Can two computers share an external usb hard drive?

[Errica]

I'd like to purchase a 160gb external usb hard drive but, ideally, it needs to be accessed by two different computers. Is this possible?

Thanks.

[SpirtOfGrandeur]

Plug it into one and network it to the other. Or just plug it in to the computer that needs it as it needs it...

[goughy000]

if you computers are networked you can use a NAS controller to host it as a network share

the computers on the network can then acess the files on it via http, windows shares (samba if your on linux) or FTP without relying on another computer to be turned on to access it through

linksys make one:

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1119460471050&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper


or you can get one that will use a normal hard disk

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NAS-SERVER-3-5-HDD-Network-enclosure-SAMBA-FTP-USB-LAN_W0QQitemZ120073426195QQihZ002QQcategoryZ96894QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem