BT Homehub 2 with external hard drive

[musty345]

Hey, I'd like to setup my 2TB WD external hard drive with my BT Homehub 2 so it's accessible from my Mac (running Lion). I've done this on Windows before, but never on Mac so I have a couple of questions.

1. How can I add a password to the drive so only someone who knows a password can access it?
2. Will transferring files from my hard drive connected to the homehub and mac (e.g. time machine) slow my internet connection down?
3. I'm assuming that the format of the hard drive doesn't matter, as long as it works with my Mac? The drive doesn't have to be FAT32 or anything does it?
4. Where will the hard drive appear? Can i make the hard drive appear on my desktop similiarly to how it does if it's connected by USB?

Thank you for reading

 

[itickings]

If you connect the hard drive to the BT Homehub 2 and share it over the network from that device, it will for all intents and purposes be identical to how you did it for Windows for the sharing side (connecting to it will differ a tiny bit).

The drive is connected to the Homehub 2, not the Mac, therefore any password protection must be configured via the BT Homehub 2, just as the file system used must be supported by the BT Homehub 2.

 

[musty345]

I see, thank you

Will having it connected and transferring data slow my internet connection down?

 

[itickings]

Shouldn't be a problem.

Depends on a lot of factors, for example the speed of your internet connection, the normal throughput of your network, if it is wired or wireless, etc, etc.

 

[musty345]

OK I understand, thanks for your help

 

[harddrivefailur]

Not Likely To Slow Throughput

I would suggest that the amount of data that you have going through the Homehub is probably unlikely to slow down its Internet throughput. Unless you're using it for a professional application, or something, you probably won't notice the difference.