Database Develop

Accessory review: the Kingston Wi-Drive

This section is flooded with case threads, so I decided to write up some first impressions on a different type of accessory: the Kingston Wi-Drive.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Wi-D...=UTF8&qid=1342506312&sr=8-1&keywords=wi-drive
(I bought it from Best Buy since I had a gift card from there)
Flavors: 16gb, 32gb, and 64gb (I got the 32gb)
Specs: http://www.kingston.com/us/usb/wireless/#wid
Since I'm not too experienced with reviews, I'll post a nice one I read before buying... it has a link to a nice video with it in action: http://androidspin.com/2012/03/27/k...adds-new-features-and-just-plain-works-great/
Because I have the 8gb Nexus 7, I looked for some type of portable external storage... and since there currently isn't a way to play files directly from an OTG + USB drive (edited: looks like OTG+USB drive works for some but not for others... there is a thread in the accessories section that is keeping track of the drives that allow you to play media directly from them... thanks for the heads up mewantnexus7), I wanted to look into a wi-fi drive. As there are a few in the market (Seagate GoFlex Satellite, Transcend Storejet, maybe more), I will give you some of the reasons why I chose this one and my initial impressions of the device.
Reasons for choosing the Wi-Drive over the competition:
1. SSD (Seagate and Transcend have received complaints about the drives quitting on their users... both have HDDs)
2. More portable (very small and light... about the size of the Nexus One maybe... but way thinner. Maybe more comparable to an ipod touch... but haven't handled an ipod, so I don't know.).
3. The app works... according to many, the Seagate software was extremely buggy., and the only way to make it usable was to hack it (see hackseagatesatellite.com). Don't know about Transcends software.
4. Reviews online were overall better for the Wi-Drive
My initial impressions:
Before going into the pros and cons, let me just say that, according to my testing, the wi-drive works the best with Dice Player (I have the free version with ads). In Jelly Bean, video would stutter in the default media player and even MX Player. In ICS (tested on a GNex with CM9) and Gingerbread (tested with a rooted G2), those players may have worked okay, but would bring the video up slower than Dice. Overall, Dice worked the best.... and the only player I found that worked on the N7.
PROS:
1. I love how portable and light it is.
2. Easy for folks to connect. Have them connect to the wi-drive's SSID... then they either go into the android/ios app or put 192.168.200.254 in their fav browser, and they are connected.
3. 3 devices can play content smoothly without hiccups
4. It's possible to connect to both the wi-drive and your own wi-fi network in order to surf the night while connected to your drive.
5. Contrary to what some people may think, it is possible to charge and stream your media (just turn the drive on before charging)
6. The app works well (though it force closes sometimes... usually when disconnected from the wi-drive network).
7. The security features are nice... you can hide your ssid and put some type of encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2, or mixed).
8. It has a pretty nice range. I used it about 18 ft. away with a wall between me and the wi-drive; it showed about 2 wifi bars on the N7... and the video played perfectly. Of course, success may differ due to many different factors that affect wi-fi.
9. You can transfer media from your device to the wi-drive and vice versa (and delete media) through the app. Haven't tried it through a browser. IOS doesn't have that feature which is weird but doesn't concern me since I don't have an IOS device.
10. Battery Life: I haven't tested it, but those that have said that it lasted over 4 hours, which is comparable to Seagate's drive. Being able to watch a couple of movies on a single charge is pretty nice and is enough for me... and, as mentioned above, you can charge and stream as well.
CONS:
1. It gets HOT... extremely hot when streaming. Leaving it out in the open is definitely recommended... for one, so it doesn't burn you while it's in your pocket (exaggerating a bit, but just a bit), and also to keep your drive as cool as possible.
2. The storage size may not be enough for some (which may be a con for them), but I think choosing an SSD over an HDD is worth it.
3. It takes about 2 min and 15 sec from powering on the drive (1 min 30 sec from connecting to the wi-drive) to be able to see content from the app or the browser. Not super-long... and it may be fast for an accessory like this, but I figured I'd just put it on the con side just in case.
4. There's no way to change the wi-drive's IP address (source: Kingston Wi-Drive FAQ)
5. 3 connected devices may be a con to some...and all connected devices seem to have read/write access to your media (haven't officially tested this, but I did see the copy/delete options on a friend's device).
That's all I can think of right now. Will update if I can think of anything else.
RECOMMENDED? Yes!!
I really enjoy this accessory. I love that I can take it around and access the media on all of my devices... essentially extending the memory not only on my N7, but on all of the devices. I can save storage on my devices for apps and other things and put all media on the wi-drive. I think this is a no-brainer for 8gb N7 owners... but even 16gb N7's could use some extra storage.
Feel free to chime in if you have the wi-drive and let me know if I missed something.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium and ZAGGkeys Flex BT keyboard... I'll write a post about this one next.

There /is/ a way to play files directly from a usb drive. Root, install stickmount, and enjoy.

