Best File Format for External HDD Accessed via WiFI?

[varaonaid]

Hi!

I've recently purchased a small WiFi travel router that also allows me to plug in my external hard drive (HDD) so that my Android phone can access the files wirelessly. It was originally formatted NTFS but I couldn't get Android to read the files when I connected wired via an OTG cable. Would the same be true for accessing the files wirelessly? What file format would you use for the drive? It's 3TB so if I use FAT32, I'll have to have 2 paritions. However, this probably has the widest compatibility. I also have streaming media boxes that I use when traveling & it would be helpful if they could also read the files since occasionally, the wifi in hotels isn't up to streaming from online services. This would either be an Amazon Fire TV 4k box (previous gen, not current) or a Roku box.

Thanks so much in advance!

Rae

 

[svim]

Which model of travel WiFi router did you get? I'd check in its user manual (if it came with one or online at the maker's own site) to see what file system it recommends. Android connecting to an external USB drive over USB/OTG is different than connecting to that same drive over WiFi -- one is 'local' relying on Android's lack of NTFS support while the other is going through the (presumably) NAS software in the router.

 

[varaonaid]

Thanks for your info! That helps me better understand what's happening. I wasn't sure how it would work but your information really helped. Thank you!

I'm checking out the Ravpower FileHub Plus and the HooToo Elite Travel Router (2nd gen). Both are similar and have basically the same app with slightly different skins. The units themselves are similar but slightly different. Both have a 6Kmah battery inside for using without power and for use as a backup battery. Both can attach a HDD or Flash Drive for use as a NAS. Both will now support a USB hub (at least up to 4 USB peripherals). Both have ethernet in. The Ravpower has a built in SD Card reader and one 1.0A USB port for both charging and connecting a USB HDD or hub. The HooToo has 2 USB ports: the first is for either charging at 1.0a or for a USB HDD/Flash Drive/USB Hub while the second is for charging at 2.1a. The advantage is that this one can charge two things at the same time and one at high speeds (for a tablet, etc). The other thing I like about the HooToo is that is comes with a plug built in that folds down. This means that it doesn't need an additional USB power brick of some sort to gain power which requires less to bring along (or if I'm bringing along my USB brick anyway, it doesn't take up any of the plus spaces which I may need for other things. It also means I could travel lighter by potentially leaving my USB power brick at home and using the two USB ports on the HooToo for all of my charging needs. Both units are supposed to work with NTFS and FAT32/16 but I tried an NTFS formatted external HDD & it couldn't see any files on it at all. It fact, it didn't seem to give much information about the drive at all whereas the USB flash drive I tried, which was formatted at FAT32, had no trouble being seen or having the files read. So, I'm thinking maybe I'm stuck with this. I also noticed I can use either unit as either a SAMBA share or a DLNA server and I'm hoping that might allow me to have the FireTV read the files wirelessly. But I think that would mean that the FireTV will read the files directly so I'm back to needed FAT32 again.

FWIW, I decided to try something after another suggestion I read. I was looking for the WD format tool as it supposedly can format drives with more space as FAT32 without difficulty. I couldn't figure out which software it was so I decided to finally try the WD Acronis software (free if you have a WD drive attached). This worked perfectly and I was able to format the 3TB drive with MBR (believe it or not) and FAT32. Appears to have worked flawlessly and I can see all of the available disk space (about 2.72TB usable after the format, as it was when formatted NTFS). I'll see how it works in terms of compatibility. Fingers crossed. Everything is a trade off and while I can't use files larger than 4TB, I won't need that much on this HDD and I can work around that but at least it should be compatible with just about everything.

Thanks again for your help!! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and share your knowledge.

 

[svim]

I tend to like that HooToo model just a bit more too, although that RAVpower model has it's own plus points. Looking through the HooToo documentation is does appear to have a lot of functionality in its firmware:
https://www.hootoo.com/downloads-HT-TM04.html
Ran across this link that might be loosely relevant to your situation:
http://www.stevesandroidguide.com/android-files/
More about connecting to a drive over USB/OTG though. And you might also want to read through this link on FAT (regarding FAT32 and exFAT) too, noting things like FAT32 file size limitations and such:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table
As long as the external drive is just going to be used through that mobile router, it would be best to format at using what its manual recommends. When you were using a USB/OTG adapter that was more or less a 'direct' connection between your phone and your external drive, the problem being Android doesn't include support for NTFS drives. When your phone will be accessing that same hard drive through the mobile router, it's going through a different path, your mobile WiFi based LAN, with the direct connection instead being between that mobile router (and its software/driver) and the external drive.