Rough Cuts Ltd Blog

Generally speaking, advances in software are usually worth adopting. Sure sometimes software fixes actually take a step backwards, but for the most part, updates tend to enhance interoperability. Over the last few years we've seen the introduction of DLNA. A universal platform for a multitude of devices to exchange information easily. In theory, this ought to allow your tablet or phone to cast media (from the Youtube app on your phone for example) to your DLNA TV (or DLNA ready Set top box.) Or files from a USB drive plugged into your router, to your devices around your home. However after a recent router upgrade, I found many of these services (I used more than I realised) stopped working. The chances are, like me your network is secured with a password. The chances are unless you've got devices over 10 years old, (March 2006 to be exact) these devices will be using WPA2 (not WPA). This technology encrypts your data, with a password to exchange across devices that use DLN...

If you've a modern router, the chances are somewhere embedded in the side is a USB port. Perhaps you're using it for wireless printing? Perhaps you've attached a drive as a handy place to back up all of your vitally important files? Maybe you're using it for your Mac Time Capsule backups (anyone tried this; it ought to work shouldn't it?) Or maybe, you weren't aware you could? I have a wealth of important (to me) files backed up on a 500Gb Buffalo drive, in order of importance Videos of the children growing up (yes they're also backed up on Mega) The contents of my daughters old computer (ready for when we can get her a new one of her own) My Music (also synchronised with Google Music) My Photos (also synchronised with Google Photos) All of this data takes up over 250gb of a 500gb drive.  So when the new vodafone router wouldn't work with it, after I'd got my number back, I set about solving this quandary. On the first night this drive w...