Thanks for the reply.
I initially rooted my N7 hoping that stickmount would allow me to watch movies directly from the otg cable and USB drive... but it wasn't possible at that time. According to one of the threads on xda, it may be hardware (or USB drive specific). For me and my Transcend 32gb USB drive, I was only able to copy/paste between the USB drive and the N7. But I will update my post. Thanks again!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Thanks for the review, wasn't aware of this one. I use a 500GB Seagate GoFlex Satellite for much the same thing. I think the Seagate probably offers better value for money than Kingston's one here.

Thanks for the review. While I think the wi-drive is a useful bit of tech, it's a unitasker (NAS, essentially) which is also a con. It's one more thing to carry around.
Folks who already carry around an Android phone can potentially look to it in order to provide network access as well as storage without the limitations of the wi-drive. The main limitation will still be the amount of storage for some, though SD cards are getting up there!

Thanks for the review, I was thinking about getting one of these.

File Formats
I am interesting in getting this, however many of the reviews suggest that the file formats that can be streamed are quite limited. If it is acting like a USB flash drive, then I do not see how. It sounds like the software app limits its use?
I can currently play HD WTV file from a USB flash drive plugged into my Droid DNA (via an OTG adaptor), however using this method I cannot use the USB port to charge and I have wires sticking out of the phone.
If I get this Kingston WiDrive, would I be able to fill it with WTV files (Windows 7 MC recorded TV files) and play them with MX Player?

Alternative to USB storage: wifi storage from your phone

In case you don't know and if storage is an issue for you, you can use USB storage devices like flash drive, SD card reader, etc. by using an microUSB OTG cable, root your phone, and install Stickmount as per this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736825
However, I was also looking into alternative methods to increase indirectly increase storage capacity like things like videos and media. Media including videos and music, I believe is the number one reason why people want to increase their storage, so we will concentrate on that. My example scenario will be wanting to watch a movie on a plane (in which there is no wifi internet available).
There are wifi hard drives like Kingston wi-drive and Seagate GoFlex Satellite wifi drives that would work (haven't tested myself), but those arent' cheap. CloudFTP is similar but is still expensive. I would like to see a similar device without any onboard memory, but at a cheaper price, basically something like CloudFTP but at around $50-60. If anybody knows of one, that would be great!!
Then I thought about why not use the hardware you already have and carry with you at all times, your phone? It has wifi and it has expandable memory (most do at least). It would be great if an app can allow you create a wifi network (ad hoc network?) that Nexus 7 connect to and can then share the storage on your phone.
Well, I couldn't find one that does all of that in one step, but I did manage to get it to work with a few steps based on this reply by mrfahrenheit94 (THANKS!):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28818320#post28818320
Basically:
1. Wifi tether your Nexus 7 to your phone (ie Wireless Tether for rooted phone).
2. Run Es File Explorer on your phone (latest version I am using version 1.6.1.6 from Play market, just make sure it supports remote FTP server). Go to Settings, then Remote Settings (Under Network Settings). Check Remote Manage. It will display an ftp address.
2. Run ES File Explorer on Nexus 7. On the upper left hand corner, press the button that probably says Local by default and has a small down arrow. Select FTP. Now press "New" and then select FTP again to add FTP server, Under Server, enter the FTP address that was displayed at the end on step 2 on your phone (do not enter the "ftp://" part, just the numbers after it), but only enter the adress before the colon. Under port enter the number after the colon. Then check the anonymous box. Press OK and now you should have that FTP address as an icon. Select it and you should now see your phone's files and folders. Now you should be able to navigate to your video or media files and select it to play using an external media player. I suggest using Dice Player (free with Ad version). VLC Beta may work as well but I seem to have more luck with Dice Player.
Main drawback will be battery life especially on the phone!!!!
Thus I tried to do this with bluetooth by using Foxfi to tether. At home it worked and I was able to stream a video although very slight stutter at times. However, i realize that Foxfi only worked when my phone has an internet connection (which is not true when on an airplane).
THUS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO TEST THIS, TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR DATA CONNECTION TO TEST IF IT WILL WORK WHEN YOU HAVE NO INTERNET LIKE ON A PLANE.
It does for the Wireless Tether app on Play market even without internet.
What I would like to know and for us to discuss:
1. Any other alternative methods for using wifi storage?
2. Any app that is similar to Foxfi that can Bluetooth tether but doesn't require an internet connection?
3. Any app that can just create a network connection between the two android devices without actual tether feature?
4. A IOS app similar to ES File Explorer to navigate ftp server. Maybe set it up in XBMC?
5. Any interest in a developer creating a one step app that connects and share two devices via wifi and/or bluetooth without any tethering (and thus would work for nonrooted phones)?
One thing I envisioned was one a plane I bring nexus 7 for the kids and my asus TF300 for myself. I would love it if I can share the videos from the TF300 which has a larger capapcity and bigger battery than my phone to the Nexus 7, but I couldn't get Wireless Tether to work on the Asus Tf300 (probably because it is not a phone). Hence, the request for #3 above.
I apologize if this is common knowledge and a waste of time for many of you.

my RAZR can tether and it has 8+16Gb of storage. and it also has 6Gb/month data connection.
oh yes, im planning on tether-connect it with the Nexus.... alot.... for videos and data.

