1 terabyte external desktop back up

[boombah36]

Is it possible to use the same desktop backup for two computers, one of which is PC, the other a laptop? Can it be formated and wired to handle both computers at the same time?

 

[MRFS]

> Can it be formatted and wired to handle both computers at the same time?

Yes, if both computers are on the same LAN,
and at least one partition on the external HDD
is a shared partition.

BEST WAY is an eSATA connection on the desktop:
that will maximize its speed as compared to USB ports.


FYI: some motherboards permit 2 PCs to be connected
directly via their LAN adapters + an RJ-45 cable
withOUT an intervening GbE or 10/100 switch.
Check your documentation on this point.


MRFS

 

[sminlal]

You can't connect it to two computers at the same time, but you can connect it to one computer to back it up, and then reconnect it to the other computer to back it up.

The closest you can come to connecting it to two computers at the same time is to either (a) attach it to one computer and share it to the other computer over the network, or (b) use it in a NAS (Network Attached Storage) appliance which is accessed by two computers (which is really just a fancy way to do (a)).