This chapter explains how to connect your LaCie network storage to a computer via USB. For details on connecting the device to a network, see Connect to the Network.
If your network is limited to 10/100 megabit transfer speeds or if you use Wi-Fi, the USB connection will generally permit faster transfer rates. In such cases, LaCie suggests that you copy large quantities of files from your computer to your LaCie network storage via USB. Please note that your network storage device should not be connected to the network while it is attached to a computer via USB.
USB, FireWire, eSATA, and Thunderbolt external devices feature “plug & play” connectivity, which means that your drive can be connected and disconnected while the computer is running. To prevent failures, however, it is important to follow these steps when disconnecting your LaCie hard disk.
From the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand side of your screen), click the Eject icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image). A message will appear, listing the devices the Eject icon controls (it should say, “Safely remove…”). Click on the LaCie hard disk in this prompt.
This message will appear: “Safe to Remove Hardware” (or similar). It is now safe to disconnect the device.
From the System Tray (located in the lower right-hand side of your screen) click on the plug icon (note the white check mark inside a green circle).
A message will appear, detailing the devices that may be safely unmounted.
Select Eject for the device you wish to unmount. A message will appear notifying you that it is safe to remove the device.