It's good to have alternative methods like this, as a lot of people will certainly use it. Since my phone is in pretty poor shape all around, I doubt I'll utilize it anymore than I have to until I get an upgrade. Personally I'm going to go the USB OTG route with StickMount for long rides/traveling/etc, basically in situations where I might actually find myself watching a few movies back to back to burn up the travel time. I can't see in regular day to day operation needing that functionality, but at least it's there for the rare occasion where I might benefit from it. :good:

You could use bubble pnp to share files from your phone when connected to a LAN. For direct access I know there is a app that allows you to share your storage thru samba. It was just reviewed on android police, I'll try to find the link.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE

david279 said:
You could use bubble pnp to share files from your phone when connected to a LAN. For direct access I know there is a app that allows you to share your storage thru samba. It was just reviewed on android police, I'll try to find the link.
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would be cool!

Connection Speed
I'm only getting like 100KB/s download speed by using this method. Way to slow for streaming video. Even with a 8MB buffer size. Is this a similar speed to what you guys are getting? I'm tethering with FoxiFi from my EVO 4G LTE. My phone is rooted, but for some reason, this is the only tethering method/app that has worked for me. Any suggestions?

The name of the app is SyncMe wireless. It turns your phone into a samba share(or cifs share).
Sent from my EVO 4G LTE

I found a way to connect the TF300 with the Nexus 7 just for the sake of sharing the storage of the TF300. Thanks to another thread on xda, i discovered Wifi Direct works great, and is plenty fast. I think Wifi Direct is only found in some versions of ICS. Took me a while to figure out how to turn it on since it is different for each tablet. On Nexus 7, it is in the settings button in the upper right hand corner when you are in Wi-Fi- settings.
On TF300, I think it is in the "more" section or "advanced" section under Network subsection.
Will give SyncMe a try.
Does it also create its own ad hoc network, or do you still have to connect via wifi somehow?

superflysocal said:
I found a way to connect the TF300 with the Nexus 7 just for the sake of sharing the storage of the TF300. Thanks to another thread on xda, i discovered Wifi Direct works great, and is plenty fast. I think Wifi Direct is only found in some versions of ICS. Took me a while to figure out how to turn it on since it is different for each tablet. On Nexus 7, it is in the settings button in the upper right hand corner when you are in Wi-Fi- settings.
On TF300, I think it is in the "more" section or "advanced" section under Network subsection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just ordered my N7 and was just wondering exactly which app you are using on the N7 to actually find the files on your TF300 to stream. I have a Galaxy S3 that I know can share files with WI-FI direct. I just need to know what to get on the N7 you be able to see the files.
Thanks!

I am reviving this thread because I was interested in a method of streaming multimedia from my s3 to the N7.
Using 3G is not possible because in Argentina the speed of networks are pure SH*T, and the method of ES FIle Explorer did not work for me.
BUT I found a way in other forum (androidcentral, thanks to rubrnek), and basically these are the steps:
1) on the phone install Twonky Mobile
2) on the N7 install aVia media player
3) turn on wifi hitspot on the phone and connect the N7 to it
4) set up twonky library on the phone
5) open aVia media player on the N7 and select Twonky Mobile as the source
6) Navigate the files and play!
I was amazed on how fast it works, I did not tried a 720p or 1080p movie, since it is an overkill in my opinion (mostly a 1080p movie on a phone or tablet), I just tried photos and an DVDRIP AVI of Bill&Ted movie and it plays like it was a local file, the best part is that open the file with Dice player, not some rare player.
Now I have an 88gb Nexus 7

