AirPort Extreme: Shared disk with accounts

[billchase2]

I purchased a new AirPort Extreme last week and have been having some issues getting an external hard drive to work with it. The online documentation isn't helpful at all and I haven't found much from searching.

I have a 1.5 TB hard drive connected via USB and would like to set up accounts using the AirPort Utility. When everything is configured, I am able to connect and log in, but no files appear at all on the hard drive. The only way I've been able to access the files is with a disk password and manually connecting via Finder - Connect to server - 10.0.1.1.

What am I missing? My ultimate goal is to have the hard drive always listed in Finder (both in and out of my home network) and to utilize user accounts.

(Also, when using accounts, I get two listed drives: one with my account name and one with the hard drive name. What's up with the user drive? What is it?)

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UPDATE: This explains the user accounts, which is frustrating. I wonder why they eliminated this warning message?
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6461311

 

[Altemose]

I purchased a new AirPort Extreme last week and have been having some issues getting an external hard drive to work with it. The online documentation isn't helpful at all and I haven't found much from searching.

I have a 1.5 TB hard drive connected via USB and would like to set up accounts using the AirPort Utility. When everything is configured, I am able to connect and log in, but no files appear at all on the hard drive. The only way I've been able to access the files is with a disk password and manually connecting via Finder - Connect to server - 10.0.1.1.

What am I missing? My ultimate goal is to have the hard drive always listed in Finder (both in and out of my home network) and to utilize user accounts.

(Also, when using accounts, I get two listed drives: one with my account name and one with the hard drive name. What's up with the user drive? What is it?)

------------

UPDATE: This explains the user accounts, which is frustrating. I wonder why they eliminated this warning message?
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6461311

If you are able to format the drive clean it will rectify the issue. I agree that it is quite annoying.

 

[billchase2]

If you are able to format the drive clean it will rectify the issue. I agree that it is quite annoying.

I am unable to format the drive, as I currently do not have another drive large enough to locally back up the data. Thanks for the tip, though.

Is there any way to access the drive from outside my Wi-Fi network? I have the WAN feature enabled, but since I am connecting manually via 10.0.1.1, it won't work after leaving the network. Back to my Mac is also enabled on the AirPort.

 

[Altemose]

I am unable to format the drive, as I currently do not have another drive large enough to locally back up the data. Thanks for the tip, though.

Is there any way to access the drive from outside my Wi-Fi network? I have the WAN feature enabled, but since I am connecting manually via 10.0.1.1, it won't work after leaving the network. Back to my Mac is also enabled on the AirPort.

Yes. You would need to ensure that your modem is not functioning as a router and that the Extreme is getting a public IP from the modem. Once that occurs, you can use the "Connect to Server" menu in the Finder to connect using your global IP.