do routers work with a usb hub splitter?
do routers work with a usb hub splitter?
You're looking at ways to boost connectivity for USB devices. It's important to consider how many devices you plan to link and whether they match the power and bandwidth limits of a single USB connection. If you're adding multiple storage drives to your router's USB port, verify the available power output to avoid conflicts.
I saw mentions of USB hubs being used with OpenWRT routers. As @Falcon1986 noted, for external hard drives, a powered USB hub is essential.
I experimented with my OpenWRT router as a NAS, connected the external HDD with NTFS. Eventually, I switched to using my old laptop with Windows 10 for file sharing. Samba proved too tricky—spent days fixing permissions and still struggled to get it right. Now streaming directly from the laptop is much smoother than fighting over the external drive.
Achieving functionality is usually straightforward, but optimizing performance remains a challenge. Routers lack the necessary power for serious NAS use. Even without a weak processor, a solid NAS should have several gigabytes of RAM to speed up data access. I currently have 32GB in my NAS, with 18.9GB already used for caching. A Raspberry Pi offers a more capable budget option compared to a router.