superflysocal said:
In case you don't know and if storage is an issue for you, you can use USB storage devices like flash drive, SD card reader, etc. by using an microUSB OTG cable, root your phone, and install Stickmount as per this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736825
However, I was also looking into alternative methods to increase indirectly increase storage capacity like things like videos and media. Media including videos and music, I believe is the number one reason why people want to increase their storage, so we will concentrate on that. My example scenario will be wanting to watch a movie on a plane (in which there is no wifi internet available).
There are wifi hard drives like Kingston wi-drive and Seagate GoFlex Satellite wifi drives that would work (haven't tested myself), but those arent' cheap. CloudFTP is similar but is still expensive. I would like to see a similar device without any onboard memory, but at a cheaper price, basically something like CloudFTP but at around $50-60. If anybody knows of one, that would be great!!
Then I thought about why not use the hardware you already have and carry with you at all times, your phone? It has wifi and it has expandable memory (most do at least). It would be great if an app can allow you create a wifi network (ad hoc network?) that Nexus 7 connect to and can then share the storage on your phone.
Well, I couldn't find one that does all of that in one step, but I did manage to get it to work with a few steps based on this reply by mrfahrenheit94 (THANKS!):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28818320#post28818320
Basically:
1. Wifi tether your Nexus 7 to your phone (ie Wireless Tether for rooted phone).
2. Run Es File Explorer on your phone (latest version I am using version 1.6.1.6 from Play market, just make sure it supports remote FTP server). Go to Settings, then Remote Settings (Under Network Settings). Check Remote Manage. It will display an ftp address.
2. Run ES File Explorer on Nexus 7. On the upper left hand corner, press the button that probably says Local by default and has a small down arrow. Select FTP. Now press "New" and then select FTP again to add FTP server, Under Server, enter the FTP address that was displayed at the end on step 2 on your phone (do not enter the "ftp://" part, just the numbers after it), but only enter the adress before the colon. Under port enter the number after the colon. Then check the anonymous box. Press OK and now you should have that FTP address as an icon. Select it and you should now see your phone's files and folders. Now you should be able to navigate to your video or media files and select it to play using an external media player. I suggest using Dice Player (free with Ad version). VLC Beta may work as well but I seem to have more luck with Dice Player.
Main drawback will be battery life especially on the phone!!!!
Thus I tried to do this with bluetooth by using Foxfi to tether. At home it worked and I was able to stream a video although very slight stutter at times. However, i realize that Foxfi only worked when my phone has an internet connection (which is not true when on an airplane).
THUS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO TEST THIS, TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR DATA CONNECTION TO TEST IF IT WILL WORK WHEN YOU HAVE NO INTERNET LIKE ON A PLANE.
It does for the Wireless Tether app on Play market even without internet.
What I would like to know and for us to discuss:
1. Any other alternative methods for using wifi storage?
2. Any app that is similar to Foxfi that can Bluetooth tether but doesn't require an internet connection?
3. Any app that can just create a network connection between the two android devices without actual tether feature?
4. A IOS app similar to ES File Explorer to navigate ftp server. Maybe set it up in XBMC?
5. Any interest in a developer creating a one step app that connects and share two devices via wifi and/or bluetooth without any tethering (and thus would work for nonrooted phones)?
One thing I envisioned was one a plane I bring nexus 7 for the kids and my asus TF300 for myself. I would love it if I can share the videos from the TF300 which has a larger capapcity and bigger battery than my phone to the Nexus 7, but I couldn't get Wireless Tether to work on the Asus Tf300 (probably because it is not a phone). Hence, the request for #3 above.
I apologize if this is common knowledge and a waste of time for many of you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this method also allow us to transfer files from phone to the tablet? I do not have the device yet, but will be getting it soon and one thing that bothered me was the lack of USB Mass Storage option when connecting to a PC. I prefer transferring files directly rather than MTP. Do apps like AirDroid work?

superflysocal said:
Basically
1. Wifi tether your Nexus 7 to your phone (ie Wireless Tether for rooted phone).
2. Run Es File Explorer on your phone (latest version I am using version 1.6.1.6 from Play market, just make sure it supports remote FTP server). Go to Settings, then Remote Settings (Under Network Settings). Check Remote Manage. It will display an ftp address.
2. Run ES File Explorer on Nexus 7. On the upper left hand corner, press the button that probably says Local by default and has a small down arrow. Select FTP. Now press "New" and then select FTP again to add FTP server, Under Server, enter the FTP address that was displayed at the end on step 2 on your phone (do not enter the "ftp://" part, just the numbers after it), but only enter the adress before the colon. Under port enter the number after the colon. Then check the anonymous box. Press OK and now you should have that FTP address as an icon. Select it and you should now see your phone's files and folders. Now you should be able to navigate to your video or media files and select it to play using an external media player. I suggest using Dice Player (free with Ad version). VLC Beta may work as well but I seem to have more luck with Dice Player.
Main drawback will be battery life especially on the phone!!!!
Thus I tried to do this with bluetooth by using Foxfi to tether. At home it worked and I was able to stream a video although very slight stutter at times. However, i realize that Foxfi only worked when my phone has an internet connection (which is not true when on an airplane).
THUS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO TEST THIS, TURN OFF YOUR CELLULAR DATA CONNECTION TO TEST IF IT WILL WORK WHEN YOU HAVE NO INTERNET LIKE ON A PLANE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! Thanks so much for this ultra simple phone to tablet "local wifi ftp connection" method. Most important we need is just a wifi tether/ hotspot phone or tab, which 99% of android do, i believe. I've tried to connect all my SGS1, SGS2, SGtab7.7, HP Touchpad (TP, no usg otg) n they all connect flawlessly. IMO, this method is even more versatile than "Wifi Direct" comes with Samsung devices, which feels a tad faster. Why bother w installing other apps, when u can get done w 1 great free app, ESbrowser.
To my surprise, i also learned that wifi tethering function actually works with mobile data disconnect, through this.
Triple thks for your tutorial, excellent work. High Five!

