How to create a cost effective WiFi drive with a travel router
When traveling with the kids, I wanted to have a WiFi drive for streaming files locally but to keep it more cost effective than a dedicated WiFi drive. Based on my research, I chose the HooToo TripMate Nano (Model HT-TM02) with a 256 GB USB Flash Drive.
The HooToo TripMate Nano travel router is small and light.
There were several benefits that I like with the HooToo Nano:
1. Easy to power with USB in the car.
2. Very small and light for traveling.
3. Using a USB Flash Drive for file storage made it easy to load files from the computer.
4. The Nano can convert a wired network into a wireless network (Bridge Mode).
Bridge Mode is handy to make your own WiFi in a hotel with ethernet access to the internet. Just connect the HooToo to an ethernet cable and flip the switch to pass along the wired internet to WiFi the HooToo creates. Your devices already logged into the HooToo will now have internet access through the hotel. There are instructions in the manual to get the HooToo online if the hotel has a captive webpage where you need to click OK.
1. Easy to power with USB in the car.
2. Very small and light for traveling.
3. Using a USB Flash Drive for file storage made it easy to load files from the computer.
4. The Nano can convert a wired network into a wireless network (Bridge Mode).
Bridge Mode is handy to make your own WiFi in a hotel with ethernet access to the internet. Just connect the HooToo to an ethernet cable and flip the switch to pass along the wired internet to WiFi the HooToo creates. Your devices already logged into the HooToo will now have internet access through the hotel. There are instructions in the manual to get the HooToo online if the hotel has a captive webpage where you need to click OK.
Folders on USB Drive
I save video files to the USB flash drive to play later on an iPhone or iPad using two different apps. HooToo also has a basic app called the HooToo TripMate Plus to access files on the TripMate router. The files are organized on the USB Drive with a DLNA folder structure (see image).
Tip 1: The USB Flash Drive needs to be formatted for Windows to be recognized by the HooToo. This is not an issue when using a Mac, as the Mac can write to a Windows formatted USB drive (exFAT and FAT32, but not NTFS natively as of Mac OS High Sierra 10.13).
Tip 2: Don't forget to log into the HooToo's administration page and change the default admin password to secure your router access.
HooToo TripMate Nano on Amazon.
HooToo TripMate Nano spec page at HooToo.com with the manual.
256 USB Flash Drive on Amazon.
Tip 1: The USB Flash Drive needs to be formatted for Windows to be recognized by the HooToo. This is not an issue when using a Mac, as the Mac can write to a Windows formatted USB drive (exFAT and FAT32, but not NTFS natively as of Mac OS High Sierra 10.13).
Tip 2: Don't forget to log into the HooToo's administration page and change the default admin password to secure your router access.
HooToo TripMate Nano on Amazon.
HooToo TripMate Nano spec page at HooToo.com with the manual.
256 USB Flash Drive on Amazon.
HooToo TripMate Plus on the App Store
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Added 2018-03-26 <> ID 18032601
Versions - HooToo TripMate Plus 2.0.082
Added 2018-03-26 <> ID 18032601
Versions - HooToo TripMate Plus 2.0.082
