Creative uses of the USB Port

        Surprisingly helpful wonders with the USB port 

The USB port on the router offers more than you think. Unless you live in a cave or have a very special situation at home, it makes sense to have a Wi-Fi router connected somewhere in your house. It doesn't matter if the external signal comes from fibre optic or cable, or via Wi-MAX or satellite. A router is the nerve centre of a local area network, and we all have one. And many of them also have USB ports which can be used for other purposes. The USB port on your router is often unused and yet it offers practical functions which can make everyday life easier. You can do things like saving and sharing files, mobile charging or even an automatic backup of your data. It's fair to point out that when we talk about operator routers, they often have some limitations. For example, some routers do not allow opening and closing connection ports; others may prevent us from changing the properties of the internal network. Others limit the use of the USB port, its "capacity," so some uses may be restricted. However, let's go over it. We’ll tell you exactly how this works and what else you can do with your router’s USB port.

The USB port on the router offers various functions depending on your model. Following are the some of the most useful applications:-

Connect the printer to the router

 Connect a USB printer to the router to make it available as a network printer for all devices on the network. This saves you having to change cables or drivers back and forth. One of the most common features of routers, at least the free ones you buy yourself, is allowing devices to connect to a USB port. In this sense, your USB works as a computer, and we can connect external devices to it. Peripheral devices, like a printer, that we want to make available to all network users. So, if our router allows it, we can use the configuration page of the software and enable network printing. This turns our printer into a wireless printer, a Wi-Fi printer for all uses, without having to buy one with this feature, which is usually more expensive.

Use your router as a USB charger

Some USB ports are suitable for powering small devices such as IoT hubs, smart LED lamps or chargers. A practical solution if there is no free socket nearby. The most common thing about powered USB ports (and routers have them) is that they can deliver at least 5W of power. This allows them to function as USB chargers. For example, you can charge your smartwatch with my laptop by connecting it to the computer's USB, or you can also charge your phone. Some router models allow you to charge smartphones, tablets or other devices via the USB port. Another example is your TV that can power your Chromecast. And the router does the same. If your router is placed in an accessible location, it makes sense that you can use it as a charger. Just hold the cable of the device to charge in your hand and connect it to the router's USB port. The current will be low, far from being fast chargers for mobile phones and tablets, but it will still work as a charger.

Network-attached storage (NAS)

Connect an external hard drive or USB stick to store files centrally. You can make documents, photos or videos accessible to all devices in the home network and, with some models, even stream content such as films and music directly. If your router meets the requirements to connect a printer and therefore we can connect external devices, you can connect an external hard drive to this USB port. Just like with a printer, you need to connect the hard drive to a power source (except for 2.5-inch models, which are designed to be powered from the port itself). Once the router detects our hard drive, we suddenly create a network storage system that all computers on that network can access. It's like using one computer from another, but the first computer is actually our router with a connected hard drive. 

Backups 

Many routers support automatic backups. Files from the network are automatically backed up to a connected USB storage device, either time controlled or in real time as soon as new files are created. You can find instructions for this further down in this article.

Mobile internet

If your router supports LTE dongles, you can easily switch to a mobile data connection in the event of an internet outage. This is particularly useful if you need a stable connection and your landline connection fails. 

Connect the fan to the router

We are not talking here about big fans because moving large blades at high speed requires much more power than the 5 W a USB port can provide, but a desktop fan will work for you. One of those you can connect to your computer's USB port to cool it while it runs, for example, will work perfectly with your router's USB port. So, if the router's location is optimal, you can install a fan, which will reduce the heat sensation. Or maybe you can even direct it to your game console and thus reduce the work of its internal fans, which are much noisier. There are many uses, but a fan works and can be very practical.

Connect the universal infrared remote control to the router

It's really interesting because there are devices on the market that emit infrared light and are actually universal remote controls which we can control with our mobile phone. We're talking about devices that we connect and can configure to turn on and off the TV or air conditioning, even control it and change the temperature, change the output regulation, etc. Many of them are powered by USB cables. They don't even have their own charger; they just come with a USB cable in the box, and you have to find an outlet. And what outlet is right for you? Actually, your router's USB. So, if your router is in a good location and has a direct view of your devices with a remote control, control them all with your mobile phone.

Devices you can connect

The type of supported devices also depends on the router model. Check the operating instructions to see which devices your router supports and which connections are compatible.

How to use the USB port for automatic backups

Connect a USB hard drive or stick to the router. In most cases, the storage device will be recognized automatically.

Log in via the router’s user interface and search for options such as “Backup” or “Storage.”

Select the option “New Backup Job” or a similar function and follow the instructions of the wizard.

Decide whether you want a scheduled backup or a real-time backup that saves changes immediately.

Perform the first backup manually to ensure that everything is set up correctly.

This is where we enter very specific territory because we need our router to allow sharing multimedia files over the network for this to work, and not all routers on the market do that. But there are some, and maybe your router is one of them. You just need to enter its configuration to check if it has a section to turn your router into a media server. If it turns out you can do it, you just have to connect the hard drive you already have connected, a hard drive that we can fill with movies and series or even music in MP3 format (some accept high-quality FLAC format).) and your router will thus become a complete media server.