Got this to work with esfile explorer between my N7 & SG3. One question though.
When I browse the files on my SG3, I can't see the files on my external sd card, only the ones on the internal memory. Anyone have any ideas on how to access the external card?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

joelgrice said:
Got this to work with esfile explorer between my N7 & SG3. One question though.
When I browse the files on my SG3, I can't see the files on my external sd card, only the ones on the internal memory. Anyone have any ideas on how to access the external card?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enter ES File Explorer settings on your phone, then Remote Settings and finally Set root directory path for your external card. Hope it helps.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
---------- Post added at 10:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 AM ----------
I got GS2 AOKP and my path to external card is /emmc/
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Ravpower RP-WD01 Wireless WiFi-Disk Review

http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower%C2%AE-RP-WD01-Wireless-WiFi-Disk-Li-Polymer/dp/B00AQUMZRA/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1362010339&sr=8-14&keywords=ravpower
Recently purchased the Ravpower RP-WD01 Wireless WiFi-Disk. It is probably the best investment I have made for ALL my mobile devices. I was on the fence about what wireless wifi storage to get Seagate, Kingston Wi-drive, Airstash and lots more but decided on the ravpower. Main reason was that it had a SD card slot and USB port to connect a multitude of different storage devices. And lets be honest, how many SD cards, microsd cards, portable hard drives and usb flash drives do we have laying around? There is soooo much potential with this product and some very nice surprises that I found out that makes this wifi disk a MUST have for all the tech geeks in us.
Bonus, it doubles up as external battery pack. 3,000mah may not be a lot but it does come in handy in those critical must have a charge situations.
Specs:
Wireless wi-fi storage and external battery pack 3000mah
SD card slot
USB slot
The size of the wifi disk is about the size of a portable hard drive. Slightly bigger than my S3; look at attached picture for reference.
To connect to the device you must make a wifi connection to it. It is named "WiFiSD-158E" and the password is "11111111". That is 8 ones BTW.
Performance:
I was able to pick up a wide array of storage media. SD card, microsd in a sd card adapter, Flash drives ranging from 4gb to 32gb with many different brands. It was able to power a Seagate portable hard drive no problem while a SD card was also in the sd card slot.
Many different devices were used to connect to the wifi disk: Nexus 7, Nexus 10, Ipad 4, Acer laptop, Coby Cryos android tablet, galaxy S3, Iphone 5 and a t-mobile S2.
It says that up to 5 devices can be connected to it.
I was able to play all sorts of video files from it, divx/xvid, avi, mp4, mkv, mov.....720p,1080p. It handled it like a champ.
I connected 5 devices and tried to stream a divx file all at the same time. It worked flawlessly, no stutters, no audio drops.
Now I dunno about HD 720p or 1080p files with 5 devices trying to stream from it. Will try more tests later.
You can access your connected storage via 3 different ways:
Now, you can use the recommended mobile apps mobile fun (android) and airstor (IOS) to connect to the device to see your connected storage options. They are nice clean simple apps. Reminds me of an "ES Explorer" type file explorer. Pretty fast, smooth and it simply just works. The one thing the APP is a must for is to make it a wifi hotspot. What that means is that you can configure it to connect to your regular home internet router so that when your device is connected to it; you can still have internet access. Basically it acts like a wireless bridge for your router. Once configured you don't have to use the apps ever again.
You can even use your browser to go to "10.10.10.254" and connect via a web interface. The default username is "admin" and there is no password. You can configure it to have a password; which I did via a wizard tutorial. This is nice since you can connect your laptop to it and access the connected storage.
The last option was a little thing I figured out and was pleasantly surprised! The wifi disk can be accessed via ANY file explorer app that can make SAMBA/SMB connections! File explorers such as "ES Explorer" and "Solid Explorer" have this ability. I personally recommend solid explorer (more on that in a bit).
You just have to set it up (please see attached picture for reference).
For solid explorer press the "jump" button, then "Network" and then "SMB/CIFS" button. Jump>Network>SMB/CIFS
Now press the plus sign button at the top right. It will cause a popup that you will need to fill in the appropriate info.
Display name: can be left blank
Computer name or ip address: enter 10.10.10.254
Authentication method: can set as "Log in as guess" if you did not use the web interface to make a pass word. If you did make a password set it as "store encrypted password"
Username: admin
password: whatever password you made via the web interface
Now you should be able use the file explorer to navigate the connected storage options:
SDCARD-Volume1 = SD card slot
USBDisk-Volume1 = USB port connected storage
Now you don't need an extra app to use the wifi disk. Use the file explorer you love and know!
Solid Explorer is my reccomendation because it has the two pane option when in landscape mode. With the two panel mode, you can navigate to the "SD card" with pane 1 and then navigate to the "usb port" with pane 2. This will allow you to transfer files between the "sd card" and the "usb port" storage seemlessly and easily! There was a step by step guide on amazon how to transfer files between two attached storage options on the wifi disk, but this makes it sooooo much easier!
Build Quality: Seems solid, not too flimsy but quite light. Nice colored LED's that aren't too bright.
Gripes about it:
Only comes in white; no black option. It sticks out like a sore thumb next to all my other devices. The external battery pack I bought before Xmas had a white generic apple charger which didn't go with the black external battery pack I bought.
Does not come with a wall charger; but will use any usb charger.
I do not work for RAVpower but was really impressed with their external battery pack for Xmas. Was even contacted by them after the new year to personally ask how the product was working out for me. That was a pleasant surprise. So that pushed my try the wifi disk instead of bigger name alternatives.

