Hi folks. Have appx 50 GB of digital (MP3) CD music currently using an old Apple Time Capsule as a NAS. I have an Orbi router with a free USB port connected to my cable modem. Can I copy my files onto a 256GB USB flash (thumb) drive and then have Sonos look for the music there? I have a Mac and the the USB drive does not show on my network (on the Mac) when it is plugged in to the Orbi. Should this work? And if so, what would the path be. I suspect the Apple Time Capsule is on borrowed time, and I turn off my computer and want Sonos to be able to see the music library even when computer is off. Thanks for help!
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From what I can tell, the Orbi only supports Readyshare for printers through the USB port. Some have been able to get a USB external hard drive to work though.
Do you have the option to copy the 50 GB of music files onto your Mac’s hard drive?
Thanks for your reply. Yes the music also lives on the Mac in iTunes. I can listen to it on the computer that way, but never do since I have Sonos in that room. I usually turn the computer off when not using it so I assume Sonos could not see it there. I was hoping to avoid a big set up with a NAS like with the Time Capsule. I have spent time looking on line and seems like the USB attached to the router that the Sonos is connected to is doable but I am not in the computer industry and am looking for an inexpensive and simple option if possible. Should I call Sonos? Thx for your time and interest!
I found this discussion on Netgear’s community forums: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/ORBI-USB-Hard-Drive-support/td-p/1756369
I set up my iTunes music library on my iMac to be accessible on the Sonos app. I keep my computer on at all times but have the display set to turn off using a hot corner. I know this option is not ideal if you prefer shutting down your Mac when not in use.
A cheap solution might be a Raspberry Pi Zero W that could easily host your USB music and connect to Sonos via SMB v1.
Thanks for your reply.. So I have read that, but am not familiar with Raspberry Pi (apparently many “models” or SMB v1. Is there an item that you can recommend on amazon as well as a simple tutorial or “how to” to set it up
+21I can recommend the Odroid HC 1 or 2(depending on the physical size of the hard drive you are going to use). I have both, one with a 2 tb drive for my PC backup and Acronis images and the other as a dedicated Sonos Nas.
i really enjoyed seeing them up too.
There’s a great video here that takes you through the process
You can do the same with any Raspberry pi board but I like the neatness of the integration of the drive that these offered
Amazon has a lot of options, the first isn’t the cheapest but it is well supported and has all you’ll likely need.
https://smile.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Wireless-Complete-Starter/dp/B072N3X39J/ref=sr_1_4
This is a nice step up and provides wired Ethernet as well as more ports.
https://smile.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Starter-32GB-Official/dp/B07VDGKXBH/ref=sr_1_6
Instructions here: https://stan-miller.livejournal.com/ or Live Journal
If you want an integrated drive there are a lot of options, I use a second board, same size as my Pi that holds an M.2 SSD stick. That avoids any hassles with spinning drives.
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