we think that the client computers will be writing to a file service provided by the router using the usb disk. So only the router needs to handle the usb filesystem explicitly and it then offers a shared drive to other users via the SMB protocol.

You can I believe share a folder on a Mac with a PC and a PC can't read a Mac file system, which illustrates the point.

In other words the Mac will read/write to a SMB drive/service, not to NTFS.

I have just been through a similar exercise for similar reasons; and it is working well.

The main differences are-

My External HDD is 500 GB - sufficient for my purposes at present, formatted NTFS

I have attached a 4-way USB Adaptor first in the Bright Box USB Socket, so that I can also attach various USB Sticks as and when

I have not got the possible complication of an iMac

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Last night, I started a description using my netbook using Open Office and the cut-down version of WORD 2010, saving to that external HDD in both DOC and ODF formats, as part of the testing-

then finishing today on my tower PC, using WORD 2007, still saving in both formats for other reasons, to the external HDD; and also in PDF.


Earlier I had copied all of my Family History files, about 1.5 GB to the external HDD as a temporary backup - it is my intention to set up a regular Backup shortly. (I have also copied those FH files to the netbook and to a laptop on a "belt and braces" basis.)

At present, it is all on an experimental basis, as I was "feeling my way" and there are some details which I suspect need improving.


A few months back, I had organised my three PCs in to a LAN, with areas on each of their HDDs accessible from either of the other two.

Thanks all. Have emptied the drive and formatted as NTFS.

Direct connection to Windows laptop is fine.

If connected to router, Windows laptop can read/write ok.

Mac not working though. Finds the router as part of the network, and the hard drive shows us as a folder called "Big Whopper" (which is the name I gave to the drive when I formatted it) within that item (don't think I've got the terminology right but hopefully you know what I mean) - at top of Finder window it says "Connected as: Guest"

Am unable to browse the drive though - when I double click on the item I see an error message saying: "The operation can't be completed because the original item for "Big Whopper" can't be found.

Am hunting around online to see if I can find out what all this means...(but if anyone happens to read this & is able to help, I'd be v grateful)

Before I connected the HD to the router, the instructions from Orange were to go to the router settings (web browser access - the usual sort of thing) and set up a user name and password for access. The first time I connected with Windows, I was asked to supply a user name & password, but when I try now with the Mac, it's not asking me for anything at all.

http://www.7tutorials.com/access-windows-7-shared-fo... might help - you have to set up the workgroup and perhaps have a compatible username/password on each system

Try on BroghtBox/USB Adding User for yiur Mac user + pwd.

Are all the Workgroup Names the same?

I'm not sure if OS X likes spaces in volume names. Best to avoid spaces and 'special' characters in shared/networked volume, directory and file names imo. Just stick to letters, digits and underscores.

I wonder if you share the drive via Windows SMB... can Mac read/write to SMB shares?

Google may be your friend here... I am not a mac expert (I'm not even a mac novice).

Thanks everyone.

For the moment I've formatted as NTFS & connected to my router. Mac can read & write ok (as predicted by your good selves) so I'm now transferring some files from the Mac to the HD. It's very slow though (also as predicted by your good selves!) - average transfer rate is about 500kB/sec, so the 200GB I want to transfer will take maybe 400,000 seconds, which is 4 or 5 days

I couldn't initiate the transfer from the Mac (because of the problem I described earlier - can't access the drive) but I was able to initiate it from my Windows laptop.

I used to have a 10m ethernet cable...I might go up to the loft & see if it's still there. Might help...?

Will return to all the network/homegroup naming/etc. stuff in due course. It's all very complicated!

Might be of interest.

Transfer Speeds
These range between about 350 KBps and about 1 MBps

Specifically tested, copying my Family History Folder, 4 GB, 8,589 Files etc, from the Vista Tower to the XHDD.

8:08 Started

8:28 Copied 1 GB Total

9:03 Copied 3 GB Total

9:22 Copied 4 GB Total, Finished.

Just after the 8:08 Start, the declared rate was about 350 KBps, rising quickly to about 950 KBps.

Given the timings above, these work out at an overall average of 901 KBps.


SAVE Transfer Speeds during EDIT

The main WORD DOC File that this is part of, is 1,116 KB, inclusive of two Screen Captures.

Saving this to the XHDD during editing on the Tower PC, using CtlS, takes about 3 seconds, with usually a �Gas Gauge� appearing.

Saving it to the Tower�s HDD takes under 1 second, with minimal indication of the process.