Thanks, nice review!

Nice detailed review I always had an interest in one of these but was never to sure about it because I never heard of any first hand experiences.
A couple of questions I have though is, you said it has an external battery built into it. But I would assume that the charge goes down while you do a wifi connect via other devices? Or that is just a separate feature all together that is offered.
Another question I have is, (and maybe I missed it in the post but) does the WiFi disk have it's own internal storage or is this just like a hub that you can stick storage devices into that lets you broadcast a signal for you to connect too.

jonnyg1097 said:
Nice detailed review I always had an interest in one of these but was never to sure about it because I never heard of any first hand experiences.
A couple of questions I have though is, you said it has an external battery built into it. But I would assume that the charge goes down while you do a wifi connect via other devices? Or that is just a separate feature all together that is offered.
Another question I have is, (and maybe I missed it in the post but) does the WiFi disk have it's own internal storage or is this just like a hub that you can stick storage devices into that lets you broadcast a signal for you to connect too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The external battery is just a feature. The usb port to connect flash drives can just be used to charger a phone or tablet
The wifi disk has no storage itself. You must connect a peripheral to it for it to have storage
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD

Does the internal battery allow you to just turn it on? Or is that other battery in the pictures that's supplying the power?

The white unit is the wifi disk. The wifi disk is a wireless storage and an external battery pack. The wireless disk has a built in battery to power the unit on and to be an external battery pack. The black unit is a separate battery pack i bought before Christmas.... It does not come with the wifi disk.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Can you use this while in CWM? As in being able to see the files on the different drives?

jonnyg1097 said:
Can you use this while in CWM? As in being able to see the files on the different drives?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about being able to see files via in a custom recovery. I don't think custom recoveries have the ability to connect via a samba connection to see files. I could be wrong so don't hold me to that statement
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Nice review! I actually posted a positive review too last week. Glad I'm not the only one who is willing to venture out into unknown name branded items. This thing is really a great product. I didn't think too much of it until i read your review, but I agree with you that wish this came in black instead of white and light blue (kind of an odd color combo too).

Anyone know of any UK stockists? Nothing obvious on Google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

andy1120 said:
Anyone know of any UK stockists? Nothing obvious on Google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI - It is on sale at Newegg.com for $40 from a third party. I think a number of similar units will come on the market shortly. However, I picked up one of these.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1HD0HM8076
PS If you need warranty service, newegg is insisting on having the original box.
PPS Ebay has them for $60. I assume that you can order one from the UK.

Just ordered one of these. I'm on the road for days at a time and I need a way to connect 2 tablets and @ times 2 lap tops at a time to an external hard drive. Bit I have question (all be it a dumb one). Can I use one of those USB to ethernet dongels with this unit?

Grumpymann said:
Just ordered one of these. I'm on the road for days at a time and I need a way to connect 2 tablets and @ times 2 lap tops at a time to an external hard drive. Bit I have question (all be it a dumb one). Can I use one of those USB to ethernet dongels with this unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not for sure about that but I would lean towards no
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Decided to get one from the Newegg sale and it arrived today. Does everything mentioned in the OP well. I only had 1 issue and updating to the latest firmware didn't help. Although both the wizard and the manual network settings allow you to define channel and connection type (b, g, n) the changes don't stick. It insists on being on channel 11 which is the channel my home wifi network uses Less importantly it also won't do only n connections but insists on all 3.
Otherwise it's a great performer.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

bsoplinger said:
Decided to get one from the Newegg sale and it arrived today. Does everything mentioned in the OP well. I only had 1 issue and updating to the latest firmware didn't help. Although both the wizard and the manual network settings allow you to define channel and connection type (b, g, n) the changes don't stick. It insists on being on channel 11 which is the channel my home wifi network uses Less importantly it also won't do only n connections but insists on all 3.
Otherwise it's a great performer.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try setting it via the Web manager?
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD

The wizard and manual settings are only available via the Web interface. The app (either of them, they seem the same to me) only has the ability to set password and not much more.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

good
Interesting product.
I have never thought of such needs until I come to this post. Now I have ordered on from Amzon and waiting to try it out.
Thanks for the review. It is great to know what to expect from this new device. :good:

l have had mine for about a week, and I have to say I LOVE THIS THING!!! I!m on the road for days at a time, the hotel internet sucks. I would have to transfer info from one tablet or laptop to another with an SD card. But with this I can keep all meildia on one harddrive and access it from any appliance I have with me. And it have extended my access to the.internet by as much as 10 to 12 feet. In some of the rooms. the connection is great by the dathroom but non existent anywhere else in the room. but with this I can access it anywhere in the room. The adlity to download AND upload on a nexus 7is just what I need.
My thanks to.the OP!

