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USB storage on AirPort Extreme
- Thread starter MacMan988
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Yes, you can. The USB drive that you connect will appear as a network volume that you can use however you like.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1331
Edit: or possibly not. It seems that Apple might have gimped the Airport Extreme on purpose. Need to test this. Read the rest of the thread please.
The one is built in and the other isn't.
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Thanks for the reply. Would the content in the external HDD be exposed to the internet ? If then would there be any possibilities of having security issues?
No, it wouldn't be exposed to the Internet. It could be exposed locally if you are not using a password to secure your wifi on the Airport Extreme though. You can also tick the Secure My Backups checkbox in TM settings for another layer of protection.
While many users report it works just fine, a USB drive attached to an Airport Extreme used for Time Machine is not "supported" by Apple. See this. I would not risk my data with an unsupported solution.
Some of the problems people have experienced with TM and attached USB drives stem from the power used to run the external; at a minimum it shouldn't be a bus-powered drive. But even then some have issues.
I'd recommend if you do use one in this fashion that you do manual TM backups; that way you can monitor whether it is working correctly and that you got the desired result.
But then again, if you do that it's often easier to just use the USB on your computer.....
Rob
I'd recommend if you do use one in this fashion that you do manual TM backups; that way you can monitor whether it is working correctly and that you got the desired result.
But then again, if you do that it's often easier to just use the USB on your computer.....
Rob
No it doesn't. See my screen grab and note it says "(with support for Time Machine backups)" by the Time Capsule only. This is a well known issue and the topic of frequent discussion on the Apple support forums.
No it doesn't. See my screen grab and note it says "(with support for Time Machine backups)" by the Time Capsule only. This is a well known issue and the topic of frequent discussion on the Apple support forums.
![20120712-x9pxx6ce2c5g7tdw18s1rcprce.jpg]()
Those are the supported uses according to the article. Mice, keyboards and do forth are not supported. I am not getting what you're saying. Are you saying that TM is not supported despite the article saying that it is?
The bit you highlighted are the supported uses.
These are the unsupported uses:
I'm not sure what you are struggling with. Look at my screen grab. The only device that lists support for this feature is the Time Capsule.
Like I mentioned, this is a known issue and not just something I am misinterpreting from the KB article. If you don't choose to believe me, that is okay.
It is even mentioned in Lion help.
I'm not sure what you are struggling with. Look at my screen grab. The only device that lists support for this feature is the Time Capsule.
Like I mentioned, this is a known issue and not just something I am misinterpreting from the KB article. If you don't choose to believe me, that is okay.
It is even mentioned in Lion help.
![20120712-g8e7fe5phriu4x58dn2sec2ahu.jpg]()
Ahh, I understand now.
I kept reading this
Time Capsule
Single self-powered USB hard disk (with support for Time Machine backups)
Single USB printer directly into the USB port, or several printers connected to the base station via a powered USB hub
Using a powered USB hub you may connect several hard disks and/or printers
instead of this
AirPort Extreme 802.11n
Single self-powered USB hard disk
Single powered USB printer directly into the USB port, or several printers connected to the base station via a powered USB hub
Using a powered USB hub you may connect several hard disks and/or printers
I see now.
I apologise for giving the op possibly misleading information. However, based on reading this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1331 , I see no technical reason that it will not work and I need to try it to see for myself, because I find this hard to believe, unless Apple has gimped it on purpose.
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I completely agree it should work, and many people report it does, then all of a sudden it just stops working sometimes
. Maybe Apple just wants to sell more Time Capsules.I completely agree it should work, and many people report it does, then all of a sudden it just stops working sometimes
That's exactly what it sounds like. A network storage volume should appear as a network volume storage to the os, regardless of which router is providing it.
I completely agree it should work, and many people report it does, then all of a sudden it just stops working sometimes
I could never get it to work properly. As you stated it would work one day and then not work the next. Backups would not occur as scheduled or the drive would not be recognized. Couldn't trust it so I changed my setup to a more reliable configuration.