[VanillaEps]

I'm looking for at least 500 GB external hard drive to connect to my MacBook Pro for purposes of backup and retention of files like old pictures, music, documents, and to keep my MBP clean.

I found this particular one on Dell:

Western Digital My World Book

Not only does it store information, but I love the fact that you can connect it to a network connection and access the information from anywhere. Unfortunately, its not listed as being compatible with a Mac. Can it be connected with a Mac? Are there any other external drives like this - that can be connected to a network and accessed remotely?

[papadopolis]

you have to have a USB port on your wireless routor and if you have that than any usb external drive can be connected

[VanillaEps]

Originally Posted by papadopolis 

you have to have a USB port on your wireless routor and if you have that than any usb external drive can be connected

Question:

The one from Dell is connected with a network cable. From what I gather, this means that not only can I access it from within my router's radius, but I can also access files remotely from anywhere.

Using a USB connection to my router, can I do the same? Or is this limited to my router's radius?

That's the main question.....

[papadopolis]

you could use the HD as long as you hae a connection to that wireless routor.

[mduell]

Unfortunately it looks like their internet access is being done with a proprietary Windows plugin...
I don't know of any hardware solutions that include Mac compatibility.

If you have a computer at home you could connect any external hard drive to it and access it remotely with Foldershare (with sync-on-demand).

Originally Posted by papadopolis 

you have to have a USB port on your wireless routor and if you have that than any usb external drive can be connected

For all of the wifi routers I've seen, the sharing only works on the local network; there is no provision for remote access over the internet.

[papadopolis]

yes but i was saying that he could get any macintosh compatable HD and connect it to his routor (with USB) and he would be set!

[hookem2oo7]

Perhaps something like this Newegg.com - SimpleTech STI-NAS/500 500GB SimpleShare Network Attached Storage with iShare Remote Access RJ45 - Retail would be what you're looking for. Connects via ethernet and also has USB 2.0 ports for adding additional external HDs and to share printers over the network...

[mduell]

Originally Posted by papadopolis 

yes but i was saying that he could get any macintosh compatable HD and connect it to his routor (with USB) and he would be set!

But he wouldn't be set with the vast majority of routers. Very few of them (like the Netgear just mentioned) allow you to share over the internet; they're mostly for local sharing only.

[VanillaEps]

Maybe I am asking for too much. The WD that I linked in my first post would do just that, but only for a Windows based platform. That really bothers me. It's one of the small things that bothers me about Macs.

[Mithras]

I'd stay away from funky proprietary stuff. Just get a USB or Firewire drive. It'll be much cheaper anyway.

And if you want to access it from the Internet, plug it into a cheap old laptop of some kind.