AW: Ravpower RP-WD01 Wireless WiFi-Disk Review
I would immediately buy one if it could host a 2.5" or 1.8" internal disk. Does anybody know about such a device? Preferably with an SD card slot and USB? Thx.

Picked one up based on everyone's reviews. Hopefully it will come in handy during my upcoming deployment. Have you all tried sharing a WiFi connection with it? How's the range?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

OTG 3G and SD

Hello
I was wondering if someone could kindly advise me on this. I am basically going travelling in a little over a month, and would like to bring my Touchpad with me. There are a few slight hiccups, and I was wondering if these plans would work.
I need to store pictures taken from a camera on the TouchPad, to then upload to my Dropbox account. I was wondering if anyone knows either of these configurations would work;
- Micro USB to USB (Female)
- USB Female to insert SD Card adapter
- Copy photos over to Touchpad
OR
- Use THIS CONNECTOR (link goes to Amazon page)
- Insert SD card into that
---
My next question relates to 3G. Would it be possible to (again) use a micro usb to USB Female adapter (with OTG) and then insert a 3G dongle into that? This is less important, as I can still get WiFi access every so often!
Thanks for the help - I will, of course, hit the thanks button for any useful responses.

A quick search of the forum would get you to the issues of OTG and connecting anything external (particularly on the move). You need to find a way of injecting power into the TP micro-USB to get OTG to work. Some hav edone this with battery powered hubs but there is no clean and elegant solution and if you want something light, simple and reliable on your journey you may be better off with a different tablet.
One solution for your photos though which I have used is a WiFi SD Card in the camera that will allow the tablet to get at the photos (if your camera can take that).
Finally, for 3G, other than the OTG issues, you would also need to check out kernel support for whatever dongle you are using within whatever ROM variant you used.

dmarchant said:
A quick search of the forum would get you to the issues of OTG and connecting anything external (particularly on the move). You need to find a way of injecting power into the TP micro-USB to get OTG to work. Some hav edone this with battery powered hubs but there is no clean and elegant solution and if you want something light, simple and reliable on your journey you may be better off with a different tablet.
One solution for your photos though which I have used is a WiFi SD Card in the camera that will allow the tablet to get at the photos (if your camera can take that).
Finally, for 3G, other than the OTG issues, you would also need to check out kernel support for whatever dongle you are using within whatever ROM variant you used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response.
I had seen various discussion of OTG, which have been nothing short of confusing - simply because of the many different conversations going on! I am trying to avoid the need to buy another device - whilst I have the funds in my bank account, I already need to get another camera (well, I say need - I would like to, going to get the Panasonic Lumix TZ40). Whilst it has WiFi, I am not totally sure how that will work on a potentially dodgy WiFi connection and also how it will work with Android. I am currently using Milaq's CM 10.2.
I should point out I would be happy to give any ROM a spin whilst travelling, simply to get this to work.

The OTG situation is certainly not clear cut and because of the extra items needed to get it to work, not at all ideal if you are on the move. I am not sure how the WiFi works on that camera, but I have used the Transcend WiFi SD card in my Sony Bridge camera and it acts as a hot-spot so does not depend on any other WiFi around. I am pretty sure the Eye-Fi works that way to. You should be able to find the camera manual online to check what WiFi modes you would get but that would be the most suitable means of linking camera to TP.
EDIT: Confirmed that Lumix TZ40 can connect using WiFi to phone or tablet and they have their own app to manage it (search for 'Panasonic Image App')

dmarchant said:
The OTG situation is certainly not clear cut and because of the extra items needed to get it to work, not at all ideal if you are on the move. I am not sure how the WiFi works on that camera, but I have used the Transcend WiFi SD card in my Sony Bridge camera and it acts as a hot-spot so does not depend on any other WiFi around. I am pretty sure the Eye-Fi works that way to. You should be able to find the camera manual online to check what WiFi modes you would get but that would be the most suitable means of linking camera to TP.
EDIT: Confirmed that Lumix TZ40 can connect using WiFi to phone or tablet and they have their own app to manage it (search for 'Panasonic Image App')
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly agree it wouldn't be ideal on the move, I am trying my best to not need to pay out another £240 for a Nexus 7 or £319 for an iPad Mini though!
This has just occurred to me, on the basis the TZ40 is obviously self powered, and OTG can work on the Touchpad if there is a power source, would it simply work if I used a micro usb to mico usb cable? Although judging by the fact Amazon only has one listing for this, I doubt it... a Nexus would be ideal though, given how both devices have NFC ;(

