can I connect WD My Book to multiple computers?

[holden]

I want to buy a Western Digital My Book external hard drive with both a USB and Firewire port. Will I be able to connect the My Book to my WDTV media player via USB and also my computer via Firewire at the same time?

[eblend]

No you will not be, best bet is to connect it to one and then share it over the network, this would require the PC where it is physically connected to be turned on. Other option is to get one of those USB to ethernet adapters, or better yet just get a drive that has ethernet build in.

[dr_jared88]

Buy a NAS. Either that or you can have it plugged into one computer and share it as a network drive. Not ideal but it works.

[mr2mike]

I basically throw all my media onto the ext HD. Then have it connected to my media player.
As I buy movies, I will unplug and reconnect. Basically leave the cables plugged into my player and PC then I just have to move the power cord unless you have a compativble power cord. Which you very might well and not even know it. A lot of computer electronics use the same adapter specs.

[luv2ride_bikes]

Originally posted by dr_jared88
Buy a NAS. Either that or you can have it plugged into one computer and share it as a network drive. Not ideal but it works.
+1 for a NAS. I bought a DNS-323 (http://www.dlink.ca/products/?pid=509) and a couple 1.5 TB HD's yesterday. This unit works great. You just plug it into your router and it is available to all your PC's in your household. It also has a UPnP AV server, which allows you to stream your media to media players on your network.


Description
SAFELY SHARE DIGITAL FILES LOCALLY AND OVER THE INTERNET
The D-Link® 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure (DNS-323) when used with two internal 3.5” SATA drives1 enables you to share documents, files, and digital media such as music, photos, and video with everyone on your home or office network. With the built-in FTP server3, you can access your files remotely over the Internet from anywhere in the world and keep data safe by only giving rights to specific users or groups. When configuring the DNS-323, you can create users and groups and assign them to folders with either read or read/write permissions.

This is ideal for an office environment with employee-specific sensitive data or for the home where you can ensure your children will only have access to age appropriate material. With the built-in USB print server port, you can add a USB printer to your network without a dedicated computer so anyone can print from anywhere on the network.