Network? Hub? What am I trying to create?
 

I want to have my laptop connected to my desktop, and have all my external hard drives connected to the desktop, so from my laptop (which is my main machine) I can access all the hard drives and move files etc.

I am not wanting to use the laptop to run a program on the desktop or anything other then wanting access to the hard drives, I am just wanting a easier way of finding and moving files as I need them instead of plugging one hard drive into the laptop and then back into the desktop etc.

Is this a “network” or a “hub” or what, and what is the easiest and fastest way to do this?

Just turn on personal file sharing at the machine that has the drives... oh wait... you aren't on a Mac.

Wow, didn’t see this coming, how original.

On Windows XP, I'd use networking to do this.

I've got a setup similar to that Torn. Try going to properties on each drive you want to share with the laptop and enable sharing, or if it's only certain folders, enable sharing those the same way.

Also, if you intend to write to or modify files on the shared folders or drives, make sure you check the allow network users to modify box.

and then you should be able to go into "my computer / tools" and map the network drives so you access them just like your hard drive.

Thanks for the advice guys, I will be working on this to see what I can get.

I don't think anyone mentioned that a simple Hub will work. :)

Jim, do you have a idea of what I can do that is quick and easy?

Just like FanTC and Walrus said. You shouldn't have any problems.