{"id":118783,"date":"2026-03-16T17:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/03\/16\/4-things-you-can-do-with-your-routers-usb-ports\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T17:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:48:22","slug":"4-things-you-can-do-with-your-routers-usb-ports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/03\/16\/4-things-you-can-do-with-your-routers-usb-ports\/","title":{"rendered":"4 things you can do with your router’s USB ports"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Routers are often arrange a few times after which they sit in a nook someplace till a setting must be modified, or the router will get changed. Nevertheless, they’re mini computer systems able to doing way over we usually use them for. Listed here are just a few good ones to attempt.<\/p>\n

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\n Community hooked up storage
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\n USB drives, USB HDDs, and USB SSDs
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If one thing as fully-featured as a decidated NAS isn’t for you<\/a>, you are in luck: there are sometimes easier choices.<\/p>\n

Most routers permit you to join a USB storage system on to the USB port. That storage system will then be seen on the community, a bit like a really fundamental NAS.<\/p>\n

There aren’t often a complete lot of limitations on what you should use, however the router can solely ship 15 watts out of a regular USB type A port<\/a>. Meaning you may want a separate energy provide if you wish to plug in a daily exhausting disk drive.<\/p>\n

Then again, USB flash drives and exterior SSDs are inclined to devour much less energy, and so they’re just about plug and play.<\/p>\n

Most routers will allow you to use any of the most important file codecs. I would suggest one thing that works with a number of working methods, like exFAT<\/a>, simply in case you want or wish to join the drive to a PC sooner or later. Choices like NTFS, which is what Home windows sometimes makes use of, can <\/em>be linked to a Mac or Linux PC, however there are additional issues concerned. It’s best simply to keep away from the issue totally.<\/p>\n

Some routers may even allow you to arrange the storage system as a Time Machine backup location<\/a>, which is nice you probably have a Mac.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStorage Capability<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t16TB<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tModel<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWestern Digital<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The WD Parts Desktop Exterior Arduous Drive is nice to your storage wants. It is available in sizes as much as 24TB and helps USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds for knowledge switch.<\/p>\n


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\n A wired printer
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\n Make any printer wi-fi
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Wi-fi printers may be handy, however whether it is in any respect potential, I want to attach mine by way of Ethernet or USB.<\/p>\n

To ensure that your router to hook up with your printer over USB, it will need to have a print server operate which you can allow. Not each router does, so you may have to verify your particular mannequin.<\/p>\n

In case your router would not help that operate, sadly, you are out of luck, and you may want to attach utilizing Wi-Fi or Ethernet.<\/p>\n

In the event you’re attempting to determine easy methods to conveniently join an older, USB-only printer to your fashionable community, you would all the time set up a Raspberry Pi as a print server<\/a> as a substitute. It takes a bit little bit of preparation, however it’s fairly dependable when you get it going. You do not want something high-powered both\u2014even a Raspberry Pi 0 W2 will work.<\/p>\n

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\n A mobile hotspot or telephone hotspot
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\n By no means get knocked offline
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Some routers permit you to join a mobile hotspot to the USB port in your router to share a 4G or a 5G connection. Sometimes, the efficiency you get will not be broadband or fiber, however it’s a good way to get your community again up and operating within the occasion of an inconveniently-timed outage.<\/p>\n

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Take the net with you wherever!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In case your router helps that characteristic, you possibly can most likely additionally use your telephone the identical means. You may simply have to set your phone’s hotspot mode to USB tethering<\/a> mode.<\/p>\n

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\n Low-power IoT gadgets
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\n Get sensible
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There are one million and one nice initiatives you possibly can run on a low-powered system like a Raspberry Pi 0 W (or later variations).<\/p>\n

In case your router has a USB port you possibly can simply use the USB port to ship energy to the Raspberry Pi, which ensures you may get a stable wi-fi sign when you’re connecting wirelessly, or that you simply needn’t go far when you’re connecting over a wired connection.<\/p>\n

My favourite instance of this has been a PiHole<\/a>, however you are actually solely restricted by your creativeness and the computational horsepower of low-powered single-board computers (SBCs)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Pi-Gap would not must look so boring anymore.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

I have been internet hosting a small WireGuard VPN<\/a> on my community utilizing a Raspberry Pi 0 W powered by my router’s USB port for just a few years now with no main points. It is not the quickest system on this planet, however I do not want it to do all that a lot, and it consumes subsequent to no energy.<\/p>\n

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The power to create your personal mini-network-attached storage system is fairly widespread, and one that everybody must be utilizing if their router helps it. A fundamental backup of your vital recordsdata is crucial.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n