Hey i wanted to use my Touchpad for something similar, i used this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PQI-A100-Dr...F8&qid=1384550398&sr=8-1&keywords=sd+card+pqi to put my cameras SD card in, it then transits a WiFi hotspot which you connect to touchpad to in order to view and transfer files. As for 3G can you use a phone with WiFi hotspot mode and tether to it?
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk

Nathanation said:
Hey i wanted to use my Touchpad for something similar, i used this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PQI-A100-Dr...F8&qid=1384550398&sr=8-1&keywords=sd+card+pqi to put my cameras SD card in, it then transits a WiFi hotspot which you connect to touchpad to in order to view and transfer files. As for 3G can you use a phone with WiFi hotspot mode and tether to it?
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say "transmits a WiFi hotspot", I assume that still leaves me with the issue that I need some form of WiFi in the first place. This is my concern, as some of the places I'll be visiting really won't be feasible in terms of transferring 1gb of photos on a potentially woefully slow wifi network . Apologies if I have missed the point there, I'll hit the thanks button for any help!
Cheers

The device creates its own WiFi signal which the touchpad can connect to as it would any other network. This can work independently of an internet connected WiFi network. I used mine at goodwood festival of speed to transfer images from my DSLR camera to my touchpad.
Its essentially the same as using the WiFi SD cards that another user above mentioned.
I have used OTG on the touchpad with CM9 but it required a specific kernel and a USB Y cable and an external battery pack, it was quicker at transferring files that WiFi but not exactly portable. Hope that kinda helps.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Nathanation said:
Hey i wanted to use my Touchpad for something similar, i used this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PQI-A100-Dr...F8&qid=1384550398&sr=8-1&keywords=sd+card+pqi to put my cameras SD card in, it then transits a WiFi hotspot which you connect to touchpad to in order to view and transfer files. As for 3G can you use a phone with WiFi hotspot mode and tether to it?
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nathanation said:
The device creates its own WiFi signal which the touchpad can connect to as it would any other network. This can work independently of an internet connected WiFi network. I used mine at goodwood festival of speed to transfer images from my DSLR camera to my touchpad.
Its essentially the same as using the WiFi SD cards that another user above mentioned.
I have used OTG on the touchpad with CM9 but it required a specific kernel and a USB Y cable and an external battery pack, it was quicker at transferring files that WiFi but not exactly portable. Hope that kinda helps.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh blimey I see! Thanks - I assumed you'd still need a provider (like you normally would, ie. BT, TalkTalk, Virgin in the UK..
Thanks very much

Ah that's a better way of putting it, I was struggling trying to think of how to explained it, yeah no provider necessary.
What smartphone have you got? As many support OTG with a simple adaptor and then you would have 3G and be able to upload photos.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Nathanation said:
Ah that's a better way of putting it, I was struggling trying to think of how to explained it, yeah no provider necessary.
What smartphone have you got? As many support OTG with a simple adaptor and then you would have 3G and be able to upload photos.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC One X, but I do not think I will be bringing it with me (too short battery life, and too attractive to thieves to get out to contact people in-country!)
Really appreciate the help - only capable of learning things easily myself if I don't need to buy things to test if it works :L

How are you moving data to and from your N6?

Just wondering what methods you are using?
Quick and dirty cable? If you don't have one are you using Airdroid or another app? Bluetooth? I like Airdroid personally as its simple to flip that switch and connect to it.

DeathBoT said:
Just wondering what methods you are using?
Quick and dirty cable? If you don't have one are you using Airdroid or another app? Bluetooth? I like Airdroid personally as its simple to flip that switch and connect to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
usually i send it to mysrlf via the air or ill upload it to my ftp, then download via n6. rarely i will use a cable, but will. bluetooth i sent some photos from one phone to my n6, and it worked. but that was only once.

I use an app called "WiFi File Transfer".
Pete.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

WiFi direct connection in combination with ES file Explorer. Most easy way for non geeky user like friends...
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

OTG-Usb with a small microsd adapter. It is the size of about three quarters in a stack.

Depends what I'm doing. If I'm transferring all data off and back on again, ill use a cable, otherwise ill connect my file manager (solid explorer) to a samba share on my NAS

I have a jump drive that contains two folders in it. One for my N6 and the other for my N7. Both folders I keep updated with different types of content. Stickmount pro and on otg cable and good to go! I'll do this to transfer between the to devices as well.

Send it to or copy it from my NAS

Best way is to run ssh+sftp server on your phone, then you actually have proper access to it.
Go ahead... have at it
https://github.com/lbdroid/Android_SSH
https://github.com/lbdroid/Android-Binaries/blob/master/Android_SSH.apk
Note: requires root.

I use an app called "Software Data Cable". It's wireless using WIFI or I use SanDisk Ultra 64GB Micro USB 2.0 OTG Flash Drive For Android Smartphone/Tablet ...it's pretty awesome