Quick rundown: My roommate and I share the Internet in one apartment, but the main router and modem is in his room. I bought a WD Hard Drive, but after opening it and seeing the instructions, I discovered I needed to connect it to a router in order for it to access the Internet for remote access and cloud file sharing.
I picked up a separate wireless router hooked it to my computer, then connected the hard drive to the router, but that’s not working either. Is there any way to have my laptop pass along its connection data to the router so I can have my hard drive access the Internet? (And no, putting the hard drive in my roommate’s room is NOT an option!)
Did you buy a “WD Hard Drive”? Or did you buy a WD My Cloud? They are actually two different devices that accomplish very different functions. While the My Cloud does have a hard drive within it, the My Cloud is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.
If you bought a WD My Cloud then could try using Internet Connection Sharing on the computer that has a connection to the roommates internet router and then see if that will work when you have the computer and My Cloud connected to a router. Just keep in mind that by sharing the internet connection between multiple devices, especially if using WiFi, may be very slow (or slower than a single device).
Another option is to use a wireless router that supports being put into WiFi Client or WiFi Extender mode where it can connect wirelessly to the roommates wireless router and extend teh network to your devices/My Cloud.
plug one of them in your friend’s room and connect it to the router. then connect one in your room , give it few seconds and it will auto find the other adapter in your friend’s room, once done (led lights will inform you), connect wdmycloud to it as normal. that is it. No configurations needed for these adapters.
They come in various speeds and connections. buy the best you can afford, do not take short cuts. I use the adapters with 2 ethernet connection on each adapter, all around the house, for SMART TVs, computers, setup boxes, satellite box, streamers, game consoles, and all in different rooms on 2 floors. Much more reliable and faster than wireless. I leave wireless on for phones, laptops, and tablets only.
Finally, all this I am assuming you mean you bought WD mycloud. IN fact you connect any network device to it, and off course you can buy any other brand.
How is your computer connected to the router you share with the roommate? Hopefully, you have a wired connection, meaning a CAT5e or better ethernet cable connected to an ethernet out port on the router to your PC ethernet input. If you don’t, then do this. Now, all you need is an inexpensive way to have wired internet to your My Cloud and your computer. You do this with what is called a network switch. If you know the router is a gigabit router and not a slower one, get a gigabit network switch. Plug the existing cable you now have from the router into the network switch and also plug the ethernet cable from the My Cloud into the switch and run a new wire from your computer to another port on the switch. Now your PC and My Cloud are connected to the router via the switch box. Easy! Your My Cloud should NOT be connected wirelessly (in fact it, can’t be) to the router.
