KiMax BS-U35WF as USB drive for local storage??

[rlpjsh]

Does anyone in the Arlo Community have any experience with the KiMax BS-U35WF device? (I'm having difficulty posting an external link, so do a web search for Kimax BS-U35WF if you're not familiar with the product.)

I’m wondering if I connected the BS-U35WF USB 3 port to my VMB4540 Hub whether the Hub would recognize it as a USB drive for local recordings?
The Arlo Hub requires the external drive to be formatted in FAT32. Will the BS-U35WF work with FAT32?
Will the BS-U35WF allow me to access files on its drive via Ethernet or WiFi while the USB 3 port is connected to the Arlo Hub?
My purpose for this configuration is to enable better remote access to local Arlo recordings, not relying on the Arlo app. Perhaps I could get thumbnails on the local recordings.

Any other devices which would serve the same purpose?

[jguerdat]

Since this appeaars to be a NAS (network-attached storage) device, the quick answer is no, you can't use it with Arlo. That's because every NAS I know of only uses a USB port to import files from something like a thumb drive. That port can't be used as a way to store files any other way.

[tony_2018]

Have you tried looking up reviews on it?  Might want to start there.

[rlpjsh]

@tony_2018  There are not any reviews that I could find for the BS-U35WF being used with an Arlo hub. The reviews for the product itself are mixed, both positive & negative. Nevertheless, if the Arlo hub recognized it as a USB drive and I am able to remotely access the files while still connected to the hub I would get one and try it out. I have posted my question on the forum where I found the reviews but no answer. Given that the reviews are 1-2 years old I'm not holding my breath. 🙂

@jguerdat  This snip from the User Guide indicates that the USB 3 port (type B) allows access to the files on the drive, and user reviews indicate ready access to files when connected to this port via PC. The questions are 1) whether the Arlo hub will recognize it as a USB drive when it's connected via the USB 3 port and 2) will the device allow access to the files via Ethernet or WiFi while still connected to the hub (without ejecting).

[jguerdat]

Based on your statement that the USB port allows access to files on the drive but doesn't mention the ability to place files on the drive via the port, I'll guess that it's unidirectional and that connecting it to the hub won't work. All I can say is try it and see since no one seems to have experience with this device. If the port is bidirectional and can be used by connecting the hub to it, then any videos would be available through WiFi, etc. However, the requirement to format in FAT32 may be an issue since NASes tend to use their own formatting which is frequently Linux-based.

All you can do is try it.

[tony_2018]

If you're unable to write to the NAS through the usb port, unable to formate the drive to FAT32 then it will not work.