How to access \\mynetwork (USB storage) on Bell Home Hub 4000 from iPad/iPhone

[Ge]

Hi,
Anybody knows how I can use USB drive connected to Home Hub 4000 to extend iPad storage?
Thanks

Update: USB drive needs to be formatted FAT32 (worked for me) and then as per link below you may use Files app and enter ip of the router (192.168.2.1)

The problem with this solution that Photos doesn’t appear as a location on my iPad in the Files app, so you can't move your photos/videos to USB easily (you may copy from Photos to file share and then delete from Photos). 

So there is a need in the iOS app that could access both - Photos and SMB share and this would be now an iOS question, not for the Bell forum. But in case you know one please still post your reply, thanks.

[Ge]

So here are the google searches you need to get 2 pieces I was referring to:
1) "How to Connect to SMB Shares from iPhone & iPad with Files App"
2) "Is it possible to access images in the Photos app through the Files app?"

Also default IP for the Bell router is usually 192.168.2.1.

[Ge]

Hi,
Instead of Guest user access to \\mynetwork is it possible to have password protected access with [username]/[password]? And that non-admin [username] user to have access only to the share.

Thank you!

[BellDRock]

Hey @Ge ,

Sorry to see that you haven't received a response yet.

Tapping in some very smart users @JD @navderek and @ZaneP to see if they have any info to add.

Thanks Community!

[ZaneP]

Hi @Ge (cc: @BellDRock )

I think you may be overcomplicating the method to achieve your goal: expand photos storage using a USB drive.

The HH4000 is not really intended to be used for this. It's not a NAS (network-attached storage device). I think what you want to do can be done using the HH4K, but first, try this simpler solution.

Get an adapter for your iPad. Depending on your iPad's model/year of manufacture you'll need either a USB 3.0 or a USB-C adapter. More on this here: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-connect-usb-devices-to-ipad-1999862

Also, you should not format the external drive as FAT32. Rather, format it as HFS+

Once it's attached it to the iPad, it should show up as a mounted device. You can then create a folder and move photos to it.

Hope this helps

[Ge]

Thank you Zane,
I'm aware that there are a few different solutions available, just wanted to use what I already have, without getting any extra stuff. 

[ZaneP]

Understood.

I do think that an inexpensive adapter, attaching your USB drive to the iPad, solves many potential problems and frustrations.

Obviously it's your choice!

[ZaneP]

I connected a USB drive to the HH4K. It's recognized by the HH, and I can connect to the share with SMB. But only as a guest, not as a "registered user".

The credentials needed aren't certain. I assumed it was the Bell admin ID and password, but that's not working.

Have you gotten the registered user login figured out? 

[Ge]

Thank Zane,
I can't find any user management tools in HH4K's web interface, not sure if this was intended to simplify UX.
Anyway this is a good way to offload some files onto USB storage without use of any additional PC/adapter/device if Guest access is sufficient.

Thanks for everyone's help!

[Koifish]

Hi,

I can access my files on the laptop using \\192.168.2.1, but when I do it on my iPhone, it requires a login. I can't the only person who have this problem.

[RobertKo]

Not sure if anyone has encountered this, but I would greatly appreciate some assistance.

I am trying to connect my USB storage devices to the USB 3.0 and Type C ports on the Giga hub. When they're plugged in, I'm only able to open folders/files that contain images. This is done with the Gigahub as a media center.

However, this website shows that there should be a way to access the folders/files by typing \\mynetwork
How to connect a USB device to my Home Hub 4000 (Windows 10) (bell.ca)

Typing \\mynetwork provides the following error

Anyone encounter this before?
It's worth noting that this error happens for all computers I attempt it with. They are all connected directly via LAN and I have tried with a Windows 7 and Windows 10 operating system.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[RobertKo · Accepted solution]

Didn't know how to edit my last post so I'm replying to my own post.

After lots of google searches and youtube videos, I found how to access my drives.
For some reason \\mynetwork continues to refuse to work. However, if I open the "Run" app from the start menu and type \\192.168.2.1 then it opens my storage devices!

I hope this information helps anyone else that had the same trouble I did.

[jmatteis]

Have the same issue, I can access my files on the PC and on my Google TV box, through Kodi, but I can't add or delete files remotely, I would have disconnect the drive from the Gigahub and add them via my PC and then plug it back into the router, any solutions?

Nevermind, if I access the drive on my PC with the \\192.168.2.1 as you indicated, I can add and remove files!  BTW was able to do this via the Bell method of opening a folder, deleting the address bar info and putting it right in there as well

CHEERS!

[A_Guy]

For me, since I needed to access some media files from my USB drive, I used VLC to connect to the router’s SMB service  (didn’t asked for a user name nor a password). Also if needed, VLC provides the ability to locally download the files. Hope this helps others if similar needs. 
Cheers. 

[CocoLoco]

It sadly seems that this isn't possible anymore, I even called Bell to ask about the guide around connecting a USB to the router and he instead told me that the USB ports are supposedly disabled? Odd because the system logs had told me that I had formatted that one USB wrong. Either way, he said he was going to pass the message that the guide get removed for whatever reason, which I hope it doesn't, I did have some use cases I was hoping to go through with what I thought was a nice feature.