# Saving files to external hard drive via WiFi

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-files-to-external-hard-drive-via-wifi/620074>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-files-to-external-hard-drive-via-wifi/620074 "2012-04-26T22:51:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-files-to-external-hard-drive-via-wifi/620074/1 "2012-04-26T22:51:33Z")

</div>

I have an iMac and a Macbook Pro. Both are running OS X 10.7. I have a WiFi network to which both computers connect the Internet.

Connected to the iMac is an external hard drive that I use for backing up files, and it’s mounted on the desktop. What I’ve been looking for is a way to get the Macbook Pro to connect to the external hard drive for backup purposes as well, via the iMac using the WiFi connection.

(The wording of that last sentence looks funny, but I hope the meaning comes across all the same.)

Is there a way to make this happen? I’d rather not have to physically disconnect my external hard drive from the iMac and connect it to the Macbook Pro every time I want the laptop to access that drive. My Google-fu is not strong enough for me to find any possible answers to this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-files-to-external-hard-drive-via-wifi/620074/2 "2012-04-26T23:02:04Z")

</div>

Sure - just turn on File Sharing in the Sharing Preferences Pane of System Preferences. Make sure you check the option to share the external drive.

ETA: you can set various security levels (who has access, and to what directories), but the default is YOU, with access to the entire drive.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saving-files-to-external-hard-drive-via-wifi/620074/3 "2012-04-26T23:25:11Z")

</div>

That appears to have done the trick. I feel silly now that I missed something so obvious.

Many thanks for the assist.