Thanks to Matt Burns over at Crunchgear and the instructions he pointed out, you can use this as a home network server for windows without signing up with pogoplug or installing any software. But why would you not want the pogoplug service? They stated several times they will offer everyone life-time memberships for free.  🙂 Anyway, here are Matt’s instructions:
- Plug your USB drive into your computer, format it (or if it’s already filled with data, don’t format it!)
- Create a file on it named .ceid Using notepad, or your favorite text editor.
- Put these lines in the file (replacing yoursharename with a name of your own choosing). Note the mode=rw allows reading and writing. servicename=yoursharename
xcode.metadata=never
xcode.thumbnail=never
xcode.stream=never
cifs.mode=rw - Plug the usb drive into the Dockstar, and you’re all set.
The drive will be available as \\fadsMMMMMM\yoursharename (where MMMMMM are the last 6 letters and numbers of the Dockstar’s mac address, which is on the label on the bottom).
I have to say, the FreeAgent DockStar is awesome. Â I’ve used it so much already, with the pogoplug service, and have 3 drives with (several terrabytes) hooked up.
Super site, and nice text.
I have try but it does not work
There was an error in the text. I’ve corrected it. You can see the original instructions here:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/05/06/how-to-use-the-seagate-dockstar-on-a-lan-without-pogoplug/
I can think of one reason not to use PogoPlug. It has the nasty habit of making your drive read only if you don’t unplug the drive through PogoPlug’s interface, which is quite an annoyance.
Art, strange. It’s never happened to me, and I’m constantly unplugging a thumb drive without using the interface.
You’re welcome!
The pogo plug eventually destroyed most of the drives attached to it. Bye bye, pogo plug.