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An app to access/stream from hard drive via 3g?

E

Ethanfox

Lurker
Hi all!

Newbie here, loving Android sooooo much, but have found one thing an irritation for me... I have one of those hard drive things at home which connects to my router and has all my media files on it, but I can't seem to find a way to access or stream these files to my Desire unless I am also on the same wifi router (where I can access them, but not stream).

Is there a way of doing this via 3g? Would be so useful to be out and about and access music/tv etc.

i remember my friend showing me his iPhone 3 streaming trailers from his home hard drive, but there doesn't seem to be an android equivelent...

Any thoughts?

Many thanks...

Ethan
 
Ah yes, but this requires your PC to be on all the time it says - I have a hard drive which is on all the time linked to my router, I want to access that - from what I read, Orb doesn;t do that...
 
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure you need something that can act as a server running on your NAS. I also just bought a NAS and fun_plugged it, but I haven't found any ready made server programs that come with an android app that I can put on it yet. So for now I just created symbolic links to my NAS media folders on my C-drive and leave my computer on during the day when I'm out and about. Then I use Subsonic (for Music) and VLC S&C (for tv/movies). It's not a perfect solution, but until I either learn linux code (from scratch) or figure out a way to create some sort of VPN fix, it works for me
 
jackgibbs said:
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure you need something that can act as a server running on your NAS.
Click to expand...
A server component is required. An app on your Android device is just a client. It can't grant itself access to things on its own (think of the security issues if it could somehow).

Ethanfox said:
Ah yes, but this requires your PC to be on all the time it says - I have a hard drive which is on all the time linked to my router, I want to access that - from what I read, Orb doesn;t do that...
Click to expand...
Your router would have to have a feature to provide access to the connected hard drive. Again, something has to act as the server. In the case of Orb, your PC is the server.
 
Usta said:
Pogoplug - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.android.pogoplug&feature=search_result
Click to expand...

Seconded. If you want to connect to a drive and not have your computer on this is the way to go, although it does involve a hardware purchase. You can use the software only (free) and stream from your computer and leave it on, or buy the actual device and stream from any usb drive you plug into the device and leave your computer off. I actually have the Seagate FreeAgent Dockstar instead of an actual Pogoplug, but it's compatible with the Pogoplug software. I got it on sale for about $25.
 
can the pogoplug software run on a funplugged NAS? It seems like something like this should be possible...funplug comes with a mediatomb upnp server already installed, so how hard could it be to run a simple program that can serve files over the internet? if you forward the proper ports, it should run just like it does on a PC, no?

I don't know anything about linux, so it's entirely possible I'm missing something obvious
 
Thoth said:
How is that a problem? Computers were designed to be 'on' 24/7. Mine are. And have been for at least 20 years.
In fact I suspect that unnecessary booting and shutdowns only taxes machines unnecessarily: every time it gets 'shocked' with a tsunami of electricity...! That can't be good.
Click to expand...
The better solution is to have just a HDD/NAS on instead of a whole PC to access the files. The OP is asking also to stream the media, and that is what Pogoplug or a NAS can do. Leaving PCs on 24/7 means high electricity usage (bad for your pocket and for the environment).
 
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