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Data Storage Wireless Networking Hardware

Portable, Wireless File Server for the Car? 23

Posted by Cliff from the your-files-as-mobile-as-you-are dept.
Kerhop wonders: "I'm looking to implement an off-site file storage location but want it to be convenient for me to access with the right security credentials by placing a portable file server in my car that has at 802.11b ability and is battery powered (but also recharged via cigarette lighter adapter). I've found the Sony FSV-PGX1. I am curious, though -- what solutions have others found?"
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Portable, Wireless File Server for the Car? More

Portable, Wireless File Server for the Car?

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  • As seen on Slashdot: (Score:3, Insightful)

    by TripMaster Monkey ( 862126 ) * on Saturday August 13, 2005 @06:23PM (#13313151)

    Here you go. [slashdot.org]

    Knock yourself out.
    • You know this thing only runs on the batteries for around 9-10 minutes right? The battery support is really only there as a sort of UPS system, it was not designed to be run as a portable independent unit with no power source for any long period of time.

  • laptop, Archos (Score:3, Informative)

    by cahiha ( 873942 ) on Saturday August 13, 2005 @06:45PM (#13313226)
    You could just use a laptop; they have everything you need, and you should be able to get something suitable for under $1000.

    Archos also has a media player based on Linux with 802.11b built in (I believe it comes in 40G and 100G versions); if you want something really small, that's your best bet. But it's probably also a little more work to configure than a laptop, and not much cheaper.
  • You can do something like laptop with wireless card in it.
    Or you can hook a NAS box up to a wireless/ethernet bridge. Use an inverter for power.

    Heck, you can disconnect your trunk release and hook it up to a relay, so you can turn on the storage with your car's remote control.

    Your other worry is going to be speed. Even with 802.11g at 54 MB, you'll never really get more than 34 Mb or so, even if your car is parked literally on top of the AP. How much data are you backing up in what timeframe?

    Have
    • not to nitpick, but you could probably do it without the inverter. A cigarette lighter connector and a voltage regulator could probably do the job well enough and make it a little more efficient. A lot cheaper too.

      You could also hook it to your car stereo if it has an amp turn on signal. This way it would start and stop with the head unit.
  • This is interesting because I bought a solar panel that plugs into your cigarette lighter today for $2 at a yardsale, and I was thinking: How can I give myself an excuse to require using this solar panel?
  • This sounds like a perfect occasion to hack a tivo, at least depending on the size backup you are expecting. A series2 tivo accepts a USB WiFi dongle and a 120gb hd, running on a very low power computer. Much cheaper than buying some commercial solution if you don't mind getting into the guts of the box.
  • I've read numerous reports of people embedding a mac mini in their car to use as mp3 players and the most advanced even use gps and map software to figure out directions... Now you could do that and get yourself a bigger usb-powered external hard drive to use as fileserver... OSX is stable, relatively secure and supports the wireless networks. That's my idea... total price: ~ $700 if you install everything yourself.
  • Maybe it's just me, but wasn't that product released in 2003? Why is there an article posting to /. about really old technology?
  • I have a Stompbox in my car...

    http://homepage.mac.com/frednix/PhotoAlbum21.html [mac.com]

    It automatically boots up and links in to a cellular data service, turning itself into an access point. Turn on your laptop, join the network and voila -- you're on the net! It's just like using a hotspot (such as they have at Starbucks and airports), but it goes anywhere you car goes. Some people have even hauled them around in backpacks to make themselves into a walking network access site. (http://www.stompboxnetworks.com/ [stompboxnetworks.com])

    I
  • Check out the Asus WL-HDD. It runs Linux and you can upload different firmware's for additional features (ssh or NFS access for example).

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Subm it=Go&DEPA=0&type=&description=asus+wl-hdd&Categor y=0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&Go.x=0&Go.y=0 [newegg.com]

    You will need to hook it up to an car inverter (12VDC to 120VAC), since it is NOT battery powered.

    • The WRT router platform only requires 1000mA of 12VDC, so you could likely get away with very little in the way of power coversion.... conditioning the power to be consistent, and not affected by your lead-foot (revving the alternator), is a different story...

      Anyone have any ideas on this?

  • Downside (Score:2, Funny)

    by snafumedia ( 867993 )
    ...You must convert all files to ATRAC.
  • Pick yourself up the following:

    1x Asus WL-500g Wireless Broadband Router
    1x USB HD Chassis
    1x Hard Drive (Old/New, as long as it goes in chassis)
    Visit: http://openwrt.org/ [openwrt.org]

    Assemble the USB HD chassis, Re-Flash the Asus router to run Linux using OpenWRT, attach the storage to one of the two USB ports on the router platform, configure the Linux platform to be whatever type of fileserver/access-point/bridge/nfs/cifs/web server you want it to be....

    Now, all you need is a method of powering this on the road. The r

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