would like to have some sort of NAS, and printer sharing setup.

The two solutions I've come up with are:

1) Buy a Buffalo Linkstation Live. It's a NAS, plus has printer sharing via a USB port
2) Buy a new router that supports an external drive AND printer sharing over USB, then buy any external drive.

# 2 seems simpler, but I have never come across a router that supports external drives and printer sharing.

Here are some examples...

This one does external drives:
http://accessories.us.dell.com...dhs&cs=19&sku=A0763509

This one does printer sharing:
http://accessories.us.dell.com...dhs&cs=19&sku=A0943611

Comments? Ideas? Just go with the Buffalo solution?

Thanks in advance
Packy

 

[JackMDS]

It is a problem to find a Combo that would provide first class components in each of the categories mentioned.

Since Wireless by itself is so tricky, there is No point to buy a mediocre or bellow Wireless device just because it has mediocre core of a NAS, and lame printer server.

By a Network Ready printer and a good NAS.

The NAS can be put anywhere out of sight and uses only Cat5e , and power cable.

To Plug-in an external enclosure to a Router with a core of a NAS needs two cables as well.

In other words if you buy a Networked printer and a standalone NAS you would have the same 3 boxes, and the same amount of cables that you would have if the Wireless Router would have NAS core and printer server.

 

[Kadarin]

IIRC, the Apple Airport Extreme will do this.

 

[Packy]

Thanks for the responses JackMDS and Kadarin!

Huh, didn't even think of looking for an Apple solution. Looks like it will do it all, interesting! Then I could buy a quality Seagate external HD and use our current printer.

Jack, are you saying that you wouldn't recommend the Buffalo NAS, or just lower-end consumer NAS solutions in general? I do agree that many of the all-in-one solutions for computers, electronics, etc. never really excel at any of their tasks.

If I could find a network-ready Canon inkjet printer and a high-quality and affordable NAS I'd jump on it. It doesn't seem like either of those exist, unfortunately

 

[Packy]

I came across another solution today, it's a RAID 1 D-Link NAS w/ built-in print server:

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=509

I think I'll throw two Seagate drives into it and be good to go!